As I write, Shell’s AGM is underway in the Dutch city of the Hague, where the company is facing intense criticism about its strategy to address climate change, its highly risky Arctic drilling and its carbon-intensive tar sands operations.
Solar
Solar Could be World’s Main Power Source by 2050
How about some good news for a change? The end of the dominance of the oil age could be sooner than you think.
Fracking is Killing Solar Investment
German company Bosch, which owns a solar division, has blamed fracking for hurting demand for clean energy.
Sun Sets on BP’s Solar Business
Just over a decade after BP rebranded itself “Beyond Petroleum” and introduced its famous sunburst Helios logo in honour of a Greek sun god, the oil giant has fatally undermined its “green” credentials by axing its solar power business. BP argues that it “can’t make any money” from selling panels at a time when it … Read More
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
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
Outrage as China Protects its Renewables Industry
It is meant to be a visit to talk about China’s commitment to tackling climate change, but on the sidelines is the thorny issue of China’s protectionist tactics to become the world leader in renewable energy. In many ways China has stolen a march on its rivals: The US and EU had the technology to … Read More
Shell Dumps Wind and Solar
Politicians may be talking about a “Green New Deal”, and how environmental technologies will kick-start the economy out its current crisis, but one of the world’s largest oil companies does not agree. In a hugely important decision, which will have serious ramifications for both the company and wider energy debate, Shell has said that it … 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