[lewislynn]

More energy production will decrease the cost of energy,

True. But don't kid yourself, energy producers love environmental restrictions that raise the cost to the consumer. They can charge more, make more profit and produce less. Name any other industry that asks you to restrict your use of their product

The NYT belongs to an intellectual movement that believes that inexpensive energy is among the worst things that can happen to the world.

And Fox news etc. is loaded with them too. They all panic when the price of oil drops...It's all about their own investments.

[Steely Tom]

True. But don't kid yourself, energy producers love environmental restrictions that raise the cost to the consumer. They can charge more, make more profit and produce less. Name any other industry that asks you to restrict your use of their product

That's a good thing, isn't it?

I like clean air as much as the next person, but I also think expanding the supply of energy is a good thing. I would think energy producers would think so too.

I've told the story before of how my family went to see the Worlds Fair in 1964; it was in NYC.

We got to stay in the Manhattan apartment of a family friend. When we went out in the morning to take the train over to Flushing Meadows, I was faced with an amazing sight: the sunrise in the East created a brilliant solid yellow haze that went from street level clear up to as high as I could crane my neck. I couldn't see any blue at all, just golden haze.

When we went home the next day, we took a tunnel out of the city through New Jersey; as we drove along the Pulaski Skyway, we went past a huge coal-burning power plant that hat five stacks, and all five were belching dark-gray smoke like crazy. It made a real impression on me.

Now, today, the sky over Manhattan is clear and blue on a cloudless day. A huge improvement in 52 years.

I like that; it shows that technology can accomplish great things.