Japan, waking up to peak oil?

…Put simply, peak oil is the point when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached. After peak, the rate of production enters terminal decline. It is a daunting prospect for our modern civilization that relies so heavily on this magical substance (we talked about this in Peak Oil: What does it mean to […]

Greer: Rethinking the Rust Belt

One of the least useful habits of thought fostered by the modern mythology of progress, it seems to me, is the notion that historical change can only move in one direction Consider the chorus of derision that rose up a couple of years ago when James Kunstler, in his book The Long Emergency, warned that […]

The return of Peak Oil

If you thought that the slump in crude prices from their $147 per barrel zenith last July spelled the end of ‘peak oil’ theories, think again. One US brokerage thinks that, far from approaching the mythical peak, we are in fact already past it. Peak oil is the notion that the rate of global oil […]

The Peak Oil Crisis: Bankruptcy

By Tom Whipple A few years back peak oil all seemed so simple. Worldwide oil production was going to stop growing; shortages were going to develop; prices would go higher and higher; demand would drop; prices would fall; demand would increase; and the cycle would repeat itself. Each repetition would send prices higher than the […]

Obama announces ethanol balancing act

Administration cites climate problems with corn-based ethanol WASHINGTON – The Obama administration on Tuesday said its preliminary assessment of ethanol Jackson said preliminary analysis shows corn ethanol emitting 16 percent less greenhouse gases than gasoline, even taking into account global future land-use changes. But that is true in only one of the scenarios the EPA […]

Clean energy firms still offer good returns: investors

LONDON (Reuters) – Renewable energy companies could still provide substantial returns for private equity investors this year as those with real growth potential are surviving the economic slowdown, investors said at a conference on Wednesday. Shares in clean energy companies under performed other stocks in 2008 because of their dependence on growth, technology advances and […]

Some Americans clamor to try wind power at home

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The idea of wind turbines churning out free electricity alongside every home and office building has appeal, judging by the throngs around “community wind” purveyors at a Chicago wind power convention this week. Darrin Russell of Southwest Windpower was inundated with questions during the Windpower 2009 convention where he explained the economics […]

Senate panel adopts "green" bank for clean energy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Senate committee on Wednesday adopted language that would create a special bank within the Energy Department to dole out government loans and loan guarantees for clean energy projects using advanced technology. The Clean Energy Deployment Administration would be part of comprehensive energy legislation that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee […]

Shell formally shelves Beaufort exploration plan

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) – Oil major Shell said on Wednesday it has formally withdrawn a three-year plan for exploration in Alaska’s Beaufort Sea after it was stymied by concerns over the potential impact to whales, polar bears and other marine wildlife. Shell said it informed the U.S. Minerals Management Service that it is shelving its […]

Review: Prosperity Without Growth?

When a British government commission publishes a report calling for an end to economic growth, it suddenly seems that we live in a world that is changing its direction. Growth has been the central goal of economists since the beginning of the industrial revolution. But Prof. Tim Jackson, the Economics Commissioner of the UK’s Sustainable […]

Something fishy about forest biomass claims

RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, states in its October 2008 Wood Biomass Market Report that So why are there more and more proposed biomass plants across the United States? According to the Oregon Forest Biomass Working Group,

Russian Deputy PM Warns of Coming Energy Crisis

Eastern Europe could face a new energy crisis in the coming winter, facing shortages of gas and oil, according to Russian Deputy Prime-Minister Igor Sechin. Sechin, who came forward with the warning at a meeting with European Union Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs Monday, said the problem lay with Ukraine. Shortages may come about if the […]

Energy bill to include plan offering cash for gas guzzlers

Obama and House Democrats agree to include payments for drivers who scrap older cars for more fuel-efficient models, but can’t reach a deal on softening the impact of limiting greenhouse emissions. Reporting from Washington — President Obama and key House Democrats agreed Tuesday to include a “cash for clunkers” program in the major energy bill […]

Distillate glut may cut U.S. refinery summer runs

U.S. refiners may curb summer activity for the first time in at least 20 years to combat brimming inventories of key transportation and industrial fuels, like diesel and jet fuel, as a slow economy hurts demand. A glut in these petroleum products, known as distillates, is expected to pressure prices and prompt refiners to cut […]

Shell

Executive pay at Shell has become a story because of the bonuses and other incentives paid to executives including Jeroen van der Veer, the CEO. Advisers to investors have complained about the awards, and a shareholder revolt is looming. Whether or not you think Mr van der VeerFTBlogs

Aramco pursues 70% oil recovery rate

Saudi Aramco wants to improve its oil recovery rate to 70% from 50% over the next 20 years by focusing on enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques and other new technologies, said Amin H. Nasser, Aramco senior vice-president, exploration and production. Nasser told delegates May 4 at the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston that the company […]

Kuwait to invest $11 bln to boost neutral zone output

Kuwait Gulf Oil Co (KGOC) plans to invest around $11 billion in the next 20 years to boost oil output capacity to 900,000 barrels per day from a divided zone it shares with Saudi Arabia, a top oil official said. KGOC also plans to spend billions of dollars to develop the massive Dorra gas field […]

Saudi Arabia oil output below 8 million barrels a day

WASHINGTON The state oil company has been producing less than its OPEC target of 8 million bpd for the entire year so far and that may continue in the coming months, according to Mr. Falih.

Study reveals sobering decline of Caribbean's big fish, fisheries

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Sharks, barracuda and other large predatory fishes disappear on Caribbean coral reefs as human populations rise, endangering the region’s marine food web and ultimately its reefs and fisheries, according to a sweeping study by researcher Chris Stallings of The Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory. While other scientists working in the […]

Resource scarcity: what does it mean for business?

A new report, launched by Lloyd Although businesses are grappling with the risks posed to their immediate existence by the economic recession they cannot afford to ignore those that are looming on the horizon, particularly those created by climate change.

Nate Silver: The End of Car Culture

This is surely one of the signs of the apocalypse: Americans aren’t driving as much as they used to. In January, according to statistics compiled by the Federal Highway Administration, Americans drove a collective 222 billion miles. That’s a lot of time spent behind the wheel This is, historically speaking, highly unusual behavior. If there […]

Venezuela May Pass Law to Seize Oil Services Cos

Venezuelan lawmakers are ready to support a law that would allow President Hugo Chavez to seize the assets of all oil-services companies, giving the state greater control over the industry. Members of Venezuela’s National Assembly may approve in a first reading the law proposal Tuesday that would declare of “public interest” all goods and services […]

Population and Climate Change Solutions

Positive initiatives to slow global population growth — such as empowering women and girls — can play a significant role in addressing rising pollution levels worldwide, says population and climate change expert Kathleen Mogelgaard. “Slower population growth would have significant benefits in addressing climate change,” writes Mogelgaard, senior program manager for population and climate change […]

U.S. outlines its ideas for new climate pact

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Biofuels get boost from clean energy revolution

The US Government has announced plans designed to boost the use of advanced biofuels through research, investment and the national Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). In a joint announcement made today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), United States Agriculture Department (USDA) and Department of Energy (DOE) said President Barack Obama had signed a memorandum for the […]

Oil Traders Are Likely to Start Selling Stored Crude, JBC Says

(Bloomberg) — Oil traders who have been keeping as much as 100 million barrels of crude on tankers to profit from forward prices are likely to start selling the cargoes as the incentive to store wanes, consultant JBC Energy said today. BP Plc, Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Hess Corp. are among oil companies whose […]

Newlyweds turn back clock on deforestation

GARUT, Indonesia (CNN) — The people of Indonesia’s Java Island still follow wedding traditions passed down centuries ago by their ancestors. Family members gather for an all-day ceremony that begins with the groom bringing a gift to the bride’s house. On a hot and sticky morning in a village near Garut, 26-year-old Cucu carries a […]

New EPA rules mean bad news for biodiesel

Washington, D.C. To qualify toward the annual targets, the 2007 energy law says biodiesel must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in comparison to conventional diesel. EPA is crediting biodiesel made from soybean oil with only a 22 percent reduction. Congress required EPA to assess the carbon footprint of biofuels and to take into […]

Oil prices to rise

An abundant spare capacity of oil that has built up across the world will ensure that oil and gas prices will not rise till late in 2010. A research team headed by Francisco Blanch, the London based analyst says that the prices TehranTimes

The world melts, China grows

Once China became an oil importer in 1993, its imports doubled every three years. This made it vulnerable to the vagaries of the international oil market and led the government to embed energy security in its foreign policy. It decided to participate in hydrocarbon prospecting and energy production projects abroad as well as in transnational […]

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