Articles by David Roberts

David Roberts was a staff writer for Grist. You can follow him on Twitter, if you're into that sort of thing.

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  • Callahan leaves LCV

    Deb Callahan, 10-year president of the League of Conservation Voters, announced today that she is resigning.

    David Roberts Uncategorized

  • Russia attempts to use energy supplies as political tool; fails

    Some folks -- take, for instance, me -- have argued that the whole hubbub over "foreign oil" is a bit of a red herring. Generally speaking, energy commodities are fungible, sold on the world market. If one producer (say, Saudi Arabia) suddenly refuses to sell to us, they'll just sell to someone else, and we can buy from that someone else. If we've got the money, eventually we'll get the oil.

    (The world's declining oil and natural gas reserves are, of course, a problem, but there's no need to add the sheen of xenophobia, however satisfying.)

    Others -- for instance, Bart in comments -- argue that as energy reserves decline, those who have oil and natural gas will start using them as political weapons. In effect, their political value will exceed their economic value. (And since the U.S. has much domestic demand and little domestic supply, we'll be screwed.)

    Right now the discussion is mostly theoretical, but in the past week we've had a bit of a test case. As you may have heard, Russia cut off natural gas supplies to the Ukraine. Supposedly, the move was a response to Ukraine's refusal to sign a new contract and pay much higher, Western-Europe-style prices. (Ukraine wants a three-month phase in of new prices.)

    But the subtext is political: Russia is ticked off about the Orange Revolution and Ukraine's desire to join the E.U. and NATO. While Ukraine is being asked to suddenly pay $230/cubic meter (up from $50), the more Russia-friend Belarus pays just $47/cubic meter.

    The U.S. State Department said this:

    David Roberts Uncategorized

  • Cool.

    Here's a nifty little guide to setting up your Prius as an emergency power supply for your house.

    (via BB)

    David Roberts Climate & Energy

  • Logically, Bush could just decree it.

    Consider:

    • President Bush argues that we are at war (against "terror"), that the war will go in indefinitely, and that he alone decides what constitutes a cessation of conflict.
    • President Bush argues that the executive branch has what amounts to absolute power on matters of national security during wartime, irrespective of statute and without Congressional oversight.
    • President Bush argues that making the U.S. independent of "foreign oil" is an issue of national security.
    • President Bush argues that drilling in the Arctic Refuge could help make the U.S. independent of foreign oil.

    Given the above, why can't Bush just decree that the Arctic Refuge will be opened to drilling?

    David Roberts Uncategorized