Recently President Biden and some Democrat-controlled states have taken what they claim are decisive steps to combat climate change.
But in the end, it was all nonsense, hypocrisy, and wasteful spending — with taxpayers picking up the tab.
The Biden administration put the final touches on a new regulation that will ban most types of domestic water heaters that use natural gas.
Under the new regulations, approximately 40% of the tankless water heaters in production today would be banned by the year 2029 and replaced with less efficient models.
The Department of Energy claims that the new regulations will reduce carbon dioxide emissions. However, natural gas is one of the cleanest fossil fuels in existence, and the regulation will increase consumer costs.
Although the new rule was made on Dec. 26, it was done quietly, with no press release to accompany it as is standard. It wasn’t until The Washington Free Beacon reported on it Jan. 3 that it became public.
Consumer are penalized in the end, affecting low-income households the most.
"It's one more example of an appliance regulation that raises costs and reduces choices," Ben Lieberman, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), told the Washington Free Beacon. "It bans an entire category of tankless water heaters and the ones that are most affordable."
But the administration wasn’t finished.
On Monday the president banned offshore drilling of oil and gas in most federal waters.
This was just the latest of more than 200 actions Biden has taken to limit the oil and gas industry, according to Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council.
"As American consumers we should all be very concerned, they take massive areas just off limits, taking those decisions out of states,” said Ness.
And as government hampers the ability to extract gas and oil, it becomes more expensive, with the consumer paying the price.
Meanwhile, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., announced that she'll be assessing energy companies that legally sell gas, oil, and coal to the public $75 billion over the next 25 years under a new climate law.
The fines will allegedly pay for the "damage" they create to the environment.
Of course they will.
But for the energy companies to remain in business, they’ll have to pass those fines along to the consumer. And as always, low income households will take the biggest hit.
Hypocritically, Gov. Hochul turned out to be one of the largest individual consumers of fossil fuels, as she has spent $415,000 on private jets.
But then again, she didn’t pay for that.
It was paid by her campaign committee from public donations.
A local pilot experienced in private aviation said, "It’s very wasteful, especially for an elected official. There is no reason why any elected official in New York should be taking a private jet. Nearly everywhere in New York or upstate has a [commercial] airport that will take you anywhere in the country.
"New York is one of the most well-connected places on the planet."
Moving to the Midwest, last week the Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced plans to lease 420 acres of state forest in the northern part of the lower peninsula.
The land would be leased to a solar energy provider, who would clear all 420 acres and replace the trees with a solar farm to meet a state climate goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.
The announcement raised the hackles of Republican state lawmakers.
"Mind-numbing decisions like this are absolute proof that the DNR is completely rotten to its core,” state Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, said in a statement joined by Rep. Mike Hoadley, R-AuGres, and State Sen. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton.
"This deforestation will destroy habitats and effectively kill wildlife," Borton added. "Let me make that clear: the DNR is choosing to kill wildlife so they can build solar panels."
In addition, trees are nature’s own air cleaners. They take in carbon dioxide and replace it with pure oxygen.
The Heritage Foundation announced late last month just how much the White House energy policy has hurt U.S. taxpayers.
"The Harris-Biden administration energy rules and regulations have cost U.S. taxpayers $1.37 trillion since Biden and Harris took office, and all for no impact on the climate," Heritage reported.
"Vice President Harris’ policies are dangerously liberal."
Unfortunately, reversing the policies of the last four years isn’t going to be as easy as signing an executive order.
And ultimately, extreme energy programs — whether state or federal — only hurt the people that government claims to serve.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.