Alex Epstein Deserves Our Help

Why is a 'climate reporter' responding to a major new book by one of the world's most influential energy thinkers by responding to something he wrote not at all about energy or climate, in his late teens? -- Alex Epstein

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Yesterday, energy advocate Alex Epstein's publicist learned that Maxine Joselow, a "journalist" currently employed by the Washington Post, plans to release a hit piece to cancel him and preempt reading or discussion of his forthcoming book, Fossil Future.

Translation: An employee of a newspaper whose motto is Democracy dies in darkness is trying -- with or without the knowledge and consent of her superiors -- to libel a good man and cast darkness over a debate of existential importance to humanity.

Based on following Epstein's work for about two decades now, let me say: (a) the whole idea Epstein is racist is ridiculous, and (b) there is none more qualified (or desperately needed) to discuss the vital issue of how billions of people are to meet their energy needs every day.

But Epstein says these things and many more far better than I can, so please do consider reading the entirety of his Substack post (linked above) or viewing/listening to his more in-depth video presentation (under an hour, embedded above).

Highlights from the latter include the following two lists.

Why I Find This So Despicable and Offensive

• I have spent my whole adult life fighting for individualism and freedom, and the last 15 years fighting in particular for the freedom of billions of "unempowered" people to use fossil fuel energy -- by far their best option.
• I just spent 3 years working to my absolute limit to think through every aspect of this issue and how to communicate it, with significant motivation from many fans and allies from the "unempowered world."
• Instead of engaging with my arguments, the Washington Post chooses to write a hit-piece on me to discredit my arguments with the absolute lie that I'm a racist -- something that, if I don't deal with it properly, will be used to attack me for the rest of my life.
• And they do it, not even by distorting my book, but by distorting things I wrote in my late teens??!!

and

What Else You Can Do

• Talk about the book, buy copies of the book, and otherwise help make Fossil Future the cultural phenomenon the "fossil fuel eliminators" want to stop it from becoming.
• Buy the book for students and educators: YAF.org/fossilfuture
• If you're in the media or otherwise an influencer who actually wants to be exposed to the moral case for a fossil future, DM me for an advance copy.

[links added]

If you have ever wished for a chance to fight against an outrage and to improve your world, you have a chance to do so now.

If you are short on time or prefer to let your money do the talking, the Young America's Foundation page for the book has a link for making tax-deductible donations towards getting Fossil Future into classrooms. Epstein says there in part:

I remember how, as a college student at Duke University, I learned next to nothing about how fossil fuels improve billions of lives around the world. However, I was -- like most students are today -- exposed to endless proselytizing about how fossil fuels are causing climate catastrophe.

I wrote Fossil Future to be the book I wish I had gotten as a student -- a book that uses primary sources, big-picture thinking, and clear explanations to help us make the right energy choices going forward. (Here's a detailed preview of the book.) [bold in original]

I'll end by quoting a tweet by Scott Adams about this despicable assault on freedom that I think sums up things well: "I'm definitely buying this book. No one tries this hard to cancel a book that is unimportant."

(Thanks for the reminder, Mr. Adams: I just pre-ordered a copy.)

Alex Epstein deserves justice and to have his say, undistracted by mendacious accusations. Please help him fight back in any way you can.

-- CAV