Petroleum

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – The Comedy Central show, Key and Peele, made famous a bit by Keegan-Michael Key on Obama called the “Luther, the anger translator,” which plays on the president’s laid back approach to controversial issues. But at the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner, Obama outdid “Luther” in ranting against climate […]

Climate Change

BP Defends Tar Balls still washing up in Gulf

contributors

ThinkProgress | – Confronted with BP tar balls still washing up on Gulf shores, a spokesman denies the toxic chemicals are harmful, sidestepping the damage to pristine beaches. Scientists do not agree with him about the balls’ lack of toxicity and point out they can break down in harmful ways. ThinkProgress Video: “BP Defends Tar […]

Energy

Elon Musk: Solar Energy, Electric Cars will avert Wars for Oil

contributors

Elon Musk | (Elon Musk Videos) – “Elon Musk is a South African-born, Canadian-American entrepreneur, engineer, inventor and investor. He is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, CEO and chief product architect of Tesla Motors, and chairman of SolarCity. He is the founder of SpaceX and a cofounder of Paypal, Inc.,Tesla Motors, and Zip2. He […]

Economy

How GOP threats against Iran have Guaranteed end of European Sanctions

Juan Cole

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

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 […]

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 […]

Climate Change

The “Hindenburg Trap”: Dump Oil, Coal & Gas Stocks if you Want to Retire

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) – What is the actual value of the oil, gas and coal fields owned by big energy corporations, which gives them their stock price and allows them to be counted as assets for borrowing purposes? The real value of those hydrocarbon resources is zero. Or actually it is much […]

Energy

Earth’s Fate: The Obama Administration, Shell, and Drilling the Arctic

contributors

By Subhankar Banerjee | (Tomdispatch.com) – Here’s a Jeopardy!-style question for you: “Eight different species of whales can be seen in these two American seas.” Unless you’re an Iñupiaq, a marine biologist, or an Arctic enthusiast like me, it’s a pretty good guess that you can’t tell me what those seas are or what those […]

Climate Change

President Obama vetoes Keystone pipeline bill

contributors

RT | — As promised, US President Barack Obama has vetoed a bill from Congress which will halt construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Defying the wishes of the Republican-led House and Senate, the president on Tuesday rejected the years-in-the-making would-be legislation that sought to pave the way for a 1,179-mile pipeline to carry […]