Why Canadian oil does not make America secure Political turmoil in the Middle East once again exposes America’s dependence on oil and its vulnerability to global price spikes. On Capitol Hill, Big Oil’s political lackeys are stepping up their campaign for supply solutions and the current must-have item on their list is the Keystone XL … Read More
Energy Security
Two Disasters, One Conflict, One Bad Result
Two years ago the oil price hit the floor at $33 a barrel. Today, on the back of the Libyan conflict, the price for Brent Crude is $116 a barrel. Two years ago, development of the Canadian tar sands was stalling with many projects being put on hold. According to the International Energy Agency, the … Read More
The Madness of US and EU Biofuels Policy
Sometime you just cannot make sense of the madness. In its desire to rid itself of the ravages of foreign oil addiction, the US is subsidizing domestic ethanol production. The success of this programme means that nearly four out of ten bushels of this year’s corn crop will be made into fuel for your car. … Read More
Peak Oil More an “Immediate Threat” Than Climate Change
BP may think that a demand crunch will happen before a supply crunch. But others disagree. Today, six UK leading companies have launched the second report of the UK Industry Task-Force on Peak Oil and Energy Security. The report, entitled “The Oil Crunch – a wake-up call for the UK economy”, argues that oil shortages, … Read More
“Shock waves of anxiety” over Shell’s tar sands move
Remarks made by Shell CEO, Peter Voser to the Financial Times Energy Editor that his company has “clearly scaled down” its plans for a massive expansion of tar sands production should send waves of anxiety through the Canadian oil industry and a serious rethink among energy security hawks in Washington. Since the middle of last … Read More
Its January, must be time for a Russian energy dispute
It’s that time of year again. It’s January, snow is on the ground (and no that doesn’t mean that climate change is not happening), it’s freezing outside and … Russia is having an energy dispute with its neighbours. Somethings never change. This time it is Belarus and the spat is about oil rather than gas, … Read More
Battle Lines Drawn Over Senate Climate Bill
So the Senate Climate Bill has finally been released. After months of meetings and waiting, two Democratic Senators John Kerry and Barbara Boxer have released their 800 page tome – the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. But note there is no mention of the dreaded C word in the title – Climate.
Chinese in $2 Billion Tar Sands Deal
To paraphrase the great writer Samuel Langhorne Clemens, better known as Mark Twain: “Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated!” And so it is with the tar sands, one of the hottest debates in the energy industry. Its growing army of critics argue this highly polluting technology will help tip the world towards climatic … Read More
Poll: US Energy Independence not possible until 2030
It’s not often that you ask people to look into the crystal ball and ask them if and when they can predict the demise of their industry. So the last people you should be asking about the future of energy policy – and America’s energy independence – is probably the oil industry. Oilmen, as we … 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