A Climate Conversation Podcast 19 Ron Stein
November 8, 2024
Hosts: Kim Monson & Dave O’Rourke
Guests: Ron Stein, author, columnist, engineer, and energy policy advisor for the Heartland Institute; Walter E. Johnson, geophysicist and executive producer of the documentary A Climate Conversation
Welcome to A Climate Conversation Podcast, supporting A Climate Conversation, a documentary promoting honest dialogue on climate change—its causes, impacts, and a science-based cost-benefit analysis of potential solutions.
In this episode, we delve into the critical distinction between energy and electricity. Renewable energy generates only intermittent electricity, relying on unreliable breezes and sunshine. In contrast, fossil fuels underpin nearly all modern manufacturing, supporting the needs of the planet's 8 billion people.
Ron Stein
Ron Stein, a private business advocate for the energy industry, has launched the Energy Literacy initiative, sharing books, podcasts, and articles to educate the public about energy. An energy agnostic, Stein provides in-depth, balanced discussions on renewable electricity, fossil fuels, and their vital role in global lifestyles and economies.
Walter E. Johnson
Walter E. Johnson, the executive producer of A Climate Conversation, joins Stein in this episode. Together, they examine the cost-benefit dynamics of proposed climate "solutions" and explore key themes in global energy policy.
Key Topics Discussed:
The global crisis of energy poverty affecting nearly 10% of humanity
The massive quantities of scarce minerals and fossil fuels required to produce solar panels and wind turbines
Americans' widespread lack of awareness about the role of fossil fuels in manufacturing countless products essential to modern life
The irony of “clean energy” advocates rejecting nuclear power
The vital need for continuous, reliable, and available energy
How natural gas underpins food security
The moral complexities surrounding electric vehicles (EVs)
The Role of Fossil Fuels in Human Flourishing
This episode explores how fossil fuels are indispensable to human progress. From medicine and food production to supply chains and the thousands of products we rely on daily, fossil fuels are foundational. Advocates for energy policy reform must consider resource conservation and global energy security to ensure human flourishing for all.
Climate alarmists argue that humanity’s survival hinges on rejecting fossil fuels. In reality, fossil fuels sustain modern civilization and must be balanced with thoughtful, pragmatic energy policies that protect both our planet and our future. Join the conversation and become part of the solution.
About Ron Stein
Ron Stein is an internationally published columnist, energy consultant, and policy advisor for The Heartland Institute. He is the founder of PTS Advance, a leading professional services firm in California.
Publications by Ron Stein
Energy Made Easy: Helping Citizens Become Energy-Literate (2019)
Just GREEN Electricity: Helping Citizens Understand a World without Fossil Fuels (2020)
Clean Energy Exploitations: Helping Citizens Understand the Environmental and Humanity Abuses That Support "Clean" Energy (2021)
Clean Energy Exploitations was nominated for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in the General
Where to Find Ron Stein's Books
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