Dark Energy and the Hubble Constant

Dark energy is inferred from a Hubble expansion which is slower at epochs which are earlier than ours. But evidence reviewed here shows $H_0$ for nearby galaxies is actually less than currently adopted and would instead require {\it deceleration} to reach the current value. Distances of Cepheid variables in galaxies in the Local Supercluster have been measured by the Hubble Space Telescope and it is argued here that they require a low value of $H_0$ along with redshifts which are at least partly intrinsic. The intrinsic component is hypothesized to be a result of the particle masses increasing with time. The same considerations apply to Dark Matter. But with particle masses growing with time, the condensation from plasmoid to proto galaxy not only does away with the need for unseen ``dark matter'' but also explains the intrinsic (non-velocity) redshifts of younger matter.