Posts Tagged by gulf oil spill
The Movie “Fuel” — Terrific Flick on the Oil Industry
| October 23, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Fossil Fuels |
To my shame, it was just now that I watched the movie “Fuel”; here’s a link to the film on YouTube.
I only wish I had the talent to make media so wonderfully accessible, so beautifully immediate in its impact.
Are there inaccuracies and oversimplifications? A few, regrettably. But they got almost all of it right – especially the core message: at the root of our oil addiction are the most powerful people on Earth, who have essentially bought the U.S. government in their quest to ensure their cruel monopoly remains in place.
My hat’s off to Josh Tickell and his team.
The Precautionary Principle and the Gulf Oil Spill
| June 25, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Many of the great consultants in green business practices have developed ways of introducing their clients to topics like LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design – the internationally recognized green building certification system) and biomimicry (taking lessons from the ways of nature and evolution in the development of our products and processes). Somewhat less frequently discussed is the so-called “precautionary principle,” i.e., the idea that if proposed action is suspected of containing a risk to public health and safety, the burden of proof that it is not harmful lies on those proposing to take that action.
Am I missing something, or are we as a civilization a million miles from this point currently – and getting further from it every day? The idea that our system of international business affairs, ethics, and justice could get us to a meaningful implementation of this idea requires a jolting suspension of disbelief.
Does anyone really think that there is no potential public harm in the chemically raised food we eat, the vigorous marketing of alcohol and prescription drugs, and the steady relaxation of moral standards in the television programming and movies we show our children? I could go on – and so could you; the list of threats that we openly welcome is large — and growing each year.
Of course, when we get down to brass tacks in the area of clean energy, the issue is even more obvious. Is anyone asking for the oil and coal companies to address the burden of proof that the energy policies they work so hard to protect do not bring with them tremendous threats to public safety? The Gulf oil spill is an opportunity to ask questions like these. Could it, perhaps, representing a turning point for our friend — the precautionary principle?
Gulf Oil Spill — Sadness and Disgust
| June 16, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
We all share a deep sadness and disgust over the Gulf oil spill. Of course, the pragmatists among us are less interested in affixing blame than we are in resolving the issue, and ultimately containing and cleaning up the mess. To this end, I have to say that I find a few aspects of this particularly troubling:
We seem to have little interest in reaching out to other countries (Norway, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, etc.) that have extensive experience in dealing with crises like this.
We are wrapped tight in red tape from the Army Corps of Engineers and OSHA, hobbling our efforts to stop the disaster.
President Obama: I know you’re trying your best to demonstrate leadership in this terrible moment in human history; we all recognize and appreciate that. But I urge you to understand that this is not business as usual, and take bold steps based on the points above. Bypass the deeply entrenched jingoistic and bureaucratic jungle in the federal government, and get the job done.
BP Effectively Says Its Dividend is at Risk
| June 4, 2010 | Posted by BillPaul under Renewables - Business |
Following up on yesterday’s post about how investors should be prepared for BP to file for bankruptcy, the company’s CEO this morning reportedly said it’s “hard to speculate” on future dividend policy. That’s tantamount to BP’s saying it will reduce or eliminate its dividend. I’ll say it again: look for BP to file for court protection before the end of summer.
The Gulf Oil Spill and Its Impact on Renewables
| June 3, 2010 | Posted by Craig Shields under Renewables - Politics |
Many of my friends have asked my opinion on the likely impact of the Gulf oil spill on the trajectory for renewable energy. And although one might think that I’d be in a reasonably good position to answer a question like that directly and accurately, in truth, it really is hard for me –- or anyone, I believe — to predict the effect of this catastrophe on the world’s energy policy going forward. I offer a few points for discussion:
Many people suggest that, as horrific as the spill is, it comes with a “silver lining,” i.e., accelerating the demand for a replacement for oil as our predominant energy supply, brought about by an increased awareness of the many dangers of oil. Oh really? So the general public — normally fast asleep — has awakened? So a large flock of sheep had an epiphany on the dangers of oil and created a firestorm of outrage at the oil companies? So what? The same political forces that have continued to grant oil companies enormous subsidies through the last half century and made gasoline/diesel 98+% of our transportation fuel – even when we became aware of the dangers many decades ago — are still in place. And now those forces are working harder than ever. Do you think the corporate powers and (by far) the biggest lobby on the planet are updating their résumés and looking for new careers because of a lousy oil spill?
In addition to the big politics and big money, there legitimately are technology issues. Of course, these issues would have been largely mitigated, or eliminated entirely, if we had done what we should have been doing since the oil embargoes of the 1970s: running 1000 miles per hour toward electric transportation and various forms of renewables. Now, our oil addiction is so severe that the consequences of moving away from it are, like withdrawing from any addiction, quite unpleasant.
And consider global climate change. Some people say that the oil spill negates any point that the “deniers” may have had — i.e., now the validity of the global climate change theory no longer matters. Of course, that’s been the case for a long time as well. If you’re looking for a reason to break our oil addiction, the argument about global warming has been moot for many years; it’s been obvious to most of us that there are five or six different equally compelling reasons. I know there are people who disbelieve the climate change theory; I run into them all the time. But are there people who don’t believe in terrorism? In the consequences of a ballooning national debt? In lung cancer? In the dangers of weak national security? In ocean acidification? The spill is certain to weaken the position of the oil zealots (and whatever forces control them) — who try so hard to sell us on the idea that “oil business as usual” is a reasonable path towards a sustainable civilization.
So I suppose that there really is a silver lining here. It is precisely that now, anyone and everyone (you don’t have to be a clean energy editor/business analyst) can see the truth for what it is. There is one and only one winner in oil, namely the oil companies themselves. Recall the tobacco companies of the 20th Century, and their product — the only legal one that when used as directed causes death. At a certain point we all realized that cigarettes were very good for Philip Morris investors and executives – but that they were very bad for literally everyone else on the Earth. The issue is the same here. The oil companies are the sole beneficiary of oil. And now, finally, it’s clear to everyone.
Let’s acknowledge that we made a grievous mistake in the 1970s/1980s — and move on. And let’s keep our eye on the ball this time. Dropping the ball once is not license to drop it again. Use this as a litmus test for our leaders: an elected official who is really on your side (if there actually is such a thing) will take whatever political risks may come his way to stay the course in the development of clean energy solutions.
But it’s up to you and me to insist that our leaders do that. In case you haven’t noticed, they don’t do things because they’re right; they do them because they’re forced.
Investors Should Assume BP Bankruptcy Will Happen
| June 3, 2010 | Posted by BillPaul under Renewables - Business |
The reason why the BP Gulf oil spill occurred was that nobody thought it would occur. Nobody asked the “What if . . . ” question.
Investors should not make the same mistake. With estimates of BP’s financial liability rising by the minute, at the very least investors should expect BP to suspend dividend payments. More than that, investors should be prepared for BP’s lawyers to walk into a friendly Texas courtroom sometime this summer and get a judge to grant them court protection against legal claims. Technically it will be a bankruptcy filing, although Americans will gnash their teeth at how BP continues to operate normally.
When the filing occurs, the whole market likely will take a tumble. A lot of other “What if . . . ” questions may be asked that destabilize markets for several months. I’ll try to ask a few of those “What if . . .” questions in my next few postings.
First Gulf Oil Spill, Next Canadian Tar Sands?
| May 25, 2010 | Posted by BillPaul under Renewables - Business |
As public anger over the Gulf oil spill mounts, a new report from CERA finds that the U.S.’s single biggest source of imported oil in 2010 will be Canadian tar sands oil. Tar sands oil production causes truly horrible pollution. Could this be the start of a genuine environmental revolution in the U.S.?
After Gulf Oil Spill, Focus Should be On Biofuels
| May 5, 2010 | Posted by BillPaul under Biomass |
TV’s talking heads seem to think that wind and solar power are the answer to reducing America’s oil usage. How stupid can they be? Wind and solar make electricity, which won’t be ready to power large numbers of motor vehicles for many years. Biofuel is the only short-term answer — not fuel-blending ethanol but fuel-substituting algae. I’m still waiting for one of TV’s talking heads to talk about the need for a massive program to put algae-derived gasoline refining on the map.
Gulf Oil Spill Could Wreak Havoc on US Natural Gas Exploration
| April 30, 2010 | Posted by BillPaul under Renewables - Business |
As the extent of the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster comes into clear view, expect its impact also to wreak havoc on the US natural gas industry. Expect greater scrutiny on the effects of shale drilling on the water table (aka, people’s drinkng water). New York City has already sucessfully gone to court to stop such drilling in the state.
