Anything BP can do, Shell can do too. Analysts believe that BP has dumped its so-called green credential and gone back to the basics of drilling oil. Now Shell seems to be doing the same too. Shell has pulled out of the world’s largest offshore wind farm off Britain, whilst indicating it would prefer to … Read More
Alternative energy
Iraq May Drop Oil Service Contracts
The Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Al-Shahristani has said the country will likely drop oil service contracts with foreign companies if they don’t have their proposals finalized by a June deadline and will move forward with the work on its own. “June is already a bit late… We may drop them if they aren’t signed soon … Read More
Britain “Makes a Mockery” of Tackling Climate Change
Give a politician a minute and they will wriggle out of a supposedly steadfast commitment. Britain is seeking to change the rules governing renewable energy targets to make it easier for the UK to fulfil its commitment to promote clean energy. At present, only 3% of the UK’s power comes from renewable energy, but government … Read More
BP Keeps Renewables Business as “Calling Card”
Tony Hayward, BP’s chief executive, yesterday gave the market a strong signal that he wants to realise value from the company’s loss-making investments in renewables. BP has invested billions of dollars in solar energy over the past decade but the business still does not deliver a profit. The Alternative Energy unit, which comprises BP’s solar … Read More
Shell Sells Solar Businesses
Big oil’s timing is always, as ever, impeccable. Just stop and think for a moment. It’s the biggest climate meeting in a decade and you would think that big oil companies would be tripping over themselves to be seen to be green… However, last week came the news that BP was investing in dirty oil … Read More
Google Goes Green
Internet search company Google yesterday committed hundreds of millions of dollars to renewable energy projects. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google co-founders, announced its initiative to produce electricity from renewable energy sources rather than coal. Mr Page said: “Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity [enough to power San Francisco] that … Read More
Brown Outlines Climate Targets As Green Grants Cut
UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown is due to give his first major speech on the environment today, raising the prospect of tougher domestic targets on carbon emissions. He will say action on climate change is urgent, but that new green industries could create thousands of jobs. The BBC reports that it is understood he has … Read More
GM to Test-Drive Fuel-Cell Cars
General Motors is to give drivers the chance to try out hydrogen-powered vehicles, although it will help if you are a celebrity. As part of “Project Driveway“, GM will put more than 100 fuel-cell vehicles in the hands of customers before the end of the year. Ironically, the cars will be based on the Chevrolet … Read More
UK: Government Ponders $30 Billion Severn Barrage
For more than 150 years, engineers have toyed with the idea of constructing a dam across the width of the Bristol Channel, in Western England. However, the scheme took a large step towards reality yesterday, when John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Business, announced a multimillion- pound feasibility study into the construction of a … Read More
UK: Lib Dems to Outlaw Petrol Cars by 2040
Hoping to out-green the Conservatives (see blog below), Britain’s third largest political party, the Liberal Democrats yesterday unveiled far-reaching proposals to transform Britain into a carbon-neutral economy within 40 years. Delegates at the party’s annual conference in Brighton approved a series of measures, including plans to remove petrol-driven cars from the roads by 2040, invest … Read More