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 be heading for a bust.” Continue reading ‘Oil Sands: From Boom to Bust’

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 that amount, the UK’s power generation will have to be almost fossil fuel free to compensate.  Continue reading ‘UK: 80% CO2 Cut Needed by 2050′

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. Continue reading ‘Oxfam Criticises Shell for “burying its head in the (oil) sands”’

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, progressive conservative party ready to govern. All the old bad policies have gone to be replaced by progressive, socially-inclusive, green ones. Continue reading ‘The Climate Sceptics on the Fringe of the Tories…’

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 to Canadian voters. Continue reading ‘Canada: The “Boring” Election that Matters’