Three years ago during the last oil price hike when oil reached $150 a barrel, there were repeated calls for a concerted effort for the international community to finally wean itself off its chronic oil addiction. There were repeated calls that the combined financial crisis and energy crunch was a prefect reason to kick-start the … Read More
energy policy
Here we go again! Blah baby Blah
As oil prices surge in response to the appalling violence in Libya, the House Natural Resources Committee offered their usual worn out suggestions for addressing America’s vulnerability to oil price shocks; more domestic drilling. Clearly energy only means one thing to this GOP dominated committee, fossil fuels. Domestic drilling may help Americans feel like something’s … Read More
Republicans Wield the Knife
The knives are out. Well its more more like they are wielding axes or even chainsaws, as they pick up the pace in their attack on Obama’s budget proposals. Late last week, the House Appropriations Committee released a partial list of where it’s wants to find nearly $75 billion in cuts in federal spending cuts. … Read More
Facing ten years in jail for disrupting Bush’s “crime”
There are many legacies of the Bush Administration that still blight the American landscape, but one of them could see a young environmental activist be sent to jail for ten years. Back in December 2008, Tim DeChristopher grabbed national attention when he disrupted the last oil and gas auction of the Bush Administration. Bush had … Read More
Push Back Against the Climate Deniers and End Fossil Fuel Subsidies
At the same time it appears that big oil and coal climate denial campaigns are successfully stifling climate action in Congress and the Obama Administration, a group of America’s top scientists stepped up to the plate on Tuesday and called on House and Senate leaders to “take a fresh look at climate change.” And none … Read More
“Clean” Obama Versus Newt King Coal?
So we have been here before. A year ago Obama called for the ending of fossil fuel subsidies in his state of the Union address. Since then we have had two significant events: the Gulf oil spill, that you would have thought would have made it easier for politicians to stop subsidising oil companies. Then … Read More
CO2 emissions to rise by 25% in 20 years, says Big Oil
We are on the path to climate chaos, Big Oil has admitted. Both BP and Exxon have conceded that progress on climate change is totally insufficient to stabilize CO2 emissions. Both oil companies have just published their Energy Outlooks, and the outlook looks grim. In a bleak prognosis for success on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, … Read More
Oil and Coal-Backed Politicians Attack the EPA
It is widely accepted that people give money to politicians to curry favour and buy influence. So there will be no surprises that there are smug smiles on the faces of the oil and coal barons this week as the people they pay, the Republicans, begin their assault on climate legislation and environmental protection. As … Read More
Oil Industry Targets New Congress
It may be a new year, but its an old message. Anyone travelling to the Capital South station on the Washington Metro could hardly fail to notice the latest advertising blitz by the oil industry’s attack dogs the American Petroleum Institute (API). The ad campaign is called “I’m One” and includes images of “real people” … Read More
USA Becomes A Fractured Nation
On Saturday the outgoing Democratic governor of New York State, David Paterson ordered a seven-month moratorium on some natural gas drilling in the state. He issued an executive order prohibiting high-volume hydraulic fracturing of horizontally drilled wells. The order stands until July 1. Hydraulic fracturing which is also known as fracking, involves blasting millions of … Read More