MIRACLE OR MESS IN MICHIGAN?

RIDICULOUS AND RENEWABLE . . . WELCOME TO GRASSFIRE'S HEALTHWIRE REPORT! . . . WHERE ARE ENERGY AND HEALTH HEADED? GREETINGS, HealthWire Subscriber!   We've gotten past Earth Day  -- but many of the ideas that empower the worst thinking in environmentalism live on. Take the example of Michigan. There's a tug-of-war for the minds of Michigan citizens. They have a renewable mandate passed in 2008 that forces the 10% use of renewable energy by 2015 -- while voting last November against renewable energy strictures that would have taken them down that road until 2025. How much confusion is there among the electorate? Or are we now finally hearing their true voice? Today I've posted a story about those seemingly contradictory trends. It's called "Ridiculous and Renewable? Michigan: Good and Bad." I contend that we all need to pay close attention to the situation in the Wolverine State. Why is that? They've been pushed, without too much objection, into using more renewable energy by law -- yet they deep-sixed both extending that for years (to 2025) and doubling the percentage of required renewables (10%-25%). Katie Tubb, an analyst at the Heritage Foundation, had some insightful thoughts about the Michigan situation just before last November's election. She spoke out against the 2008 law's requirement that energy suppliers couldn't add more than a 1% increase annually to pay for the current renewable arm-twisting: Price caps do not work, and one need look no further than Michigan for proof. Electricity prices are rising under the current 10 percent mandate and have been consistently above the national average and the highest in the Midwest. This is despite the mandate’s price caps, which pertain only to the costs attributable to compliance with the mandate. However, total cost is not so easily traceable: Incorporating intermittent energy [from the inconsistency of wind farms, for instance] makes power plants less efficient and therefore more expensive overall to run. So, the variability in wind creates problems for standard carbon-burning plants. Are we being told about that? Or is there an agenda to make us all think that renewable energy is the greatest thing since sliced bread? Tubb's comments are also pertinent to a related legal issue. The 2012 proposed initiative was to put the requirement for 25% renewable energy right into the Michigan constitution:  Proposal 3 would make Michigan the only state with a renewable mandate entrenched in its constitution. Considering how long it took the Michigan legislature to write the 2008 legislation for the current mandate and its system of credits, price caps, and interim targets, writing energy policy into a constitution is exactly how not to deal with the complexity and volatility of both energy and policy. The purpose of a constitution is to lay down the foundational principles and structures of governing. Policy and legislation, on the other hand, should remain nimble and responsive to changes. In other words, we can learn a lot from Michigan. Indeed, there is hope in seeing Michigan resoundingly reject an extended program to hamstring energy with an unwarranted bias for renewable sources.  Remember wastefulness harms health. And energy costs diverted away from our pockets gives us fewer choices in health. That's one of the many reasons Obamacare is harmful.  May I take this opportunity to recommend our booklet, "Hidden Dangers of Obamacare"? You need to know about the threats Obamacare entails. Okay, let's take a moment to go beyond the energy powering our homes and businesses. That is, remember to energize your body with good food and the right supplements! And you need no government mandates or bureaucratic instructions for that . . .  May you enjoy the best of health,  Gailon Totheroh Editor, HealthWire LibertyNews.com P.S. In order to keep you informed on HealthWIRE -- we're on Facebook at Healthwire Report. Become a fan today! CONNECT WITH US ONLINE: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE | LIBERTYNEWS.COM   Click here to be removed from this list or send a written request to: Grassroots Action PO Box 277 Maxwell,IA 50161 You are signed up as: alexander@yorkteaparty.org. Click here to change your email address.