Energy

Solar and wind power are already here. By next year, Iowa is expected to get 40 percent of its electricity from wind. Nearly 20 percent of California’s electricity is generated by solar panels. The missing ingredient is energy storage, that is, batteries. Solar panels make electricity from photons, which the sun sends down on us […]

Climate Change

Our Oil, Gas and Chemicals are Threatening a Catastrophic Failure of Earth’s Global Systems: That is What Killed off the Dinosaurs

The Conversation

By Simon Beard, Lauren Holt and Paul Upchurch | – “Why did the dinosaurs die out?” The consensus, among palaeontologists and dinosaur crazy seven-year-olds alike, seems to be that about 66m years ago a 10km diameter asteroid crashed into what is now Central America. It raised up a cloud of dust and ash that spread […]

Climate Change

We Don’t have a Global Emissions Problem, we Have a Rich Peoples’ CO2 Problem

The Conversation

By Nicholas Beuret | – American congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently shook up environmental politics by releasing a broad outline of a Green New Deal – a plan to make the US a carbon-neutral economy in the next ten years, while reducing both poverty and inequality. Lauded by many as a radical and necessary step, president […]

Featured

75% of Scotland’s Electricity Now Green; & All Cars Electric by 2032

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Scotland added another 6% of green energy in 2018, so that nearly 75% of its annual gross electricity consumption came from renewables, chiefly wind, solar and hydro. Scotland’s population is 5.4 million. The increase in green energy came mainly from new offshore wind. New offshore wind also allowed the UK […]

Nuclear Energy

As Trump OKs Saudi Nuclear Projects, Rep. Sherman replies: “If you can’t trust a regime with a bone-saw . . .”

AFP

Washington, DC (AFP) – The United States has given the green light to companies to work on six nuclear projects in Saudi Arabia, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said Thursday, despite lawmakers’ worries that the kingdom could seek weapons. Questioned during a Senate hearing, Perry confirmed that the Trump administration has approved six applications to do […]

Climate Change

Back to the Sweltering Pliocene: World’s Production of CO2 Spiked again in 2018

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The world– you and I included– actually greatly increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, by 2.87 parts per million, raising the total to just about 410 ppm. So reports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This was a significant increase, the fourth largest during the past 60 […]

Donald Trump

Leaked Audio Exposes Oil & Gas Execs Laughing With Joy Over Cozy Access to Trump Officials

Juan Cole

By Jon Queally, staff writer |- (Commondreams.org) – “It’s really a new world for us and very, very helpful,” said powerful fossil fuel lobby group’s CEO during closed-door meeting A newly-leaked audio recording reveals that oil and gas executives in a private meeting were “giddy” with laughter in the summer of 2017 as they rejoiced […]

Climate Crisis

ExxonMobil & 4 other Oil Giants Spent $1 bn on Greenwashing PR, $100 bn on New Fossil Fuels

AFP

By Patrick GALEY | – Paris (AFP) – The five largest publicly listed oil and gas majors have spent $1 billion since the 2015 Paris climate deal on public relations or lobbying that is “overwhelmingly in conflict” with the landmark accord’s goals, a watchdog said Friday. Despite outwardly committing to support the Paris agreement and […]

Featured

In Bellwether, Norway Wealth Fund Dumps Oil Exploration Stocks as Bad Investment

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Norway is an extremely ambiguous actor when it comes to hydrocarbons. The Scandinavian country is Europe’s biggest oil producer, and some 20% of its national income derives from oil sales. At the same time, Norway recognizes the dangers of the climate crisis, and has moved to ban coal and promote […]