Articles by David Roberts

What a jerk

Parody? Sadly, no:

Proposals by congressional Democrats to eliminate oil industry tax breaks and subsidies would set a bad example overseas and discourage new industry investments, Exxon Mobil's top executive said Thursday.

Rex W. Tillerson said moves suggested by leaders of the incoming Democratic congressional majority would encourage similar steps by governments abroad, where Exxon Mobil Corp. generates the bulk of its profit.

"I think the bigger concern I have is not so much the economic direct effect of the fact that they want to take a tax break off here or there. But it's the message it sends the rest of the world that you don't have to provide stable (regulatory) frameworks," Tillerson told reporters after a speech to the Boston College Chief Executives' Club.

"And if that happens, none of us are going to be able to take the risk in this business."

If they can't rely on coddling and favorable treatment from the world's governments -- all of whom look to U.S. Democrats to set their regulatory course, mind you -- U.S. oil companies, the most profitable corporate enterprises in history, will cease investing in their central product.

What can you even say?

Bush tacitly acknowledges he’s lost on the environment

The GOP has figured out that its defiantly retrograde stance on the environment -- including energy and climate issues -- has become an electoral liability. How can you tell?

Here's how:

Johnson goes flaccid on TRI

It's not the sexiest news in the world, but it's good: EPA head honcho Stephen Johnson has abandoned his effort to relax the requirements of the Toxics Release Inventory, one of the most unambiguously successful federal regulations of the post-war era.

Thanks, New Political Climate!

New report say so

I meant to write a few days ago about the new report (PDF) from the McKinsey Global Institute which says that ... are you sitting down? ... efficiency is the fastest, cheapest way to cut global energy consumption. As Keanu would say: woah.

Anyway, Joel Makower's got a nice post about it, so go read that.