Topic: Energy Resources

The California Air Resources Board voted to create a $4 billion fund to help major polluters invest in decarbonization projects. Transit and housing advocates, including representatives from San Francisco's Muni, worry this will divert money from public transportation and affordable housing. The move follows warnings from industries that strict climate rules would drive businesses out of the state and raise energy costs.

The hosts theorize that the instability in Francophone Africa is a targeted attack on French energy resources, following the disruption of German energy via pipeline sabotage. They discuss claims that the United States is currently pumping more oil than during the Trump administration despite high gas prices at the pump. A prediction is made that gasoline prices will plummet following the Labor Day holiday to benefit the Biden administration's optics.

The State Department's newly constituted Energy Bureau is sending trade missions to Africa to promote American energy firms. Secretary Clinton emphasized the need for "sustainable development" of African resources, which is interpreted as a move to counter Chinese influence in the region. The U.S. is also utilizing drone bases in Djibouti to secure areas for these economic interests.

The recurring political claim that the U.S. uses 25% of the world's energy but only has 3% of its resources is debunked as "bad math." The hosts argue that the 3% figure ignores massive coal reserves and other untapped resources that could last for decades. Both parties are criticized for buying into this "bogus number" instead of challenging the underlying statistics.