| Energy Realism this past week looked at the obvious holes in woke ESG investments and the boring spectacle that has become “Earth Day.” Year after year, we keep hearing the same trite slogans, so, please, leave us alone already. Benjamin Zycher got us started with a reality check for Earth Dayers: you zealots are clearly running out of ideas and tactics to scare. But your beat goes on. To you, many billions of people are little more than environmentally destructive mouths to feed, without moral standing and devoid of the ingenuity, intelligence, and inventiveness to solve problems. They are, therefore, environmental sinners, and only massive economic destruction and impoverishment can redeem mankind. Indeed, Jonathan Lesser obliterates the net zero fantasy. Net zero is not real energy policy. Despite Germany’s last-ditch attempt at realism, the European Union recently approved a 2035 ban on gas-powered cars, moving ahead with its “net zero” emissions agenda. In the U.S., the cost of achieving net-zero carbon emissions would be staggering – $50 trillion if the goal is reached by 2050 – as would the demand for raw materials, which in most cases would exceed current annual worldwide production. Fossil fuels supply over 80% of U.S. and global energy, so “not investing in them” is an obvious recipe for disaster. Terrence Keeley exposes NYC big wig Brad Lander, who is proudly obsessed with using other people’s money to advance the left-wing political agenda. Honorable public officials eager to promote the common good, like Brad Lander, claim to know more than common sense allows. Here in the U.S., public pension assets should broadly be managed like Norway’s – in other words, they should strive to maximize returns responsibly and at minimal cost. Investment paradigms based on speculative assumptions and restricted investment universes suggest political motivations – exactly what Friedrich Hayek memorably dubbed “the fatal conceit.” Phil Goldberg also demands a pushback on such woke ESG investing, starting with the destructive and bogus “climate lawsuits” against our most vital energy producers. So far, about two dozen climate lawsuits against energy producers have been filed around the country. This litigation is really political in nature, born out of frustration among some groups that their climate policies were not being adopted in Congress or the administrations. By going to the courts to impose their policies—here to “raise the price” of oil and gas on American consumers—the climate zealots are trying to bypass the checks and balances of the legislative and regulatory processes. Our Essential Reading then must come from the University of Chicago. As it turns out, fossil fuel divestment is a proven money loser. The facts and history are very clear: fossil fuel divestment simply does not pass a cost-benefit analysis and can deliver a 25% reduction in portfolio growth. In the News Bloomberg Kyle Chouinard, City & State NY Simon Watkins, Oil Price Jeff McMahon, Forbes WSJ Alex Kimani, Oil Price Michael McKenna, RealClearEnergy Jack Loughran, E&T Carolyn Davis, NGI White & Case Andrew Nikiforuk, Resilence Sarah Coffey, The FGA Jeff VanderMeer, Esquire Reuters Seymour Hersh, Seymour Hersh Fox News 'Shark Tank' star and O'Leary Ventures CEO Kevin O'Leary discusses his plans to capitalize on the U.S.'s oil needs by building a refinery equipped with new technology. Peter Schiff OPEC Cuts Complicate Fed's Efforts Fox News 'The Big Saturday Show' co-hosts discuss the new film, ‘How to Blow Up a Pipeline’ and the latest climate craze. Fox Business Canary CEO Dan Eberhart explains how the Biden administration has 'slowed down' the flow of U.S. oil and threatened energy security. CNBC Television John Kilduff, Again Capital founding partner, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss Kilduff's thoughts on WTI Crude prices, the timing on comments regarding the SPR and more. | 