Maui’s wildfires are proof that carbon craze can kill
Carbon neutral zeal can be hazardous to your health. In fact, it can be deadly in the hands of government officials.
Ask the grieving families of Maui, the Hawaiian island hit by wildfires last week.
As the fires raged, liberal media blamed climate change for the devastation.
“How climate change turned lush Hawaii into a powder keg” announced the New York Times.
Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that the opposite is true.
Zero-carbon extremism stopped the island’s largest power producer, Hawaiian Electric, from insulating lines, clearing areas around vulnerable transmission sites and taking other precautions to prevent wildfires that it knew were likely to occur .
It faltered on prevention while investing money and manpower to meet the Hawaii government’s mandate that all electricity be generated from renewable sources by 2045.
The death toll from the Lahaina fire stands at 111 but is set to rise as large parts of the island have yet to be searched.
The fire is already the deadliest in US history. But Texas, Colorado and California have also been devastated by wildfires fueled by poorly maintained power transmission systems — uninsulated lines, flimsy pylons, uncontrolled crop growth.
Six of the 20 most recent wildfires in California, including the Camp Fire in 2018 that killed 85 people, the Kinkade fire in Sonoma in 2019, and the Dixie fire in 2022, were made worse by sparks from aging transmission equipment maintenance caused.
Follow the latest NYP coverage of Maui’s deadly wildfires
California-based Pacific Electric & Gas boasts that it is “helping to heal the planet” and is committed “to achieving a net-zero energy system by 2040 — five years ahead of California’s current carbon-neutrality goal.”
How about healing the families who needlessly lost loved ones in these fires?
Striving for zero carbon while sacrificing safety and providing a reliable power supply is insane.
We all want to protect the planet, but at a reasonable pace.
On Wednesday, as bailouts continued in Maui, President Joe Biden celebrated the one-year anniversary of his Inflation Reduction Act and announced that the United States is on track to “achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.”
He should have added, “Whether hell or high tide come.”
Only 30% of Americans support Biden’s goal of “going to zero as soon as possible.” per Pew Research.
They realize that the compromises are too risky.
As the grisly facts about Maui emerge, that lesson is clearer than ever.
Although an official report on the causes of the fires will take months, photos and power monitor evidence suggest a number of fires were started when power lines struck trees, other wires or the ground due to the wind.
“This is strong confirmation, based on real-world data, that power grid disturbances were likely the ignition source for several Maui wildfires,” said Bob Marshall, CEO of Whisker Labs, which monitors power grids across the United States, including Maui .
Four years ago, after the devastating 2019 wildfire season, Hawaiian Electric concluded that sparking power lines posed a serious threat and created a plan for fire-retardant poles, surveillance technology, and insulation.
Then the company hesitated, spending less than $245,000 on wildfire prevention while ramping up major renewable energy projects.
It took until 2022 before a tariff increase for the containment of forest fires could be applied for.
Hawaiian Electric’s Priorities—In Hindsight deadly Priorities – Reflected the state’s predominantly democratic, bright political culture.
Consider that left-wing politicians across the US are pushing toward net zero on a ruthless schedule that sacrifices the safety of ordinary people.
Wildfires are among the worst side effects.
But right here in the New York metro area, Democrats are demanding that Con Edison transition to zero-carbon and nuclear power generation, not to mention that consumer bills will more than double by 2025 (say goodbye to clothing usage) . dryer and air conditioning) and expect power outages.
As energy giant Harold Hamm writes in his new book Game Changer, with current technologies, net zero “has no chance of working.”
Tell the politicians, “Yes, save the planet, but don’t kill us and destroy our standard of living in the process.”
Betsy McCaughey is a former Lieutenant Governor of New York.
Twitter: @Betsy_McCaughey
