October | 2008 | The Price of Oil

Posts in October 2008

Financial Crisis Undermines Climate Change Action
Andy Rowell
Oct13
At the end of last week, the head of the UN Climate Change secretariat argued that, instead of sidelining the fight against climate change, the global credit crisis could hasten efforts to create “green growth” industries by revamping the financial system behind them. Yvo de Boer, who heads the Bonn-based UN Climate Change Secretariat, told…
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Iraq to Offer Service Contracts Next Week
Andy Rowell
Oct10
Their share price may being pummeled, but there is some small good news for the beleaguered oil companies. At a meeting in London, Iraq will provide the oil majors with details of the service contracts under which it hopes the companies will help boost the country’s oil output. At a meeting on Monday, a delegation…
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Beware of the “Deadly Dozen”
Andy Rowell
Oct09
Its that time of year again when people start coming down with a cold or the flu. But they could soon be the least of your worries. Avian flu, TB, cholera and Ebola are just some of the broad range of infectious diseases that will get worse because of climate change. If that is not…
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World Bank lending for coal up 256%…
Steve Kretzmann
Oct08
Relying exclusively on the World Bank’s own figures, a new analysis shows World Bank Group lending to coal, oil and gas is up 94% from 2007, reaching over $3 billion. Coal lending alone has increased an astonishing 256% in the last year. This is the same World Bank that would like to lead – and…
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Oil Sands: From Boom to Bust
Andy Rowell
Oct08
Banks may be going bust at an unprecedented rate, but the financial crisis could start hitting oil development, no more so in Alberta, where the high oil price is a pre-requisite for profitable investment. This is OilWeek’s gloomy assessment “Plummeting oil prices and the stock market meltdown have raised concern that Alberta´s energy boom may…
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UK: 80% CO2 Cut Needed by 2050
Andy Rowell
Oct07
The UK should cut its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by mid-century, the British Government’s independent climate change committee recommends today. The 80 per cent target includes aviation and shipping for the first time. Moreover because it is highly unlikely that aviation will be able to reduce emissions by anything like…
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Oxfam Criticises Shell for “burying its head in the (oil) sands”
Andy Rowell
Oct06
The development charity Oxfam has added its influential voice against Shell’s investment in Canadian oil sands. In a report entitled “Forecast for Tomorrow,” the development charity has highlighted both good and bad business practices that are being adopted in the UK or by British businesses abroad.
The Climate Sceptics on the Fringe of the Tories…
Andy Rowell
Oct03
The UK Conservative Party Conference may be over, with the party preparing for Government in eighteen months time at the next election. All the opinion polls have David Cameron’s government heading for government for the first time since 1997. The theme of the conference is that the Tories have changed, that theirs is a modern,…
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Canada: The “Boring” Election that Matters
Andy Rowell
Oct02
With the global financial crisis taking centre stage coupled with the US election you would be forgiven for forgetting that there is an election going on in Canada too, which will be held in a couple of weeks. So why is it not making international news? Partly it could be because its so boring, according…
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