Climate Climate & Energy

Flare and Balanced

Nigerian judge orders end to Shell’s gas flaring In a surprising victory for activists, a judge in Nigeria has ruled that the practice of gas flaring, wherein oil companies burn off the natural gas produced in oil drilling, violates the human rights of surrounding residents and must be halted immediately. Nigerian activists say the flaring […]

Umbra on climate confusion

Dear Umbra, Any chance that the most extreme of the peak-oil folks are correct, and that in spite of our thoughtlessness, we just won’t have enough oil to totally destroy the ozone layer? Dan WassonPittsburgh, Penn. Dearest Dan, Oil has very little to do with the ozone layer, but it does have to do with […]

WSJ: China’s oil-demand surge slackens

Peak-oil enthusiasts and skeptics alike will find much to chew on in this page-one piece from today's Wall Street Journal.

By all accounts, China's explosive energy-demand growth over the past several years has strained the ability of OPEC and other oil producers to keep up. Now, the Journal claims, that pressure shows signs of easing:

This year, China is on track to account for about 16% of the world's new oil consumption, little more than half last year's share. The Centre for Global Energy Studies estimates that Chinese demand will rise by about 230,000 barrels of oil a day this year -- a large increase, but a far cry from the 860,000-barrel-a-day jump of 2004 and a much more manageable pace for global suppliers.

The article also features the spectacle of a big-time oil exec engaging in a bit of what's known on Wall Street as "jawboning" -- trying to influence the market (in this case talking it down) with mere words. The Journal reports:

Though most market watchers were caught off guard by last year's steep run-up in China's oil demand, [Exxon Mobil CEO Lee] Raymond said that its consumption growth has been generally in line with industry expectations. "Speculation" accounts for about $20 of the current per-barrel price of oil, Mr. Raymond estimated. "The fundamentals" of supply and demand, he said, "support something like $35 or $40." The Exxon chief said that, in about a decade, it will be likelier that oil prices will be below $35 than they will be to stay at today's level of about $60 a barrel. [Emphasis added.]

Might outrage over last quarter's startling profits, as well as the Congressional price-gouging hearings, have influenced Raymond's desire to describe a frothy, puffed-up oil market?

An interview with peak-oil provocateur Matthew Simmons

Matthew Simmons: he’s more radical than he looks. Matthew Simmons has been stirring up a lot of angst in energy circles this year. This well-connected industry insider has concluded that some of the world’s largest oil beds may be on the verge of production collapse — and he’s willing to bet his much-vaunted career on […]

There’s No Progress Like Slow Progress

Lots of talk, no targets at Brit-hosted climate meetings Twenty nations participating in a climate-change confab in London this week vowed to take dramatic action to stop global warming. Hee hee … we never get tired of pulling your chain, do we? Actually, the energy-hungry attendees — the G8 industrial nations and up-and-coming economic powers […]

Thank you Alanis, thank you PBS, thank you …

Looks like Oprah and Leo aren't the only celebs concerned about climate change. This week (Wednesday, Nov. 2, 8-9 PM ET/PT), Alanis Morissette will host and narrate a PBS documentary on global warming:

International recording artist Alanis Morissette hosts and narrates a one-hour PBS network prime time documentary on global warming, people across America facing the possibilities of grave consequences of a changing climate, and the innovative individuals, communities, and scientists creating new approaches to safeguard our children's future. Filmed across the U.S., Asia, and South America, this accessible, empowering program brings the reality of climate change to life and offers viewers ways to make a difference in their own communities. See what's melting, what's rising, what's drying up, and what's drowning ... and how school kids, county sheriffs, architects, and community planners are taking action.

You can watch a two-minute preview of the doc here [20MB MPEG] or a smaller promo [3MB MPEG] at www.alanis.com.

Find out which PBS station is airing this documentary in your area.

Lather, Prince, Repeat

Prince Charles frets over climate change, promotes organic foods Britain’s Prince Charles is getting dreadfully worried about climate change. In an interview with the BBC last week, he called it the “greatest challenge” to face humanity. And on CBS’s 60 Minutes last night, he said, “You know, if you look at the latest figures on […]

Better Lucky Than Hapless

Study predicts major shifts in European climate during next century Europe’s mountain and Mediterranean regions will be dramatically altered by 21st century climate change, and suffice to say they will not improve as vacation destinations. In a new study in the journal Science, researchers modeled the impacts of a heating planet — and human responses […]

Stickin’ to the Mann

“Hockey stick” climate study largely holds up to collegial scrutiny The dispute over global-warming science has become something of a soap opera in the U.S., and the latest episode portrays a stinging blow to skeptics. Previously, on As the World Burns: In June, Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chair of the House Energy Committee, ordered an […]

The Blown Star State

Texas planning massive wind-energy project off Galveston coast Texas has proposed what could become the nation’s first offshore wind farm, about seven miles off the coast of Galveston Island in the Gulf of Mexico. The massive project would involve construction of around 50 wind turbines over some five years and would be expected to generate […]