Global Warming–Common Misconceptions Could Lead Earth Down a Dangerous Path

Though Al Gore recently won an Oscar for his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, there are some common misconceptions about the science behind global warming that could be leading us down a very dangerous path. “This delicate balancing act of multiple and diverse natural processes and human activities gives us reason to be cautious,” says astronomer, […]

China likely to miss 2004-2020 energy-saving target

China will probably miss its 2004-2020 energy-saving target because local governments have set higher-than-expected energy consumption limits in order to boost their own economies, a report by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said. The National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic planner, had set a target for gross domestic product in 2020 of […]

Taiwan: Ethanol not the oil substitute

The signing of an alliance between Brazil and the US on Friday to cooperate in the promotion of ethanol has greatly boosted the prestige of the Latin American nation, but at the same time it has raised a number of tough questions such as, “if Brazil can do it, why can’t we?” Many believe Brazil’s […]

The new Seven Sisters: oil and gas giants dwarf western rivals

As oil prices have trebled over the past four years, a new group of oil and gas companies has risen to prominence. They have consolidated their power as aggressive resource holders and seekers and pushed the world’s biggest listed energy groups, which emerged out of the original seven sisters – ExxonMobil and Chevron of the […]

Bahrain oil minister warns over Gulf tension

Bahrain’s oil minister Sunday warned over political tension in the region, and called for continued global support from the world community to help ensure continued stability. Speaking at the opening of the 15th Society of Petroleum Engineers Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MEOS 2007), Minister of Oil & Gas Affairs and Chairman […]

Palm Oil to Advance on Demand, Biofuel, Analysts Say

The price of palm oil, the world’s most traded vegetable oil, will surge this year as demand increases, the impact of drought curbs supply in Southeast Asia and more governments mandate the use of alternative fuels. The commodity will average $564 a metric ton in 2007, 27 percent higher than last year’s figure, according to […]

Carbon Offsets: Al Gore’s Big Easy

Gore’s carbon footprint may be the size of Godzilla’s, but he eases his conscience with ‘carbon offsets.’ He buys them from himself. And every time someone else buys them, Big Al gets richer. Whoda thunk it? Former oilman George Bush, scourge of the environment, lives in a house more eco-friendly than Al Gore, a dwelling […]

To the end of the earth

This is our future – famous cities are submerged, a third of the world is desert, the rest struggling for food and fresh water. Richard Girling investigates the reality behind the science of climate change Mark Lynas rummages through his filing cabinet like a badger raking out his bedstraw, much of the stuff so crumpled […]

The Oil Drum EU: A review of the underlying fundamentals of nuclear energy

I’m favorable to nuclear, as it is vastly superior in all respects to the coal-fired plants that dominate the industry in many countries, but I think we should focus policy first on conservation, then on renewable energy (in particular wind power, the sector I finance), and then only on nuclear. But that does mean that […]

Biofuels boom raises tough questions

…The problem is, ethanol really isn’t ready for prime time. The only economical way to make ethanol right now is with corn, which means the burgeoning industry is literally eating America’s lunch, not to mention its breakfast and dinner. And though ethanol from corn may have some minor benefits with regard to energy independence, most […]

Climate report warns of drought, disease

WASHINGTON – The harmful effects of global warming on daily life are already showing up, and within a couple of decades hundreds of millions of people won’t have enough water, top scientists will say next month at a meeting in Belgium. At the same time, tens of millions of others will be flooded out of […]

Challenges, Threats and Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture, Part II

In North America, some 1.1 million hectares are certified organic, with 12,500 organic farmers in the USA doubling the organic acreage between l992 and l997. In 1999, the retail organic produce industry generated US $6 billion in sales. In California, organic foods are one of the fastest-growing segments of the agricultural economy, with retail sales […]

Iranians lose access to unlimited cheap fuel

Iran With Iran facing further UN sanctions over its nuclear and missile programmes, politicians have opted to dampen demand by a combination of rationing and higher prices. Parliament decided on Wednesday to limit annual petrol subsidies to $2.5bn, and Iranian news wires have reported the new rationed price will be 100 tomans (11 cents) a […]

A New Battery Takes Off in a Race to Electric Cars

VROOOOM! Or, rather, much more softly: brmmm. A123Systems, a start-up in Watertown, Mass., says it has created a powerful, safe, long-lived battery. If the cell fulfills the ambitions of its maker, that softer sound will be the future of automobiles. To date, all-electric vehicles have failed because their batteries were inadequate. General Motors

Study ranks LNG plant as polluter

MALIBU – A liquefied natural gas terminal proposed 14 miles offshore between Malibu and Port Hueneme would significantly affect air quality, noise levels, ocean views and marine life, according to published reports. According to a study released Friday, the $800-million terminal and natural gas-bearing ships going into and out of the terminal would emit about […]

The past, present and future of Idaho’s geothermal power

MALTA – In the past two years, you’ve probably heard a lot about Idaho’s potential for wind power. Same with hydroelectricity, solar technologies and now ethanol. But perhaps Idaho’s most lucrative green energy source has been under our feet the whole time: geothermal power. It’s relatively inexpensive, plentiful, environmentally friendly to the extreme, and it […]

Germans urged to give foreign travel a rest to curb global warming

BERLIN (AFP) – As the global warming debate heats up, Germans are being urged to swap their holidays on faraway tropical islands for trips to less glamorous Baltic beaches to help save the planet. “In the near future, people are going to become increasingly aware that aircraft emit vast amounts of greenhouse gases, far more […]

Corn ethanol to raise meat prices

Strong demand for corn from ethanol plants is driving up the cost of livestock and will raise prices for beef, pork and chicken, the Agriculture Department said yesterday.The most popular meat with consumers will soon cost more at the grocery store, the National Chicken Council predicts. The industry worries the competition from ethanol could cause […]

Electricity from the sea

“It is pleasant, on a choppy but sunny day, to sit beside the gray, concrete structure and listen to the rising and falling of the waves, driving air through the turbines like the breath of a great sea monster,” science teacher Roy Husthwaite said. “It seems insane to me to be investing in nuclear power […]

Energy experts look to biofuel to solve Asian emission woes

Making energy from biomass is of critical importance to ensure a sustainable future, international environment and energy experts told a workshop held in HCM City this week. Forty scientists from Japan, Thailand, and Viet Nam gathered for the two-day seminar, ending on Tuesday, to compare notes on biomass utilisation at the community level and workable […]

Russia to Get Oil-and-Gas-Free Budget in 2008

Russia will adopt its first budget which would not rely on oil and gas revenues in 2008, Finance Minister Alexey Kudrin told reporters on Friday. Financial officials are to submit the amendments to the Budget Code within two weeks. From 2008 on, oil and gas revenues in the federal budget will be kept apart from […]

World Web Of Electricity Charged Up

The key to fighting climate change is for the U.S. to take a leadership role in promoting a “new world wide web of electricity,” according to Michael Powers, board member and spokesman for Global Energy Network Institute, a non-profit research and education group based in San Diego.Pointing out that the Earth receives “12,000 times more […]

This oil is worth its salt

More stands between the world’s oil producers and the bounty of oil and gas beneath the Gulf of Mexico’s seafloor than sediment and sea life. It’s salt. But it’s nothing like the granules in the shaker on the dinner table. It’s a massive, undulating series of thick canopies, sheets and tongue-shaped chunks that stretch across […]

Nippon Oil, China National Petroleum agrees on mutual supply

Japan’s No 1 oil wholesaler Nippon Oil Corp said it has agreed with China National Petroleum Corp, China’s biggest oil company, to begin their mutual supply of products, starting in April. The one-year agreement, signed the yesterday between Nippon Oil and China Oil, a trading house of CNPC, calls for the Japanese and Chinese oil […]

PETA to Al Gore: You Can’t Be a Meat-eating Environmentalist

This morning, PETA sent a letter to former vice president Al Gore explaining to him that the best way to fight global warming is to go vegetarian and offering to cook him faux “fried chicken” as an introduction to meat-free meals. In its letter, PETA points out that Gore’s film, An Inconvenient Truth—which starkly outlines […]

The Oil Drum: Nigeria: Energy Infrastructure Firestorm

The violence in NigeriaMuch more after the jump to The Oil Drum.

Brazil’s ethanol slaves

200,000 migrant sugar cutters prop up renewable energy boom Behind rusty gates, the heart of Brazil’s energy revolution can be found in the stale air of a squalid red-brick tenement building. Inside, dozens of road-weary migrant workers are crammed into minuscule cubicles, filled with rickety bunk-beds and unpacked bags, preparing for their first day at […]

The Cavalry Stays Home

When confronted with the indisputable reality of the peaking and decline of the worldLet

HIGH DEMAND X LOW SUPPLY

When two causes collide, the resulting effect can become much greater than the sum of its parts. Such is proving to be the case in regard to world oil demand. We don’t really have to “run out.” There just needs to be enough doubt in people’s minds regarding predictable pricing and the reliability of supply […]

100 Things you can do for Peak Oil

The Next 100 Things You Can Do To Get Ready For Peak Oil (And Whatever Else Comes Down the Pike) by Sharon Astyk. From Groovy Green. Divided into two parts: Part 1 (Home, Garden and Clothing) Part 2 (Community, Family, Transportation, Etc.)

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