Energy

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – The US sanction regime on Iran has a unilateral dimension. That is, there are sanctions only the US applies. Then there is a European dimension, which involves using the clout of the Department of Treasury as well as the persuasiveness of the Department of State’s diplomats to get […]

Climate Change

Cleanest Country in the World? Costa Rica goes 100% Renewable Energy

contributors

ITN | – (On Demand News) “Costa Rica manages to achieve a clean energy milestone by using only renewable energy for the first 75 days of the year – a record for any country. Report by Claire Lomas.” ODN: “Costa Rica goes 75 days powering itself using only renewable energy ”

Climate Change

Climate Change: Can the Insurance Industry be saved from Bankruptcy?

contributors

Link TV | – “The reinsurance industry insures insurance companies to help reduce risk associated with underwritten policies. Insurance rates have risen in areas with extreme weather events. Frank Nutter, President of Reinsurance Association of America, says climate change is a big factor for reinsurance and insurance companies. “The consequences of climate change are quite […]

Climate Change

Unprecedented CO2 Crimes: Next time, Let’s Call it “Cyclone ExxonMobil”

contributors

By David Ray Griffin, author of “Unprecedented: Can Civilization Survive the CO2 Crisis?” (Clarity Press, 2015). | – Cyclone Pam, which this past week caused unprecedented destruction in the South Sea island nation of Vanuatu, should be called Cyclone ExxonMobil. I took this idea from a comment by Bill McKibben about Hurricane Sandy (“hurricane” is […]

Climate Change

Shale Oil is no Savior- its rail cars keep exploding in our home towns

contributors

By Tom Giesen | (Informed Comment) On July 6th, 2013, a train composed of tank cars filled with shale oil sat on the railroad tracks above the town of Lac Megantic, Quebec. The train’s brakes were not secure, the crew was absent, the train began to move, and it rolled into Lac Megantic at a […]

Climate Change

Is Big Oil Finally Entering a Climate Change World?

contributors

By Michael T. Klare | (Tomdispatch.com) Many reasons have been provided for the dramatic plunge in the price of oil to about $60 per barrel (nearly half of what it was a year ago): slowing demand due to global economic stagnation; overproduction at shale fields in the United States; the decision of the Saudis and […]

Barack Obama

Contrary to Israeli PM, alternative to realistic Iran Nuclear Deal is no Deal

contributors

By Thomas Graham, Jr. | (Informed Comment) A possible agreement on the nuclear issue with Iran has been much in the news these days. The United States has been trying to restrain the Iranian nuclear program for more than 20 years with little to show for it until a so-called interim agreement between the Permanent […]

Featured

Dear Sweden: HR Dispute with Saudis makes this a good time to adopt Electric Cars

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) First, the new left wing government in Sweden cancelled an arms sale to Saudi Arabia, even though Prime Minister Stefan Lofven favored it. (He had been a union rep friendly to the Swedish arms industry). Foreign Minister Margot Wallström put her foot down, however, and won the argument. She […]

Constitution

The Letter: Top 5 Similarities of GOP and Iran Hard Liners

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – 47 GOP senators sent a letter to Iran on Monday warning that country that any agreement only signed off on by President Obama might not last longer than his last day in office. This intervention of the senate in a foreign policy matter is not, as some observers […]