Let’s pile on Warren Buffett because he’s white, rich, and old (just kidding!!!)
Did you see where people are calling out Warren Buffett on how he missed the chance to talk about climate change and renewable energy? Here at The Original Surfers, we thought we just had to weigh in.
Warren Buffett – would be the richest person in the world, if he hadn’t given away so much money
If you read the headlines you might come away by thinking that Warren missed the point because he’s old. Or that he’s rich and doesn’t care about the environment. If you look into it more, nothing could be further from the truth.
What happened was that a 17-year-old Iowa girl at Berkshire’s annual meeting suggested to Warren Buffett that Berkshire (Buffett’s company that he runs and is the largest single shareholder) should retire five Iowa coal plants run by its subsidiary MidAmerican Energy. She pointed out that these Iowa coal plants are enormous sources of greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants. She went on to say that it was past time to replace them with a proper mix of solar, battery storage, and wind.
Mr. Buffett responded by saying that due to MidAmerican’s production of wind energy, Berkshire is a leader in renewable energy.
All the environmentalists around the globe quickly jumped on Mr. Buffett, suggesting that because Berkshire’s investors have amassed so much wealth they shouldn’t try to maximize their profits.
The Original Surfers Take
Here, at The Original Surfers, we have a different take. Okay, a WAY different take.
The Original Surfers Kaila and Waian
If you don’t like Mr. Buffett’s and Berkshire’s environmental record and/or policies, then you should invest in other companies. Or you can vote with your wallet and not buy Berkshire’s goods and services.
We understand Mr. Buffett when he says his first duty is toward his shareholders. By the way, not all of Berkshire shareholders are “wealthy” or rich. Mr. Buffett has been saying his first duty is to his shareholders for over 50 years. If you invested in Berkshire and thought something different then you haven’t been paying attention to Mr. Buffett and Mr. Munger.
And, when was the last time that you heard that one of Berkshire’s companies did something really bad?
And we are environmentalists at The Original Surfers
But, there’s more here. Here at The Original Surfers, we’re ENVIRONMENTALISTS. BIG TIME. Make no mistake about it.
And we question the 17-year-old girl’s assumption that solar, battery storage, and wind and somehow great “GREEN solutions.
I suggest you come out to California and check out the solar and wind in some of our deserts. It’s almost criminal what the solar and wind industry has done to California’s deserts. And it would be a crime if it was up to me.
I suggest that before you say that solar and wind are great solutions, Iowa devotes some of its precious farmland to wind and solar in a HUGE way.
Come on out to California before you suggest solar and wind “farms” are the answer
Check out these photos!!!!
The largest solar power facility in the world has ruined the local ecosystem in the desert!
These solar facilities are HUGE!
It’s NOT a wind “farm” – it’s destroying the desert!
More truth. Solar power and wind power have destroyed the ecosystems in the California deserts where they are built. Some people call California’s deserts the new Dead Sea.
Offshore Wind Farms are an environmental disaster!!
Now there are plans to build off-shore (meaning in the ocean)… You just knew that The Original Surfers would somehow steer this conversation back to our Mother Ocean, right?
I have a good idea – let’s destroy the ocean with Off Shore Wind…ask yourself “Who profits?”
Are you kidding me? Now were’ going to destroy the ocean with “offshore renewable energy?” Ask yourself, who is going to make money off of this? You, me, or energy companies?
Off-shore wind is only the answer if you don’t live in the ocean or love the ocean.
I suggest you be careful what you wish for. Let’s not be so quick to jump on the “let’s shut down all the coal plants” bandwagon.
Before you jump wholesale into a “green” solution, you need to ask some very pointed and uncomfortable questions.
No, I don’t blame Mr. Buffett for maximizing his profits for his shareholder. No, I don’t blame the 17-year-old girl from Iowa for suggesting that wind and solar and batteries (don’t get me started about all the adverse environmental problems there are with batteries… just don’t go there..) are the answer.
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid just yet
But before you start drinking the Kool-Aid on wind and solar, come on out to California. Or take a boat tour of an offshore wind “farm.”
I KNOW this isn’t what you expected to hear from The Original Surfers. But things aren’t so cut and dry as so many environmental groups want you to believe.
Oh yea, one last thing. Instead of building massive solar power facilities in the desert and even in Iowa’s precious corn fields, I suggest you look at what is going on in the solar industry. The solar industry is doing everything possible to prevent or dissuade homeowners from putting rooftop solar on their homes.
Why? Because the energy companies lose money when that happens. And that just won’t do.
The Original Surfers suggests that we should be encouraging rooftop solar. Not devastating California deserts and Iowa’s corn fields.
Just saying.
Climate Change and Renewable Energy