Nuclear war: A forgotten threat to human sustainability

By Kurt Cobb, Resource Insights

The possibility of a new Cold War between Russia and the United States and its NATO allies brings with it the spectre of nuclear war.

Fossil-fueled Republicanism

By Michael Klare, TomDispatch

Pop the champagne corks in Washington! It’s party time for Big Energy. In the wake of the midterm elections, Republican energy hawks are ascendant, having taken the Senate and House by storm.

A little hope on climate change

By Tom Engelhardt, TomDispatch

Looking for a little hope on climate change? Believe it or not, it’s here and it’s real. And I'm not referring to the fact that, at least temporarily, oil prices have gone through the floor, making environmentally destructive “tough oil” projects look ever less profitable.

Talkin’ trash: Are we literally throwing away energy?

By Kurt Cobb, Resource Insights

In Germany only about 1 percent of all municipal waste goes into landfills. This compares with about 68 percent in the United States. The U.S. could recycle more and turn much more of the residual waste into energy.

Interpreting the climate impasse from India to America

By Subhankar Banerjee, ClimateStorytellers.org

The two countries I know best are India and the US. I spent the first 22 years of my life in the former, and the following 24 in the latter, where I continue to live. Recently I returned home, after spending three months in India. The combination of what I saw there in plain view, and what I see here in America, may shed some light on—why we have arrived at the climate impasse.

Oil Security 2025 report – US remains vulnerable

By Resilience.org Staff, Resilience.org

US still dependent on the global oil market despite increased production. 

Shutdown and default: the worst-case scenario

By Richard Heinberg, Resilience

I’m not saying the worst is going to happen. But if it does, matters could get depressingly bad, disturbingly fast.

Gas Flaring: The Burning Issue

By Zoheir Ebrahim, Jörg Friedrichs, Resilience.org

Global gas flaring--the burning of natural gas associated with oil extraction processes--remains stubbornly high. We examine the determinants of gas flaring in three prominent cases: Russia and Nigeria as the two largest emitters of flare gas, and the United States as a rapidly expanding newcomer to the club.

America: Exporting our way to energy independence?

By Kurt Cobb, Resource Insights

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story. That's the credo of the oil and gas industry as it continues to lobby for increased oil and natural gas exports from the United States.

New DOE report on energy sector vulnerablities

By Staff, US Department of Energy

Historically high temperatures in recent years have been accompanied by droughts and extreme heat waves, more wildfires than usual, and several intense storms that caused power and fuel disruptions for millions of people. These trends are expected to continue, which could further impact energy systems critical to the nation’s economy.