With the new targets set last week between China and the United States, President Obama superseded the U.S. target of 17 percent reduction in emissions by 2020, made in Copenhagen in 2009. The new target reduction aims for 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025, and aligned with a plan for reducing U.S. emissions by …
Energy’s Future in Light of US-China Climate Pact Read More »
Most cars and trucks these days run on gas and diesel, and while electric vehicle and alternate fuel technologies are rapidly advancing and may someday play a major part in our transportation infrastructure, for the most part, we’re all at the mercy of the oil companies that monopolize our fuel options. But according to the …
PUMP Documentary Tells the Story of America’s Addiction to Oil Read More »
In a recent meeting which went largely unnoticed by most of the world’s media, Australia’s new Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, landed in Ottawa and held talks with Stephen Harper, the Canadian Prime Minister. These two leaders are both ideologically driven conservatives, in the mold of George W Bush, and both are going all out in …
Economic Fundamentalism: Staying the Course in Defiance of Common Sense Read More »
In a potential sign of things to come, a west Texas meat packing facility has shuttered its operations as meat demand, and supply, drops. Demand for factory farmed meat is dropping for a variety of reasons, but the supply is dropping due to climate change, as persistent droughts sweep across formerly fertile farmlands. Cargill, one …
Pairing the words “economy” and “energy” in the same sentence seems straightforward enough. Yet these two words–combined with the word “sustainable”–open up a world of controversy as well as immense opportunity. The controversy comes from differing opinions of how best to tap the Earth’s resources to meet humanity’s power needs. The opportunity is the number …
Following more than 50 years of oil extraction, corruption, human rights violations and environmental degradation, Shell has admitted responsibility for two large oil spills in 2008 and 2009 in the Niger Delta. This admission will allow those affected to seek damages through the British court system, which gives groups in the Delta, specifically Ogoniland, the …
Shell Finally Coming to Terms with Years of Nigerian Oil Spills Read More »
As most people are aware these days, Sudan, a country that has undergone so much hardship since it became Africa’s (geographically) largest country on January 1, 1956 is on the cusp of splitting into two. A complex issue anyway one looks at it, with economic and cultural concerns at the forefront. However, for a continent …
Yesterday, Chevron launched a new advertising campaign called We Agree. According to the company news release: The campaign highlights the common ground Chevron shares with people around the world on key energy issues. It also describes the actions the company takes in producing energy responsibly and in supporting the communities where it operates. Not everyone …
Based on a recent report published by sustainability analyst firm Verdantix, spending on sustainability by almost 2,000 businesses with revenues of over $1 billion will increase from $28 billion in 2010 to $60 billion in 2014. Now, I know what you’re thinking. That’s barely anything in comparison to total revenue (1.4% up to 3.3%), but …
Despite Sluggish Economy, Spending on Sustainability Forecast to Increase Read More »
The U.S. Military’s latest strategy for the safety of our troops in Afghanistan is also a measure that is also sustainable. Renewable energy will now be utilized by the Marines so that they can be less dependent on fossil fuels while on the battlefield. Less dependence on fossil fuels has become an important issue because …
The Los Angeles Times reported that Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Kansas-based Koch Industries, donated one million dollars to the campaign for California Proposition 23. Proposition 23 would suspend California’s global-warming law, known as AB 32, until the state’s unemployment rate dropped below 5.5%, a level achieved only three times in the last three …
Koch Industries Exploits Unemployment Rate to Support Big Oil Agenda Read More »
While BP has taken a hit financially as a result of the oil spill, mainly due to continuing and impending lawsuits and selling off assets, the company is also getting quite a bit of pro bono help. Who would help BP for free at this point you ask? Well, it turns out that a fair …
As the Gulf Clean Up Continues, BP May Have a New Addition to the Payroll Read More »
I recently watched FUEL and thought: Why have I not seen this before??? FUEL is a 2008 documentary on America’s dependence on foreign oil which explored a possible solution to the looming energy crisis. I had three overwhelmingly strong and immediate responses from watching this film. First, we have some extremely intelligent and passionate people …
“FUEL” for thought: We all have Responsibilities. Read More »
Since 1997 the United States government has enforced economic sanctions on Sudan, by keeping American businesses from working with Khartoum and the al-Bashir government. This was due to the fact that Sudan was placed on the list of “state sponsors of terrorism”. Of course, this was a number of years before the genocide in Darfur …