U.S. Offshore Wind Energy Actually Performed Well During Winter Storm Fern and Atlantic Ocean Winter Wind Capacity Remains Predictably Strong

     While average capacity factors for wind energy, including offshore wind energy, are typically much lower than thermal plants on average (low 30s % for wind and high 50s % for combined cycle natural gas), they may be high during certain time periods. That was the case during the recent Winter Storm Fern cold snap. This means that offshore wind performed exceptionally well during this period. Offshore wind speeds are typically stronger than those onshore. Of course, there is significant variability in wind generation through the day and through the seasons. Just because it performed well during this cold spell doesn’t necessarily mean that it will perform well during the next one. Even so, there is still enough predictability in wind generation to say that it likely would perform adequately. In fact, the U.S. Northeast region is known to have excellent winter wind energy capacity, which will lead to generally predictable high capacity factors during the winter. These facts should be taken into account by the Trump administration in evaluating support for all the Atlantic Ocean wind projects, several of which they have sought to stop cold.

     While it is true that the Northeast region needs more natural gas pipelines, it can also benefit from these offshore wind farms, although the costs to build gas pipelines and power plants would provide much better-performing energy systems overall, at a lower cost, and without subsidization. The reality is that the region would benefit from both energy sources. Offshore wind would put the most pressure on government subsidies and consumer prices. Thus, that is a good reason to want to limit it to some extent.

     Data from Orsted’s 135MW South Fork Wind Project offshore New York calculated an average annual net capacity factor of 46.4 %. That is very good for wind energy. The data below is from July 2024, when the project came online, to July 2025. It shows very high capacity factors during late fall, winter, and early spring, often well over 50% and approaching 60%. That is indeed comparable to natural gas combined cycle capacity factors. However, the low capacity factors during the summer, particularly in August and September, mean that it won’t be very helpful during high power demand during extremely hot weather. 

     According to Mikkel Mæhlisen, Head of Operations, Ørsted:

“South Fork Wind’s exceptional first-year performance puts it on par with our top-performing facilities globally, confirming that the Northeast United States has some of the most exceptional offshore wind resources in the world.”

     An interesting analysis in Canary Media shows that a new power line just activated to bring more than 1GW of power from Quebec ended up keeping it for themselves and even reversing a transmission line to send power to Canada. They will likely be fined for inadequacy according to contracts. This certainly shows that importing Canadian hydropower may not be an effective solution for the region. One inadequate solution that has been used for years is burning diesel fuel oil when natural gas becomes unavailable. Another solution that can have small impacts is expanding demand response. Though often touted as a solution, it is not likely to result in that much drawdown of power demand. It is useful but probably over-hyped.

     Wind did perform well. During one overnight period, more than 1.5 gigawatts of wind power, ISO-New England reported that roughly 10% of New England’s total load was feeding into the grid. The Vineyard Wind project offshore Massachusetts, not yet complete but currently generating power into the grid, helped in that regard. ISO-New England does not differentiate between offshore and onshore wind, so it is unknown how much offshore wind was generated. According to Liz Burdock, president and CEO of Oceantic Network, during Winter Storm Fern, Vineyard Wind had a 75% capacity factor. That’s pretty amazing and certainly rivals most baseload power.

     Another commentator noted that the high wind capacity factors can keep power prices from spiking and reduce oil burning. Of course, allowing more natural gas into the region can do the same thing, and I believe both should be done. More offshore wind projects coming online according to their timelines would be very helpful for winter power reliability in the region. The Trump administration has imperiled that by stopping the projects, although judicial decisions have resulted in many of those projects being reinstated. They plan to appeal those decisions. A few other projects are likely to be scrapped.

     I think it is good news for the region that the wind energy capacity is very strong, especially in the winter, and I think it bodes well for East Coast wind projects in general. I think that, ideally, and likely after the Trump administration is history, subsidization at smaller levels and other project support should return, especially if these high winter utilization rates hold up, which is expected.

 

 

 

References:

 

Offshore wind showed up big during the East Coast’s brutal cold. Maria Gallucci. Grist. February 14, 2026. Offshore wind showed up big during the East Coast’s brutal cold

Energy That Works. South Fork Wind. Orsted. September 2025. sfwreport_web_vf.pdf

What is Generation Capacity? U.S. DOE. March 30, 2025. What is Generation Capacity? | Department of Energy

What is the capacity factor of a wind turbine? Opoura. June 27, 2025. What is the capacity factor of a wind turbine? - Opoura

The 4 lessons New England’s grid can learn from Winter Storm Fern. Sarah Shemkus. Canary Media. January 3, 2026. The 4 lessons New England’s grid can learn from Winter… | Canary Media

Plugging Orphan Wells Can Reduce Methane Emissions, Oil Spills, and Brine Spills: Incentives Can Increase Plugging Rates

     I have attended several webinars over the last several years involving the plugging of abandoned, orphan, and idle oil & gas wells. Some emphasized prioritizing wells, others involved carbon market incentives or government incentives. Having some experience in the geological aspects of well plugging, I attempted to get hired by the state of Ohio’s Mineral Resources Division as a geologist specializing in well plugging, but I was not selected.

     Recent analysis by RBN Energy’s Jason Lindquist covers the benefits of plugging orphaned wells. First, he notes that there are about 120,000 documented orphaned and unplugged wells across 27 states, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). There are likely many more undocumented orphan wells. Ohio and Pennsylvania have the most documented orphan wells at about 16,000 each, followed by Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Illinois. The number of undocumented wells is somewhere between 310,000 and 800,000 according to the Interstate Oil & Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC). Below, he provides an update about recent well-plugging efforts.

“The Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which was signed into law in 2021, provided $4.7 billion for states, tribes and landowners to plug, remediate and reclaim orphaned oil and gas wells. The Department of the Interior’s online dashboard shows that more than 10,500 orphaned wells were plugged through the program, the vast majority of them oil and gas wells (8,771), with a much smaller number of injection wells and disposal wells also plugged. While that is not an insignificant reduction, it’s just a fraction of the overall total of orphaned wells. Most oil- and gas-producing states also have their own programs to plug orphaned wells; 26 states applied for funding under the IIJA’s well-plugging program.”

     The cost to plug wells can vary considerably depending on the shape of the well components and what may be leaking from the well. Methane leaks are common, as are leaks of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), groundwater contamination, and soil contamination.

     Plugging wells often involves prioritizing the plugging of the most dangerous, most leaking wells first, and those wells are more likely to be more expensive to plug. Prioritizing also involves measuring methane leakage with infrared cameras, satellites, and other methane measurement tools. Wells with the greatest leakage would receive increased funding due to their substantial generation of carbon credits. Some characteristics are shown below.

     Below, Lindquist notes that states have different plugging rule specifications:

“…24 state agencies have well-plugging rules that require cement to be placed above the producing zones (yellow bar in Figure 2 below) and 23 specify where plugs should be located (dark-red bar), while only eight specify how strong cement plugs should be (brown bar) and just five mandate that the wellbore must be essentially static after plugging (green bar). There is no one-size-fits-all approach to well plugging.”

     Plugging wells for carbon credits also requires a more robust verification process to ensure that the wells do not leak in the future. It is sometimes the case that plugged wells can leak again in the future, especially if the plugging was substandard. Important factors for successful plugging include adequate cement recipes and plugs that extend further above and below gas, oil, and water-producing zones. Wells plugged for carbon credits also require third-party post-plugging verification. These carbon credits are often part of voluntary carbon markets, but may be part of compliance (regulation-based) carbon markets as well.

     Another aspect of well plugging is land reclamation and restoration. This can be especially important for wells that have leaked into soil or groundwater and may require. Environmental cleanup may be a part of the process. This may include soil vapor and groundwater sampling, and digging up contaminated soils. Or pumping out contaminated groundwater.  

     Ongoing monitoring, mainly of methane levels, is important in verifying that the wells are still in compliance. This is important since voluntary carbon markets have been criticized for inadequately verifying post-action retention of stored carbon or methane.

“Orphaned wells may be a legacy problem, but they are also an opportunity for methane abatement coupled with nature-based co-benefits, including regenerative agriculture. By zeroing in on the leakiest, highest‑risk wells and using a process backed up by rigorous measurement and verification, long‑ignored liabilities can be turned into marketable carbon credits. That won’t solve every issue tied to aging well inventories, but it’s one with potential that the oil and gas industry is well poised to address.”    

   

 

References:

 

Two Birds, One Stone – Efforts to Plug Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Can Help Cut Methane Emissions Too. Jason Lindquist. RBN Energy. February 12, 2026. Two Birds, One Stone – Efforts to Plug Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells Can Help Cut Methane Emissions Too | RBN Energy

Winter Storm Fern Cold Spell Shut In 18.3 BCF/Day of Natural Gas Production Due to Freeze-Offs

 

     In line with other extreme cold events in the U.S., over the past several years, Winter Storm Fern led to significant freeze-offs of natural gas wells, resulting in shut-in production. According to Wood Mackenzie’s Daniel Myers, the storm and cold resulted in a loss of 18.3 BCF/day of natural gas production at its peak on January 26. That is nearly 17% of total U.S. natural gas production. This shows that parts of the country, such as the Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico, are still quite vulnerable to freeze-offs. The Haynesville region in Northern Louisiana and East Texas also encountered significant gas well freeze-offs. He notes that 3 BCF/day is still offline, more than two weeks later.

     Myers writes:

“The geographic spread tells its own story of widespread vulnerability. The Permian Basin saw nearly half of all freeze-offs with 8.8 bcfd shut in. But perhaps more telling was the record-breaking 5.1 bcfd of losses in Northern Louisiana and East Texas, about 28% of production in the region, which outperformed estimates due to freezing rain and icy conditions.”

“The industry didn't completely collapse like it did during Winter Storm Uri in February 2021. Winterisation efforts, better preparation, and the absence of major power outages all helped prevent an even more catastrophic scenario.”

     He cautions, however, that simply narrowly avoiding a disaster should not be the goal, but that winterization efforts in those vulnerable regions should continue and prevent a similar or worse situation if and when another such polar vortex dips into the U.S. South.

 

 

References:

 

Winter Storm Fern shuts in 18.3 bcfd of US gas production at its peak: Cumulative freeze-offs projected to exceed 120 bcf, ranking among the most impactful winter events in recent memory. Daniel Myers. Wood Mackenzie. February 5, 2026. Winter Storm Fern shuts in 18.3 bcfd of US gas production at its peak | Wood Mackenzie

 

Plant-Based Wax Can Cut Pesticide Use By 50%: Biodegradable SafeWax is a Successful Result of Biomimicry

     A new plant-based wax that can be sprayed on plants offers improved disease resistance without affecting plant growth or function. It is estimated that it can reduce pesticide use by 50%. The new plant-based coating developed by Israeli researchers is called SafeWax. It mimics the natural waxy layer of plants to protect crops from disease, UV damage, and dehydration. It was tested on tomatoes, peppers, grapevines, and bamboo. It does not affect photosynthesis rates.

     Reducing the need for pesticides can have positive effects on the environment and human health. SafeWax is the result of what is known as biomimicry, or the mimicking of natural processes by constructed processes.

“In their lab work, they rebuilt a plant’s waxy shield from scratch using other plant-based ingredients. They started with naturally occurring fatty acids, the same types already found in plant waxes, and dissolved them into a liquid that could then be sprayed evenly onto leaves.”

“This is an ecological, efficient, and multifunctional alternative for crop protection, especially in view of challenges that climate change poses to modern agriculture," Boaz Pokroy, the coordinating professor of the study, shared. "Beyond providing passive defense against diseases, it enhances the environmental resilience of plants and reduces the ecological footprint of crop cultivation.”

1. Inspired by nature: Plants naturally have a waxy outer layer, known as the cuticle, that helps repel water, bacteria, and contaminants.

2. Sprayed on as a liquid: Researchers dissolve plant-based fatty acids — the same types found in natural plant waxes — into a sprayable solution.

3. Dries into an invisible shield: Once applied, the liquid evaporates, leaving behind a thin, transparent wax coating on the leaf’s surface.

4. Water beads and rolls off: The coating causes water to bead up and slide away, helping wash off fungal spores and dirt while also shielding the plant from excess UV exposure.

     The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology leads a consortium for SafeWax research. The research was published in the journal Nano-Micro Small. Crops like grapevines are vulnerable to many fungal diseases. SafeWax can be effective in this regard to reduce pesticide use. Its use as a fungicide alternative is expected to be its leading use. The market for this product, once it is commercialized, will no doubt be very large. The EU market is poised for it.

“SafeWax will revolutionize the global fungicides market (valued > 20 billion €), starting from the biofungicide market with a value of 3,2 billion € by 2.”

“Our biomimetic technology, termed SafeWax, relies on bioderived wax-based sprayable formulations which self-assemble into a multifaceted protective coating with antiadhesive, self-cleaning and antifungal properties. When applied on sensitive crops, which do not naturally exhibit wax crystals, SafeWax will synthetically render their foliage to passively resist pathogens.”

“The biodegradable SafeWax coating will not only protect crops from fungal infections but will also be tuned to provide UV radiation filtering, prevent sun damage, as well as facilitate water collection from dew condensation, mitigating inevitable effects of climate change.”

“Due to its multifunctional properties, SafeWax appears to be a highly promising alternative solution for a wide range of agricultural applications. Beyond the proven antifungal effect, the potential of technology to reduce water loss and offer (partial) protection against UV radiation increases its attractiveness particularly for regions experiencing drought or extreme temperatures. In principle, SafeWax can be applied to a wide variety of crops. Its versatility and ease of application should appeal to farmers seeking to reduce their reliance on chemical fungicides while aiming to maintain crop vitality and avoiding major additional costs related to antifungal products and their use in established agricultural processes.”

     In conclusion, SafeWax appears to be a fantastic new way to deal with plant disease, particularly fungal diseases, in a safe manner. It is expected to be widely adopted once it becomes widely available. However, some challenges and issues remain. It will need to be reapplied periodically, and its long-term effectiveness is still being evaluated. Production costs for the raw materials needed are still being explored. Although the fatty acids utilized are biodegradable, they are still being evaluated for long-term effects on plants and soils. Including potential effects on soil microbes.

“…the most urgent innovation required at the moment is a technology for a solvent-free formulation of SafeWax, ideally with equal versatility and performance. Both solvent-based and solvent-free formulations will have to be refined to enhance their efficacy across different crop types and environmental conditions.

“If reformulation toward more sustainable compositions can be realized, SafeWax is anticipated to exhibit a more favorable environmental profile, particularly in comparison to conventional copper-based fungicides, which are known for their long-term ecological toxicity.”

 

 

References:

 

Scientists created a plant-based wax that could cut pesticide use by 50%. Stacey Leasca. Food & Wine. February 13, 2026. Scientists created a plant-based wax that could cut pesticide use by 50%

SafeWax: A Bio-Inspired Multifunctional Coating for Sustainable Crop Protection.Iryna Polishchuk, Elena Prudnikov, Hanan Abu-Hamad, Niv Ben-Arie, Johanna Sklar, Matthias Kellermeier, Coralie Schneider, Markus Rueckel, Franziska Tauber, Mireia A. Ibanez Revert … Nano-Micro Small. Volume21, Issue 46. November 20, 2025. e05360. SafeWax: A Bio‐Inspired Multifunctional Coating for Sustainable Crop Protection - Polishchuk - 2025 - Small - Wiley Online Library

SafeWax Sustainable Crop Protection. Home - safewax

 

 

 

New Water Filter Made with Layered Copper and Aluminum Hydroxides Can Capture PFAS Chemicals Better and Faster Than Carbon Filters

       Researchers from Rice University in Texas recently unveiled a new water filtration system that can capture PFAS chemicals much faster than carbon filters. The new filter is made from layered copper and aluminum hydroxides. It can essentially suck in PFAS chemicals. The new filtration method utilizes a layered double hydroxide (LDH) material that combines copper and aluminum with nitrate.

"This LDH compound captured PFAS more than 1,000 times better than other materials," said Youngkun Chung, lead author of the study, per ScienceAlert. "It also worked incredibly fast, removing large amounts of PFAS within minutes, about 100 times faster than commercial carbon filters."

     The researchers hope to scale up the filtration technology and use it in both drinking water and wastewater treatment plants. After filtration, the captured PFAS chemicals can be disposed of safely.  

     According to Science Alert:

“The material's unique structure emerges from layers of copper and aluminum with a slight imbalance in their charge, sucking in PFOA molecules, which bind tightly with the filter.”

“Once the adsorption material was saturated with PFOA, the team heated the material and added calcium carbonate, which allowed them to 'clean' the LDH for reuse and strip the PFOA of its fluorine backbone, effectively destroying it.”

     According to The Guardian:

“This material is going to be important for the direction of research on Pfas destruction in general,” said Michael Wong, director of Rice’s Water Institute, a Pfas research center.

“Wong said Rice’s non-thermal process works by soaking up and concentrating Pfas at high levels, which makes it possible to destroy them without high temperatures.”

“The LDH material Rice developed is a variation of similar materials previously used, but researchers replaced some aluminum atoms with copper atoms. The LDH material is positively charged and the long-chain Pfas are negatively charged, which causes the material to attract and remove the chemicals, Wong said.

     Advantages of this new filtration method include its high capture rate, its fast capture rate, and its ability to be used as a “drop-in” with existing infrastructure. That will help keep its cost low.

     According to PFAS researcher and civil engineer Laura Orlando:

“We’re going to need as many technologies as we can possibly find to deal with Pfas in drinking water, and if this works to scale on wastewater, then it would be really something to pay attention to,” Orlando said.

     The research was published in a paper in the journal Advanced Materials.

     In conclusion, this looks like a legitimate breakthrough in water filtration for PFAS chemicals, if it can be scaled up without issues.

 

 

References:

 

Researchers find breakthrough solution on common contaminants linked to cancer, fertility issues: 'Worked incredibly fast'. Beth Newhart. The Cool Down. February 9, 2026. Researchers find breakthrough solution on common contaminants linked to cancer, fertility issues: 'Worked incredibly fast'

Breakthrough Water Filter Removes 'Forever Chemicals' 100x Faster Than Carbon. Jess Cockerill. Science Alert. February 3, 2026. Breakthrough Water Filter Removes 'Forever Chemicals' 100x Faster Than Carbon : ScienceAlert

Regenerable Water Remediation Platform for Ultrafast Capture and Mineralization of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances. Keon-Han Kim, Youngkun Chung, Philip Kenyon, Thi Nhung Tran, Nicholas H. Rees, Seung-Ju Choi, Xiaopeng Huang, Jong Hui Choi, Phelecia Scotland, Sion Kim, Mohamed Ateia, Do-Kyoung Lee, James M. Tour, Pedro J. J. Alvarez, Michael S. Wong, Seoktae Kang. Advanced Materials. Volume 38, Issue1. 2 January 2026. e09842. Regenerable Water Remediation Platform for Ultrafast Capture and Mineralization of Per‐ and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances - Kim - 2026 - Advanced Materials - Wiley Online Library

New filtration technology could be gamechanger in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’. Tom Perkins. The Guardian. January 3, 2026. New filtration technology could be gamechanger in removal of Pfas ‘forever chemicals’ | Pfas | The Guardian

T5 Smackover Partners is Developing a Geothermal Plus Lithium Extraction Project in Northeast Texas

      It was only a matter of time before the hot Smackover brines would be tapped for geothermal baseload power as well as direct lithium extraction. The East Texas part of the Smackover has some very high lithium concentrations as well as sufficient heat for commercial geothermal power. In addition, other important minerals can be extracted, including bromine, magnesium, and potassium. While I mostly agree with Art Berman’s recent analysis that concluded that geothermal power is mostly hype, he did not seem to consider some economic co-benefits, like the extraction of these critical minerals. This has been happening in the Salton Sea region of Southern California, where shallow brine is tapped for geothermal power. The economics work much better with the added value of the extracted minerals. However, there have also been some operational issues with the wells, exacerbated by the high mineral content. It remains to be seen whether there will be operational issues with a standard geothermal binary Organic Rankine cycle project involving a producer and an injector well in the Smackover. Bromine and other minerals have been extracted for decades in the Smackover in Southern Arkansas, and lithium is about to be developed in the Smackover from Southern Arkansas, Northern Louisiana, and East Texas.  

    T5 Smackover initially plans to develop up to 10 geothermal wells. According to a press release:

“Originally permitted as a geothermal well, T5's initial development has exceeded temperature expectations, validating the formation's ability to support scalable, baseload geothermal power. Leveraging this resource, T5 plans to deploy modular Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbines designed for rapid deployment and fast time-to-market power generation.”

“In parallel with its geothermal success, T5 has identified multiple zones within the Smackover Formation containing some of the highest lithium concentrations reported globally. The company has also confirmed significant concentrations of other critical and strategic minerals, including potassium and strontium, and anticipates world-class bromine deposits across its acreage.”

     The initial project is expected to produce about 35,000 to 50,000 tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per year, making it one of the biggest U.S. lithium producers.

“…T5's modular geothermal, ORC, and Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) infrastructure is designed for phased deployment, allowing production to begin materially sooner as capacity is added incrementally.”

     The company expects meaningful lithium production volumes in 2026 and acceleration in 2027. The initial acreage is on the site of a former coal mine.

“The project also includes ultra-fast electric vehicle charging infrastructure intended to accelerate EV adoption and lower transportation-related emissions.”

“In addition to this, mobile, dispatchable energy storage is planned to support grid resilience, emergency response, and disaster recovery.”

     Below, the company shows how its project can be integrated into other projects around the country, supplying lithium and other critical minerals.

     I would expect some similar projects to arise along the Smackover lithium trend.

     A February 2025 paper in Proceedings, 50th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering at Stanford University, utilized AI/machine learning to assess both the temperature variation in the Smackover brines and the lithium concentrations. The abstract and some important maps from the paper are shown below. T5’s project area includes Franklin, Titus, and Dallas counties along the northeast corner of Texas.

References:

 

The T5 Smackover Partners Unveiled a Landmark Project in East Texas. Debra John. PR Newswire. February 11, 2026. Clean the Sky - Texas-Based Mineral Projects

T5 Smackover Partners Unveils Landmark Geothermal, Lithium, and Critical Minerals Project in East Texas. Yahoo Finance. February 10, 2026. /C O R R E C T I O N -- T5 Smackover Partners/

T5 Smackover Partners. Website. T5 Smackover Partners

Data-driven Lithium and Geothermal Resource Assessment in the Smackover Formation. Xiang Huang, Bulbul Ahmmed, Mohamed Mehana, Shuvajit Bhattacharya, and Chelsea Neil. PROCEEDINGS, 50th  Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering. Stanford University, Stanford, California, February 10-12, 2025. SGP-TR-229. Data-driven Lithium and Geothermal Resource Assessment in the Smackover Formation

Guterres's Congratulating Iran on the Anniversary of the Islamic Revolution is an Insult to Those Oppressed and the UN, As is the Iranian Foreign Minister Addressing the UN Human Rights Council: Existing UN Protocol is Perhaps the Real Issue

     Human rights advocates, Iranian opposition to the regime, and many others, including me, were shocked when they heard that UN chief Antonio Guterres congratulated the Iranian president on the anniversary of the extremely authoritarian Islamic Revolution taking power in 1979. He also made reference to Iran’s contributions to the international community. This makes the UN look bad. This seeming support of brutal regimes calls into question his ability to run the world body objectively. This comes just after a time period when Iranian executioners brutally murdered tens of thousands of unarmed protestors. Others were executed later or jailed. It is likely still happening.

     In order for meaningful and effective cooperation among nations to occur, a main goal of the UN, the parties have to be reliable, trustworthy, and abide by basic international norms. Iran is none of those.

     Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to address the U.N. Human Rights Council (HRC) on Feb. 23. What a farce this is. There are no human rights in Iran. The fact that the UN allows it speaks volumes for the failure of the UN to actually support human rights. It would be much better if they would instead have someone from the severely oppressed Iranian opposition address the HRC, but Iran would never allow it, unless it was someone who had already left the country. The UNHRC is a farce as a whole, and this is just another of many examples.

     Let’s look at what some other critics of Guterres’s congratulatory remarks have said about it, according to a Fox News article:

"The UN Secretary-General’s congratulatory message is not merely diplomatic routine — it is abjectly tone-deaf," said Iran analyst Banafesh Zand. "At a time when the Iranian people continue to endure executions, repression, and systemic abuse at the hands of the Islamic Republic, offering formal congratulations to the architects of that suffering reads as a moral failure."

Zand added that such gestures "erode [the U.N.’s] credibility and deepen the wound for those still fighting for freedom inside Iran."

Andrew Ghalili, policy director at the National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI), said the message amounted to legitimizing a repressive system.

"The United Nations is legitimizing a regime built on repression, executions and the systematic destruction of basic freedoms," Ghalili said. "Offering celebratory recognition to the Islamic Republic on the anniversary of its revolution ignores the bloodshed, the repression of protesters and the ongoing hostage-taking of innocent people."

     While a UN spokesperson called the letter a long-standing UN protocol, it certainly calls into question why such a protocol should even exist. Questions about allowing the Iranian Foreign Minister to address the Human Rights Council were answered by stating that, since the HRC is a membership-based organization, any member has a right to address it. Perhaps the issue is not really Guterres but the way the UN is organized. We need the UN, but we don’t need it to be farcical, hypocritical, and supportive of brutal regimes.

 

References:

 

UN chief blasted as ‘abjectly tone-deaf’ over message to Iran marking revolution anniversary. Efrat Lachter. Fox News. February 11, 2026. UN chief blasted as ‘abjectly tone-deaf’ over message to Iran marking revolution anniversary

Iran security forces 'raid hospitals to execute injured protesters'. Matt Davies. The Daily Express. February 11, 2026. Iran security forces 'raid hospitals to execute injured protesters'

 

Red Lines: What Should Be Unacceptable in Today’s World

 

     It doesn’t take a rocket scientist or a brain surgeon to realize and determine what should be acceptable in today’s world. There are certain practices that are basically unacceptable, immoral, unfair, and should not be tolerated in the modern world. This includes medieval interpretations of religious and societal practices like Sharia Law and Jihadism. These Islamic practices may be traditional in some ways, but they are not applicable to today’s world, and they are horrifyingly oppressive to women and all people. They are unacceptable in both Sunni and Shia Islamic contexts. Religious police are unacceptable. Totalitarianism is unacceptable. Kim Jong Il’s North Korea is a rogue nation that tortures its people in a myriad of ways. My list of unacceptable practices and regimes is below.

     Even some legitimate regimes engage in practices that should be stopped. The U.S. bombing of boats suspected of carrying narcotics is one such practice that should be stopped. Those people engaging in narco-trafficking should be stopped, arrested, and brought to trial, not murdered for carrying cannabis or cocaine. It is rather barbaric and unjust to just bomb them. I do want the problem to be addressed. I also want the Mexican cartels to be addressed, along with all the organized crime they and other criminals commit. However, I don’t think indiscriminate bombing is the way to do it.

     It’s really not difficult to track what in the world is morally reprehensible. Below are three of the most sinister men in the world. They are directly responsible for the unnecessary torture and murder of millions of people. They are criminals who should be prosecuted. Their regimes should be considered illegitimate. They are dictators who rule for life or until someone stops them. They should be given zero leverage in talks and deals. One is a major nuclear power. The other two are trying to become nuclear powers to shield themselves from destruction. 

     We have tolerated the murderous Islamic Republic of Iran for too long. We have tolerated the wacko murder cult of Kim Jong Il’s North Korea for too long. We have tolerated the totalitarian imperialist militantism of Putin for too long. All three have embraced militantism. I am not a violent man, but if these three men were killed, it would likely save many other lives from the death that they routinely hand out.

     We should absolutely not be talking to Russia about deals that will benefit them if they do something we want about peace in Ukraine. We should not lessen sanctions on Russia, Iran, or North Korea for any reason whatsoever. They are pariah states and should be treated as such. There should be zero legitimacy offered for these regimes. It’s really very simple.

 

ISO-New England Relies on Diesel Fuel to Power the Grid During Cold Spell: Wood and Refuse Provide 67% of “Renewable” Power, Each More Than Wind and Solar Combined

    Diesel fuel, wood, and refuse provided about 42.35% of power for residents and businesses in New England during one part of the recent cold spell. Diesel oil was number one of all sources at 39%, beating out natural gas, which was at 31%. As usual, air quality rules were allowed to be exceeded. This is mainly the result of efforts by anti-fossil fuel activists to block natural gas pipelines in the region. Wind and solar only provided 30% of the renewable energy, with wind at 20% and solar at 10%. The total renewable power utilized was only 5% of the total power consumed. That means wind provided about 1% of total power, and solar provided 0.5% of total power. Wood provided 1.8% of total power, more than wind and solar combined. Burning trash provided 1.55% of total power, also slightly more than wind and solar combined. These numbers are just a snapshot of one day, so the numbers vary overall.

     This data shows that the region’s push for wind and solar power is insignificant and nearly negligible. It also shows that the region needs natural gas pipelines, which would make power costs lower since diesel costs a lot more than natural gas. It would lead to better air quality and less carbon emissions. This has long been known and should be considered a thorn in the side of commonsense energy policy. Burning trash and wood is also bad for air quality. Add to that the many individual customers in the region who burn wood and diesel fuel oil for heat. Some of us have been sounding the alarm on this for years, falling on deaf ears, while some pretend that there is a real effort to advance an energy transition to wind and solar. The region does not offer good solar and wind resources, with the exception of offshore wind, which, although underway, has faced a lot of problems from the Trump administration.  

“Refuse-derived fuel, or RDF, is a fuel produced from solid waste. It can be used in many industries as an alternative to fossil fuels,” according to Carbon Collective, an investment advisor focused on climate change. “RDF consists of two parts: refuse and derivatives. Refuse includes materials like paper, cardboard, food waste, and plastics. Derivatives are materials that have been processed or burned to create energy.”

        These facts should be considered a big policy failure. In a region that is proud to have shut down its coal plants and blocked needed natural gas pipelines, the reality is that it has replaced them with even worse alternatives and is doing so every year when cold spells hit. Thus, it is yet another situation where environmentalists and climate activists have ended up harming the environment and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The energy hypocrisy is palpable. Clearly, energy reform is needed in this region. 

References:

 

Trash and wood accounted for major 'renewable energy' share during winter storm, reports show. Audrey Streb. Daily Caller. February 10, 2026. Trash and wood accounted for major 'renewable energy' share during winter storm, reports show