Activist local governments should not be regulators of energy markets
In a world of war, America’s first duty is keeping its lights on.
As the world economy grapples with the fallout of the war in Iran, lawfare by American climate activists threatens significant damage to the nation’s domestic energy industry — and with it national security.
In the name of climate leadership, states are passing laws and filing lawsuits aimed at inflicting massive penalties on energy companies. But in two pending cases, the Supreme Court can establish federal supremacy over energy and climate change policy and beat back local interference in national security.
The Founding Fathers designed the Constitution to prevent states from undermining a unified, national foreign and national security policy. Control over war, treaty, commerce and diplomacy belong to the national government alone. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that principle and struck down state laws that interfere with the nation’s dealings abroad.
In Suncor v. Boulder County, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in February, Colorado officials have invoked a sweeping legal theory that would essentially make states the arbiters of international climate policy. The theory states that energy companies are responsible for billions of dollars in damages because they supposedly concealed the link between fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions all over the world.
The supreme courts of Colorado and Hawaii allowed these lawsuits to move forward, while the Maryland Supreme Court did not. Now, the U.S. Supreme Court is poised to rule on whether the state laws allowing these lawsuits violate federal supremacy on interstate commerce and foreign affairs.
Politics
National Civitas Institute Poll: Americans are Anxious and Frustrated, Creating a Challenging Environment for Leaders
The poll reveals a deeply pessimistic American electorate, with a majority convinced the nation is on the wrong track.
.webp)
Liberal Democracy Reexamined: Leo Strauss on Alexis de Tocqueville
This article explores Leo Strauss’s thoughts on Alexis de Tocqueville in his 1954 “Natural Right” course transcript.
%20(1).avif)
Long Distance Migration as a Two-Step Sorting Process: The Resettlement of Californians in Texas
Here we press the question of whether the well-documented stream of migrants relocating from California to Texas has been sufficient to alter the political complexion of the destination state.
%20(3).avif)
Who's That Knocking? A Study of the Strategic Choices Facing Large-Scale Grassroots Canvassing Efforts
Although there is a consensus that personalized forms of campaign outreach are more likely to be effective at either mobilizing or even persuading voters, there remains uncertainty about how campaigns should implement get-out-the-vote (GOTV) programs, especially at a truly expansive scale.
Opinion Why Californians are leaving — and what Gavin Newsom is spending $19M to hide
Californians know better: Newsom is a failed governor.
.jpg)
Another Reason for Regime Change: Iran’s Flagrant Assault on the Rules of War
The rules of war are not complicated. Militaries may strike military targets. Militaries may not deliberately target civilians or threaten the commerce of neutral nations.
The Iran War and the Future of the American Right
Politics in America is never settled, and the shape and depth of the conservative movement, and its influence on the GOP, is no exception.
