Saudi Arabia and oil

I recently found a pretty good NYT Magazine article on oil production. It's definitely worth a read, if for no other reason than as a reminder of how much things have changed since the article was written in 2005. For example, on page 1 comes the quaint statement:

If consumption begins to exceed production by even a small amount, the price of a barrel of oil could soar to triple-digit levels.

Yes ... yes it could. Here's another one:

Alaskan greens say McCain’s VP pick has anti-environmental record

John McCain’s surprise pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate has a lot of environmentalists in the...

Waxman discloses evidence that White House influenced EPA California waiver

It's been a matter of extreme controversy since last December, when EPA -- confronted with an impending front-page Washington Post exclusive -- suddenly announced it was denying California's request to enforce its greenhouse gas standards for motor vehicles.

After months of dogged investigation, California Rep. Henry Waxman disclosed today that he had evidence that the White House tampered with the decision. The issue is certain to come up tomorrow as EPA Admistrator Steve Johnson appears before Waxman's panel.

Waxman's House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform released the results of its investigation (PDF) today, including private depositions with key EPA staffers.

Notable quotable

“So I hope that this film will help others to connect the dots the way it helped Tipper and me...

Select Committee and White House reach deal on release of documents

It seems the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming has reached some sort of agreement with the...

A carbon policy is likely to be less devastating than nature, or oil markets

Reihan responds. Let me just say a few more things. First, I described his characterization of carbon pricing as “insane”...

Coal is the enemy of the human race: Criminal negligence edition

Mining accidents and deaths cause a flurry of press coverage and then fade into our collective memory. But for a...

Easing off the gas eases gas use

A few weeks ago, Clark wrote about truck drivers slowing down to economize on fuel. It's a great story, but was it a real trend or just anecdotal?

Well, I'm here to report that there's some truth to it. Or at least some truthiness. A recent Congressional Budget Office paper examining the effects of gas prices found this: "Freeway motorists have adjusted to higher prices by making fewer trips and driving more slowly."

That's surprising to me. I mean, I don't slow down when gas prices are high; it would never occur to me. Do other folks?

Private equity firm and green group partner up

The Environmental Defense Fund has struck a first-of-its-kind “green portfolio” deal with gigantic private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts. The...