Monday, 18 Jun 2007

Dorgan Grinder

As oil prices dip, industry faces questions about summer supplies

Oil prices dipped from a nearly nine-month high today, and everyone's atwitter over what the summer will hold. The industry is beset by turmoil, with hostage-takings in Nigeria and turf battles in Gaza the latest contributors to price and supply instabilities. In addition, the U.S. biofuels push is leading Big Oil to cut back on refinery-expansion plans. U.S. motorists used 143 billion gallons of gasoline in 2006, and had been expected to demand 161 billion gallons by 2017 -- a scenario that saw Big Oil planning a 10 percent boost in capacity. But with calls for both ethanol and efficiency growing, oil execs now say, "Eh, whatever." As a result, simply put, supplies will stay low-ish and prices will stay high. Said Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) about the increasingly consolidated industry: "It's a perverted system that does not act as a free market system would act. If you narrow the neck of refining, you actually provide a greater boost to prices which is a greater boost to profitability."


Antonio Diaz is the director of People Organizing to Demand Environmental and Economic Rights, or PODER, which translates from Spanish as "to be able." It's an apt description of the San Francisco-based organization's work rallying Latino immigrant families to fight environmental injustice. As this week's InterActivist, Diaz chats about his mission in the city's Mission District, successfully fighting Big Oil, and the climate-change-fighting elixir sure to hit shelves near you soon. Send Diaz a question by noon PDT on Wednesday; we'll publish his answers to selected questions on Friday.

Prospects May Have Shifted During Flight

Booming airline industry gives nod to climate change

The world's biggest air show opens in France today, and the commercial airline industry is all hepped up on salted peanuts: after two years in the red, it's expected to reap $5 billion in profits this year. Both Boeing and Airbus announced billions of dollars of aircraft orders today, and the industry -- which spews about 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions -- shows no signs of slowing down. It does, however, show signs of recognizing its impacts. Last week, Airbus exec Louis Gallois pledged a 25 percent increase in R&D spending with an eye toward a 50 percent cut in carbon emissions from 2000 levels by 2020. European Union officials proposed a $2.1 billion "Clean Sky" program that would cut emissions 20 to 40 percent and reduce jet noise. Aircraft companies are saving fuel by replacing aluminum with lighter-weight plastic, and just yesterday, Boeing exec Scott Carson said -- well, he said emissions were the fault of engine makers, not his company. But at least he sees the problem.


Advice maven Umbra Fisk continues to let the sun shine into her column this week, with more on solar power. Last week she addressed photovoltaic and hot-water systems; this time, it's passive solar and financial incentives. Curious about how to get yourself at least partly off the grid? Get started with advice from our resident renewable-energy recommender.

Yeah, Right, and Pluto's Not a Planet

Research team says Amazon River is longer than the Nile

Every so often, a news story comes along that is so astonishing, so monumental, that it shakes the foundations of everything you hold dear, leading you to question fundamental truths. This ... is not one of those stories, but it's interesting nonetheless. A team of researchers from Brazil claims to have found a new source for the Amazon River -- a source that would add 176 miles to its length, earning it the title of world's longest river. Suck it, Nile! "Today we can consider the river Amazon the longest river in the world," said Guido Gelli of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, which sponsored a 14-day expedition to pinpoint the river's source. Turns out it lies high on a snow-capped mountain in Peru called Mismi -- at least, so say the Brazilians. Academics from Egypt and elsewhere are not expected to accept the new data -- which puts the Amazon 65 miles ahead of de Nile -- without a fight. Also, your fifth-grade teacher is going to file some sort of petition.

We'll Give You the Shirt Off Our Back

Grist fundraiser wraps up, still needs your help

It's almost time to hang up our summer fundraising efforts -- and we're so clothes to our goal we can practically taste it. That's why we're asking for your help one more time, and why we're offering a colorful Grist T-shirt to the first 50 people who donate $50 today. Please, don't hamper our efforts to be the best dang green news and commentary site around. After today, we promise to sleeve you alone. (Psst, give $100 or more by 11:59 p.m. PDT Tuesday and you'll also get a chance at a Gristravaganza Green Living Starter Kit!) Thanks, as always, for your support.