Although the serious Obama-fest won’t start until next week when the new President takes office, one smaller revolution started yesterday in Washington. Representative Henry Waxman, the Democrat from California, opened the new Congress’ first hearing on climate change and immediately promised to move “quickly and decisively” to have legislation coming from his committee before Memorial … Read More
Month: January 2009
UK Credibility on Climate Crumbles as Heathrow Expands
There comes a time in every government’s tenure when we finally see them for what they are – that the slick messaging and spin can no longer hide the flawed natured of the policies. Today is one such day for the British government. There comes a time when a government makes decisions that will define … Read More
Canadian Begins Tar Sands Charm Offensive to Obama
No one would envy the size or serious nature of President Obama’s inbox when he takes office next week: the deepest recession for decades, America’s economy in freefall, conflict in the Middle East, climate change to name just a few. There will be pressing issues at home and abroad. You would think that given the … Read More
Buy an “Airplot” and Help Save the Climate..
Ok – Now might not be the best time to be looking to invest in property as the credit crunch takes hold, but how about a little investment in land near London? The upsides are that, if you like that kind of thing, you will have famous neighbours: the Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, British comedian … Read More
Sea Absorbs Less CO2 Due to Climate Change
For a while scientists have been warning that as the oceans warm up their ability to absorb carbon diminishes. Now new research from the Sea of Japan will heighten fears that the Earth is rapidly slowing down in its natural ability to absorb man-made CO2. Scientists found that there had been a sudden and dramatic … Read More
Oh Oedipus – Its Time to Lift the Curse of Oil
On the 4th January 1993, some 300,000 Ogoni celebrated the Year of Indigenous Peoples by peacefully protesting against Shell’s activities and environmental destruction of Ogoniland in the Niger Delta. It remains the largest demonstration against an oil company ever. “We have woken up to find our lands devastated by agents of death called oil companies.
EU’s Answer to Gas Crisis “Not Credible”
OK – hands up. I admit it. Yesterday I may have been too hasty to blame the European row on Russian and Putin, when there is increasing evidence that the Ukrainians are to partly to blame too. You could argue that the other countries in Europe are also to blame. Despite these annual spats between … Read More
Putin’s Power Games Cause Severe Gas Shortages
As much of Europe shivers under unusually low temperatures, it is not only the temperatures that are plummeting. The annual spat over gas supplies and price between Russia and Ukraine has worsened overnight with four countries now reporting a complete halt in supplies. The government in Kiev has said that Gazprom, the Russian state gas … Read More
Bailing out Bidder 70
I never have been big on rules. And neither apparently, is Tim DeChristopher. He’s the young activist who just completely derailed the Bush Administration’s plans to sell more of our public lands to the oil companies. He sat in the lease sale in Salt Lake City on December 19th and “bought” 22,500 acres of public … Read More
Welcome to a Pivotal Year
Welcome to 2009 – which promises to be a pivotal year in the debate on oil, energy and climate. We have already seen the problems of reliance on foreign oil and gas supplies, with Russia having its yearly spat with Ukraine over payment for gas, and tensions in the Middle East pushing up the price … Read More
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