The Peak Oil Crisis: More Reports

A new report has been added to the growing list of studies dealing with the issue of when world oil production will peak. Earlier this month the UK’s Energy Research Centre released a 300 page (plus seven detailed technical annexes) study entitled “Global Oil Depletion – An assessment of the evidence for near-term peak in […]

Enthusiasm for Natural Gas Cools

MADRID Disadvantages of the technology include bulky tanks, low-power motors and a high initial investment cost to build distribution infrastructure; vehicles powered by liquified gas, moreover, are still more expensive to make than equivalent conventional-fuel models. Still, the technology is revolutionizing transport in many countries, especially those with indigenous reserves of natural gas. On the […]

Costs of plug-in cars key to broad consumer acceptance

DETROIT, Mich. …The relationship between cost and purchase probabilities was clearly indicated by the proportions who said there was zero chance of buying or 100 percent chance of buying at the three different cost premiums presented in the survey. “Indeed, 56 percent of all consumers responded that there was no chance that they would buy […]

School children could lead the way on sustainability

Many children are not only passionate about environmental issues, but more than capable of driving forward sustainability initiatives, argues new research into the role of schools in developing more sustainable communities. Children already play a key role in becoming more sustainable by encouraging changes in behaviour of those around them whether in terms of recycling, […]

UN: For 7th year, warming emissions grew again

BONN, Germany It was the seventh consecutive year of an upward trend, it said. …In releasing the emissions data, U.S. climate treaty chief Yvo de Boer said the numbers “underscore, once again, the urgent need to seal a comprehensive, fair and effective climate change deal in Copenhagen.” In the Kyoto framework, overall emissions by the […]

Katrina victims get OK to sue polluters over global warming

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has given the go-ahead for a groundbreaking class-action lawsuit over global warming to proceed. The case, titled Ned Comer, et al. v. Murphy Oil USA, et al. [pdf], involves a group of residents and landowners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast who suffered severe property damage during Hurricane Katrina. […]

Beyond GDP: We need a dashboard for the whole economy

HOW much political power can one number exert? Gross domestic product (GDP) is a strong candidate for the world’s most potent numerical indicator. …But look under the hood at the factors that feed into the calculation of GDP and you’ll see some strange goings-on. Crucially, existing measures of GDP also fail to reflect the fact […]

New Agency to Lead Global Energy Push

The International Renewable Energy Agency, set up this year to lead a global crusade for renewable energy development and sharing of technology between the developed and developing worlds, has come a long way in a short time. Signed into existence in January at a founding conference in Bonn, the agency At a second conference in […]

Groundbreaking Report Details Climate Change Hotspots in US Southeast

County-by-county report identifies socially vulnerable communities in 13 states facing risk of drought, flooding, hurricanes and sea-level rise WASHINGTON, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — A number of “hotspots” of vulnerability to climate-related hazards exist in the US southeast, according to a new groundbreaking study released today by Oxfam America. The report, “Exposed: Social Vulnerability and Climate […]

Fuel Cells vs. Batteries: The Arguments Get Bitter

Congress gave final approval to nearly $200 million in hydrogen research funding last week, at a time when the arguments between fuel-cell and battery car advocates are heating up. In their dialogues, which are sometimes more like screaming matches, the more conciliatory hydrogen advocates point out that fuel-cell vehicles use the same kind of electric […]

How to Jump-Start the Clean-Tech Economy

What will it take to transition from a fossil-fuel economy to a So far, the bulk of investment has been in companies using conventional business models in an effort to fit clean technologies into existing systems. Sadly, history shows that this rarely works. Harvard Business

US Interior Dept. to Open Up States to Oil Shale Research

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday the federal government will open up public lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming to new oil shale research and development, although the agency plans to investigate last-minute changes to existing leases issued by the Bush administration. Energy companies can submit applications for a second round of oil-shale research […]

US Utilities Pledge to Ramp Up Efforts To Make Electricity a Transport Fuel

Declaring an urgent imperative to prepare for the use of electricity as a crucial transportation fuel in the future, the US The pledge represents a culmination of efforts by Edison Electric Institute (EEI) member companies to survey the current state of electric transportation initiatives among utilities, evaluate how those initiatives fit in with the overall […]

Australia embarks on forest program

Six developing countries will join five western nations, including the United States and Australia, to combat climate change by better managing forestry resources, the World Bank said Tuesday. The Forest Investment Program (FIP) will meet for the first time on October 29 in Washington to kickstart the program and discuss the criteria for selecting countries […]

Renewable energy firms dash for Vt. incentives

MONTPELIER, Vt. “I’m absolutely delighted that what the Legislature intended has been delivered beyond my wildest imagination,” said Rep. Tony Klein. The East Montpelier Democrat chairs the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee and was a key architect of the legislation that created the program. …The program passed by the Legislature earlier this year set […]

Mexico oil output slide ending: minister

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – A dramatic slide in Mexico’s oil production has come to an end and it can maintain output at 2.5 million barrels per day for the coming years, Energy Minister Georgina Kessel said on Tuesday. Mexican crude output has plunged by nearly a quarter since peaking in 2004, straining public finances and […]

Shifts in Annual Energy Efficiency Rankings

California again claims the prize for most energy-efficient state, while Wyoming is holding steady in last place, according to new rankings from an efficiency advocacy group. Massachusetts has leaped from seventh in last year Rhode Island also broke into the top 10, which is dominated by coastal states

Oil world says fossil fuels most realistic for now

LONDON (Reuters) – The world must invest heavily in fossil fuels or face an energy crisis, said leaders of the oil industry gathered in London this week as they voiced scepticism about prospects for a climate change deal in Copenhagen. The oil industry has shifted its message to a more climate-friendly approach, but argued that […]

Peak oil nears – International Energy Agency

The world will have to find four Saudi Arabias by 2030 if it wants to maintain its oil dependency, the International Energy Agency says. The reality of peak oil is fast approaching, and more must be done to develop and encourage the use of alternatives including solar and nuclear, the agency’s chief economist has warned. […]

Death of 'Soul of Capitalism:' Bogle, Faber, Moore

20 reasons America has lost its soul and collapse is inevitable ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (MarketWatch) — Jack Bogle published “The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism” four years ago. The battle’s over. The sequel should be titled: “Capitalism Died a Lost Soul.” Worse, we’ve lost “America’s Soul.” And worldwide the consequences will be catastrophic. That’s […]

Toyota Launches New Hybrid, Honda Warms To Electric

Toyota Motor Corp is ramping up its push on gasoline-electric hybrids, launching a new model in Japan and taking on up-and-coming rival Hyundai Motor Co in its Korean home market with its flagship Prius. Looking a step beyond hybrids, the head of Honda Motor Co said he was considering launching electric vehicles in the United […]

British economy between a rig and a hard place

Flaring up for Britain’s economy is the prospect of an end to North Sea oil and gas, with no clear replacement. Weak oil prices, rising costs, and very narrow fiscal leeway to offer oil majors tax incentives are encouraging some to quit just as Britain struggles to recover from financial meltdown.North Sea oil and gas […]

Scottish city prepares for when oil runs out

Offshore supply vessels resembling large, floating flat-backed trucks fill Victoria Dock, unable to find charters in a sign of the downturn in Britain’s oil industry. With UK North Sea oil and gas production 44 percent below its peak, self-styled oil capital of Europe Aberdeen fears the slowdown is not simply cyclical: it is targeting diversification […]

An oil supply crunch may be looming

Vanek-Smith: So Simon, tell me what did you find in the report? Taylor: Basically the evidence says that we are very close to a sort of maximum output of available oil onto the market. And that this has extremely big geopolitical consequences, and governments have neither acknowledged this, and neither have they seemingly put together […]

OPEC and corporations disagree as oil hits 12-month high of $80 per barrel

OPEC, the cartel of petroleum-producing countries, has clashed with the Western energy majors over the reasons that the oil price on Tuesday hit a year-high of $80 per barrel at one stage. Abdalla Salem El-Badri , secretary-general of OPEC, blamed governments for failing to keep speculators in check, pointing out that there was no shortage […]

OPEC backs oil trade in dollars

LONDON: Oil producers and executives on Tuesday said the dollar was likely to stay the currency of oil trade and dismissed persistent speculation of a possible switch. A deep-seated debate over commodity dealings was rekindled by a British newspaper article earlier this month that said China, Japan, Russia and France were in secret talks with […]

Gen. Clark: Electric vehicles more important than ever

Detroit — The nation must muster the same economic might that brought about the explosion in personal computing, the Internet and cellular phones, and apply it to electric vehicle technology to help wean the U.S. from its dependence on foreign oil, Gen. Wesley Clark said this afternoon at “The Business of Plugging In” conference. Freeing […]

Climate Cover-Up: A (Brief) Review

We often allude to the industry-funded attacks against climate change science, and the dubious cast of characters involved, here at RealClimate. In recent years, for example, we When it comes to the climate change disinformation campaign, we have choosen to focus on the intellectually bankrupt nature of the scientific arguments, rather than the political motivations […]

The return of oil price shock

Higher energy prices are a sign the economy is getting better. But with oil nearing $80 and gas inching toward $3, some fear a further spike could derail a recovery. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — Oil prices are back around $80 a barrel for the first time in nearly a year. But is that good news […]

CIT debt offer by obscure fund raises questions

NEW YORK (Reuters) – An obscure hedge fund said it offered to buy $1 billion in debt from CIT Group Inc (CIT.N) but declined to identify its source of capital. CIT would not comment on whether it was seriously considering the offer. The fund, logi Energy, said it was interested in $1 billion of CIT’s […]

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