US: State makes progress in kicking oil habit
While politicians in Washington appear to be making little headway in breaking the nation’s addiction to imported oil, California has made some real progress with innovative policies.
Scotland: Green energy scheme to connect Hebridean islands
THE wild Atlantic sound that divides the Hebridean islands of Harris and North Uist may be bridged for the first time by a £30m structure that harnesses the power of the waves to produce electricity.
Energy fight? Not This Year
The guys on the campaign trail keep trying to ig nore the trillion-pound rhinoceros in the room. But soaring oil prices thunder the obvious: America had better prepare for a possible fall in world oil output if it doesn’t want to be left without affordable energy options.
Crude Awakening (essay/book review)
….If not already aware of all this, readers of The Nation should be on notice that both the imminence and the timing of peak oil matters–big time….
If this scenario [of an early peak] is even somewhat credible, American and international leaders should drop whatever else they are doing and devote their full attention to preparing the world for post-peak petroleum.
Iraq to phase out all subsidies: planning minister
The Iraqi government plans to phase out slowly subsidies on basic products, such as oil and electricity, which comprise 50 percent of public spending, equal to 15 billion dollars, the planning minister said on Saturday.
Killing germs, reducing waste, making oil: TDP might be the next big thing
TDP turns just about anything into oil and fertilizer. And when I say “anything,” I mean that: animal waste, medical waste, human waste. Used diapers, used computers, used tires. Anything that’s not radioactive can be tossed into the hopper.
Oil and gas industries set to struggle
The renewable energy expert Harald Rostvik has warned of an imminent collapse in the oil and gas industries as supplies run dry.
Raise the Roof: Power Source
The shingles that help to protect you from the elements could soon help to keep your lights on. Solar companies have developed light-absorbing roof tiles as a more aesthetically pleasing alternative to solar panels.
420 Million: America’s New Population Boom
Just like rising energy demand, global warming, and racial distrust, America’s population boom is escaping serious attention from both presidential candidates. This is happening —or rather, not happening — even though the United States is growing more rapidly than it ever has before.
Iran: The dangers of playing hardball
The month of November in a US presidential-election year is not supposed to be particularly eventful, but this year may be an exception, in the light of the gathering storm over Iran’s nuclear program, due to be reviewed by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in late November.
China set to buy Canadian
China’s Communist rulers have a blunt message for anyone who frets about the planned Chinese takeover of Canada’s biggest mining company: Get ready for more to come.
Breaking free from energy dependence
Short of radically altering America’s driving habits, the United States cannot achieve energy independence without spending billions of dollars on new initiatives. And no political consensus exists to spend those sums despite decades of promises to cut oil imports. But new plans are emerging that might sway lawmakers.
