NJ Spotlight’s Reporting Of False Claims On Wind And Whale Deaths Played a Role In The Death Of Off Shore Wind
Same Lies Being Printed On Costs Of Renewables And Electrification
No Mention Of The Costs Of The Climate Emergency
Time For Public Power
Corporate off shore wind developer Orsted just pulled the plug on Gov. Murphy’s off shore wind program.
As I’ve written many times, the fatal flaws in that program were privatization – which effectively abdicated government control to corporate Orsted – and reliance on corporate profits and huge public subsidies.
This debacle provides the most powerful illustration of why we need public power – we can not allow corporate profits and corporate control to dictate our climate and energy future.
But the media also played a role in the death of off shore wind as well.
For years, Tom Johnson at NJ Spotlight wrote scores of highly misleading stories about the so called high cost of wind, while ignoring the costs of the climate emergency (known as the social costs of carbon). He also never reported on alternative development models, like public power, as recommended in Bernie Sanders’ Green New Deal (via expanding and repurposing the existing federal Power Marketing Administrations (PMAs)).
NJ Spotlight also repeatedly published the lies that off shore wind was responsible for recent whale deaths.
So, we did not miss the fact that today – for the first time – NJ Spotlight actually reported that the whale death claims were “false”:
But offshore wind has become a top political target and an issue in next week’s legislative elections amid false claims that prepping for construction has caused an increase in whale deaths along the Shore.
It’s a little late to report the truth now – after the project is dead!
Spotlight is knowingly printing the same kind of Big Oil and corporate lies about a so called fossil “car ban” – as well as today again about the so called high costs of renewables and electrification.
I say knowingly because I’ve repeatedly written to criticize their coverage to Spotlight editors Tom Johnson and John Mooney, as well as other Spotlight professionals. They must not be allowed to continue to get away with this journalistic malpractice.
Here’s my final note today:
F – I did not miss that today was the first time that NJ Spotlight reported that there were “false claims that prepping for construction has caused an increase in whale deaths”
“FALSE CLAIMS”.
You must take some responsibility for the collapse of the wind program and the rise of false public opinion opposed to wind for killing whales.
Similarly, again today in TJ’s story about the grid and electrification, you AGAIN exaggerated the “costs” without any mention of the benefits (i.e. avoided costs of carbon’s AKA the social costs of carbon).
This is journalistic malpractice and propaganda. You are knowingly misleading readers.
Please forward this email to John Mooney and Tom Johnson with my demand that your coverage correct the record on the issues of costs and benefits.
And please take down those false paid advertisements about a “car ban”.
Wolfe