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State of the Union: Green energy and rural

Rural resistance has helped slow the development of renewable energy. It doesn’t have to be that way. For the President’s green-energy plans to succeed, he needs to reach out to the rural leaders who are ready to act on climate change. President Barack Obama made urgent calls for new steps to address climate change in his State of the Union address yesterday, “for the sake of our children and our future.” While the focus was on renewable energy, he missed an opportunity to talk about the essential ingredient for addressing climate change: the support of rural communities.

Energy transitions – Feb 13

•Solar for All •Energy-Efficient Mortgages now widely available in the US •EDF asks would you do the washing when the wind is blowing? •Energy Co-ops Bring Energy by the People, for the People Through Social Innovation •Why councils could be the answer to the energy crisis

Nate Hagens: Things are not going to be as easy over the next 40 years

Recently Karen Rybold-Chin interviewed Nate Hagens, former editor of The Oil Drum and former Lehman Brothers vice president, questioning him about a future economy without growth and an environment suffering climate change. Nate Hagens asks whether ultimately – contrary to our animal nature – we are willing and able to plan for future generations by reducing our own energy consumption and economic growth.

The new future of energy policy

Flood myths are common to human culture. Swollen rivers, tidal storms, and tsunamis make their appearance frequently in literature. But Hurricane Sandy, which has drawn newly etched high-water marks on the buildings of lower Manhattan (and Brooklyn), has shifted the discussion from storytelling to reality.

ODAC Newsletter Nov 9

The end of the US election season and a return of the incumbent Barack Obama saw oil markets turn their attention back to the economy. Despite much talk of upside the picture remains bleak with the US showing a huge deficit, and the EU still unresolved on how to deal with its highly indebted members. Oil prices showed their steepest decline of the year on Wednesday before recovering slightly to around $107/barrel for Brent.