For the past year, the World Bank has been reviewing its strategy for energy lending. Responding to years of critiques and complaints from communities, activists, the Bank has taken a year to confirm what development advocates have been saying for quite a while: ensuring energy access for the poor is a critical step in alleviating … Read More
Renewables
Who Needs Oil or Nukes Anyway?
In the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan many commentators, including some leading environmentalists argued that despite the inherent risks of nuclear power, it was still a necessary evil in the battle about climate change. They joined other pro-nuclear voices that have been growing steadily over the last few years in arguing that … Read More
UK Gov: its “crazy” not to prepare a low-carbon future
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
Join the International Call: World Bank, Free Us from Fossil Fuels
It’s time to shift international energy investments to support energy services that are clean, reliable, and sustainable, and honestly provide energy access for the poorest. You can help. The World Bank – an influential development bank that runs on taxpayer money – is currently updating its Energy Strategy that will guide its investments for the … 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
Global Climate Fund In, World Bank Out
With only a few days to go in the UN climate talks in CancĂşn, many questions remain on the outcomes, including on one of the most important issues currently on the table – climate finance. Finance in the context of the climate talks refers to funding for developing countries to address climate needs – financing … Read More
Now Obama Turns the White House Green
So its not only Obama’s war machine that is going green. So is the White House. In recent days some in the press have compared Obama to Jimmy Carter, saying their presidencies are similar in the way they failed to live up to expectations. But there is another way that Obama is replicating Carter – … Read More
Obama’s War Machine Goes Green
On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, a report from Oil Change International, entitled A Climate of War, analysed both the greenhouse gas emissions of the war and the costs involved in fighting that war rather than climate change. The report contained many shocking facts but a couple were that the projected total US … Read More
US Military Warns Of “Severe Energy Crunch”
The United States Joint Forces Command goes by the slogan “Ready for today. Preparing for tomorrow”. But the military planners are certainly getting worried about tomorrow. They argue that “Fossil fuels will very likely remain the predominant energy source going forward,” but then warn that “a severe energy crunch is inevitable without a massive expansion … Read More
Peter’s Second Problem: Shell Climate Crimes Exposed
When Peter Voser (on the right of the photo) takes the helm of the oil giant Shell on Wednesday, he might just start beginning to wonder what a complete mess he has inherited from his predecessor, van der Veer (he’s on the left). This mess is graphically illustrated in a 32 page devastating critique of … Read More