Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Energy. Show all posts
Friday, August 03, 2012
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Drilling Ban
SHELL SHOCKED DRILLING BAN
As gas prices continue to soar while President Obama tells the American people there is nothing he can do to solve the problem, the Environmental Protection Agency forced Shell Oil Company to scrap plans to drill in one of the most remote locations in the United States this week. Shell had planned to drill 70 miles off the coast of Alaska's North Slope in the Arctic Ocean, but the EPA denied the company a drilling permit after stating the company had failed to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in their assessment of environmental impact. Seems like the Obama Administration and the EPA have overlooked the negative economic impact of this decision. Before the decision by the EPA, Shell had invested nearly $4 billion in the project.
Meanwhile, President Obama has launched an investigation into evil corporations because he believes speculators and oil futures traders are driving the price of oil up through manipulation.
As gas prices continue to soar while President Obama tells the American people there is nothing he can do to solve the problem, the Environmental Protection Agency forced Shell Oil Company to scrap plans to drill in one of the most remote locations in the United States this week. Shell had planned to drill 70 miles off the coast of Alaska's North Slope in the Arctic Ocean, but the EPA denied the company a drilling permit after stating the company had failed to calculate greenhouse gas emissions in their assessment of environmental impact. Seems like the Obama Administration and the EPA have overlooked the negative economic impact of this decision. Before the decision by the EPA, Shell had invested nearly $4 billion in the project.
Meanwhile, President Obama has launched an investigation into evil corporations because he believes speculators and oil futures traders are driving the price of oil up through manipulation.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
PressTV - 'Iran, Ecuador revolutionary nations'
PressTV - 'Iran, Ecuador revolutionary nations'
He said the days of the current world order are numbered, and that Iran and Ecuador play a key role in creating a new world order. "Those who ruled the world for 300 years should not be allowed to impose themselves on nations again with a new façade," said the president. The Ecuadorian parliament speaker, for his turn, said the two countries are on the same front when it comes to fighting imperialism and reclaiming their rights, and that Tehran and Quito follow common goals in the international arena.
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Recent revolts vow declining US power
PressTV - Recent revolts vow declining US power
Senior Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi has described recent regional developments as a sign of declining US power in the region and the world. The chairman of the Iran's Majlis (parliament) Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy said the deep and strategic developments in the region were in the interest of regional nations.
Boroujerdi made the remarks in a meeting with Ecuador's Parliament Speaker Fernando Cordero on Wednesday, Fars News Agency reported. Following the collapse of the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, waves of pro-democracy protests are spreading across the Middle East.
At least 1,000 people were killed in Tripoli on Monday by airstrikes conducted by the Libyan military in a desperate effort meant to quell the popular uprising, according to some reports. The International Federation for Human Rights says as many as 400 others have also been killed since the onset of protests in the North African country on February 15.
Boroujerdi made the remarks in a meeting with Ecuador's Parliament Speaker Fernando Cordero on Wednesday, Fars News Agency reported. Following the collapse of the regimes in Tunisia and Egypt, waves of pro-democracy protests are spreading across the Middle East.
At least 1,000 people were killed in Tripoli on Monday by airstrikes conducted by the Libyan military in a desperate effort meant to quell the popular uprising, according to some reports. The International Federation for Human Rights says as many as 400 others have also been killed since the onset of protests in the North African country on February 15.
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EU Parliament seeks Iran Majlis ties
PressTV - EU Parliament seeks Iran Majlis ties
Chair of the European Parliament's Iran delegation Barbara Lochbihler has called for the expansion of ties with Iran and cooperation with Iran's Parliament (Majlis). In a meeting with the Spokesman for the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament (Majlis), Kazem Jalali, the European Parliament official called for the expansion of economic ties with the Islamic Republic as a "stable country in the region," IRNA reported on Tuesday.
Jalali, who is in Germany on a three-day visit, briefed the European officials on Iran's stance toward the recent revolutions in North African and Arab countries. Jalali also recommended that Iran's Parliament and the European Parliament exchange views on important issues such as the latest developments in Afghanistan, Iraq, North Africa, as well as on counter-narcotic strategies, energy security, terrorism, and regional security.
Lochbihler, who is also the representative of Germany's Green Party in the European Parliament, welcomed the proposal. On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in the Iranian capital city, Tehran, stressing the importance of promoting dialogue and cooperation with the Islamic Republic. The German minister also expressed his country's willingness to hold talks with Iran in the future, saying Berlin seeks ways to expand relations with Tehran on international issues.
Jalali, who is in Germany on a three-day visit, briefed the European officials on Iran's stance toward the recent revolutions in North African and Arab countries. Jalali also recommended that Iran's Parliament and the European Parliament exchange views on important issues such as the latest developments in Afghanistan, Iraq, North Africa, as well as on counter-narcotic strategies, energy security, terrorism, and regional security.
Lochbihler, who is also the representative of Germany's Green Party in the European Parliament, welcomed the proposal. On Saturday, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi in the Iranian capital city, Tehran, stressing the importance of promoting dialogue and cooperation with the Islamic Republic. The German minister also expressed his country's willingness to hold talks with Iran in the future, saying Berlin seeks ways to expand relations with Tehran on international issues.
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Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Climate Change Claims Melt Away - Investors.com
Climate Change Claims Melt Away - Investors.com
In 2007, the U.N. said the Himalayan glaciers will be gone by 2035 due to man-made global warming. Yet four years later, some are advancing. What's retreating is the global warming narrative. Global warming alarmists felt a tingle in their legs when the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a report claiming "Glaciers in the Himalayas are receding faster than in any other part of the world and, if the present rate continues, the likelihood of their disappearing by the year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the earth keeps warming at the current rate." The announcement was enough to set off celebrations by greenshirts everywhere. Turns out, though, that the claim was nonsense. It was not based on scientific research but on one scientist's guesswork, which was lifted from a telephone interview. It was carelessly — or intentionally? — included in the report. Despite its mistakes and clear political bias, the IPCC survives.
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Monday, January 31, 2011
Fwd: Trump: Mideast Explosion Could Destroy OPEC, Lower Oil Prices
Trump: Mideast Explosion Could Destroy OPEC, Lower Oil Prices
Donald Trump is mad as hell — and he's letting everybody know it. In a wide-ranging exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV on Friday, the billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV star lashes out at China, OPEC, Obama's Middle East dealings, the president's State of the Union address and more. Trump takes aim at America's "horrible" trade agreements, declares that the Middle East is going to explode, warns about "catastrophic" oil prices, and charges that Obama's Afghanistan policy is "dangerous and stupid." He also complains that the United States is a "laughing stock" throughout the world — and confirms that he is seriously considering running for president in 2012.
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Friday, January 14, 2011
OPEC ministers say world can handle $100 oil - Business - Oil & energy - msnbc.com
OPEC ministers say world can handle $100 oil - Business - Oil & energy - msnbc.com: "The global economy can withstand an oil price of $100 a barrel, Kuwait's oil minister said on Saturday, as other exporters indicated OPEC may decide against increasing output through 2011 as the market was well supplied.
Analysts have said oil producing countries are likely to raise output after crude rallied more than 30 percent from a low in May because they fear prices could damage economic growth in fuel importing countries.
European benchmark ICE Brent crude for February closed at $93.46 on Friday after hitting $94.74 a barrel, its highest level since October 2008.
Arab oil exporters meeting in Cairo this weekend said they saw no need to supply more crude as stocks were high and prices had been inflated temporarily by cold weather in Europe.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Analysts have said oil producing countries are likely to raise output after crude rallied more than 30 percent from a low in May because they fear prices could damage economic growth in fuel importing countries.
European benchmark ICE Brent crude for February closed at $93.46 on Friday after hitting $94.74 a barrel, its highest level since October 2008.
Arab oil exporters meeting in Cairo this weekend said they saw no need to supply more crude as stocks were high and prices had been inflated temporarily by cold weather in Europe.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Friday, January 07, 2011
Obama's Oil War - Investors.com
Obama's Oil War - Investors.com: "Oil prices are surging to levels that will soon crimp economic growth. And what's our government doing about it? Just making it worse.
Since President Obama took office in January 2009, the price of oil has rocketed 117% to $90.41 a barrel and gasoline has jumped 67% to $3.07 a gallon. In the 34 industrialized nations, oil imports have surged 34% in the last year to $790 billion. The U.S. alone has seen a $72 billion jump.
All this imperils a fragile recovery from the financial crisis. 'Oil prices are entering a dangerous zone for the global economy,' says Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency.
Given the clear threat, it's economically irrational to sit on our hands and fail to develop our own energy resources. At least 130 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas lie offshore, and hundreds of billions of barrels more are locked in shale deposits in the Northeast and West. Yet our policy remains leaving this wealth alone.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Since President Obama took office in January 2009, the price of oil has rocketed 117% to $90.41 a barrel and gasoline has jumped 67% to $3.07 a gallon. In the 34 industrialized nations, oil imports have surged 34% in the last year to $790 billion. The U.S. alone has seen a $72 billion jump.
All this imperils a fragile recovery from the financial crisis. 'Oil prices are entering a dangerous zone for the global economy,' says Fatih Birol, chief economist at the International Energy Agency.
Given the clear threat, it's economically irrational to sit on our hands and fail to develop our own energy resources. At least 130 billion barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas lie offshore, and hundreds of billions of barrels more are locked in shale deposits in the Northeast and West. Yet our policy remains leaving this wealth alone.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Tuesday, January 04, 2011
Obama ready to deploy executive powers against GOP Hill | Washington Examiner
Obama ready to deploy executive powers against GOP Hill | Washington Examiner: "President Obama challenged congressional Republicans to embrace the 'shared responsibility' of governance even as the White House appears ready to use unilateral executive powers to battle Capitol Hill. With Republicans taking over the House and increasing their number in the Senate, Obama faces the possibility of having his agenda stalled with limited room to maneuver -- making for tough sledding in the two years leading up to his 2012 re-election bid.
In response, Obama is expected to make more frequent use of executive orders, vetoes, signing statements and policy initiatives that originate within the federal agencies to maneuver around congressional Republicans who are threatening to derail initiatives he has already put in place, including health care reforms, and to launch serial investigations into his administration's spending.
'There is going to be an effort on the president's part to use [executive powers] to satisfy his base and institutionalize what he can,' said John Kenneth White, professor of politics at the Catholic University of America.
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency begins regulating greenhouse gas emissions at some energy plants and factories -- a move Obama pushed for after his cap-and-trade environmental legislation stalled in Congress.
The move angered many Republicans, who are vowing to block the new regulations they say threatens the nation's fragile economic recovery and who objected to an end-run around the legislative process.
'It's unclear what recourse Republicans have, but I think you will see a lot of battles where Obama's nominees are held up over regulatory decisions that are not directly related,' said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist and former Senate staffer. 'The legislative branch really feels they should control the laws that affect people.'
Obama said during his 2008 campaign that he wouldn't use signing statements, codicils presidents can attach to bills challenging
or refusing to enforce parts of a law, the way his predecessor, President George W. Bush, did. But since taking office, Obama issued signing statements on budgetary matters, foreign aid, commission appointments and more -- along with a memorandum promising to use 'restraint' whenever exercising that power.
The administration defended Obama's use of such powers, including making recess appointments, as a proper exercise of his authority and often as a response to Republican obstructionism. On signing statements, press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama used them to highlight 'what problems might be inherent in a piece of legislation, without asking that the federal government disallow or ignore congressional intent.'
Obama also hasn't hesitated to make policy through executive order, including freezing federal workers' pay, launching an investigation of the BP oil spill and cracking down on Somali outlaws.
'He is the manager in chief, and things like signing statements and however you thwart the will of Congress, sure -- there are lots of things that go on other than passing new laws and giving out money that are all part of managing this incredible enterprise,' said Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution expert on the presidency.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
In response, Obama is expected to make more frequent use of executive orders, vetoes, signing statements and policy initiatives that originate within the federal agencies to maneuver around congressional Republicans who are threatening to derail initiatives he has already put in place, including health care reforms, and to launch serial investigations into his administration's spending.
'There is going to be an effort on the president's part to use [executive powers] to satisfy his base and institutionalize what he can,' said John Kenneth White, professor of politics at the Catholic University of America.
This week, the Environmental Protection Agency begins regulating greenhouse gas emissions at some energy plants and factories -- a move Obama pushed for after his cap-and-trade environmental legislation stalled in Congress.
The move angered many Republicans, who are vowing to block the new regulations they say threatens the nation's fragile economic recovery and who objected to an end-run around the legislative process.
'It's unclear what recourse Republicans have, but I think you will see a lot of battles where Obama's nominees are held up over regulatory decisions that are not directly related,' said Matt Mackowiak, a Republican strategist and former Senate staffer. 'The legislative branch really feels they should control the laws that affect people.'
Obama said during his 2008 campaign that he wouldn't use signing statements, codicils presidents can attach to bills challenging
or refusing to enforce parts of a law, the way his predecessor, President George W. Bush, did. But since taking office, Obama issued signing statements on budgetary matters, foreign aid, commission appointments and more -- along with a memorandum promising to use 'restraint' whenever exercising that power.
The administration defended Obama's use of such powers, including making recess appointments, as a proper exercise of his authority and often as a response to Republican obstructionism. On signing statements, press secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama used them to highlight 'what problems might be inherent in a piece of legislation, without asking that the federal government disallow or ignore congressional intent.'
Obama also hasn't hesitated to make policy through executive order, including freezing federal workers' pay, launching an investigation of the BP oil spill and cracking down on Somali outlaws.
'He is the manager in chief, and things like signing statements and however you thwart the will of Congress, sure -- there are lots of things that go on other than passing new laws and giving out money that are all part of managing this incredible enterprise,' said Stephen Hess, a Brookings Institution expert on the presidency.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Monday, January 03, 2011
Kiss your 100-watt lightbulb goodbye - San Jose Mercury News
Kiss your 100-watt lightbulb goodbye - San Jose Mercury News: "Californians can start saying goodbye to traditional 100-watt incandescent light bulbs now that the state has become the first in the country to require a new standard for the screw-base bulbs.
Experts say the new rules, which took effect New Year's Day, will save residents money and energy. California is already the nation's leader in energy-efficiency standards.
As of Saturday, what used to be a 100-watt light bulb manufactured and sold in California will have to use 72 watts or less. The 72-watt replacement bulb, also called an energy-saving halogen light, will provide the same amount of light, called lumens, for lower energy cost.
Similar new standards for traditional 75-watt, 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs will go into effect in California over the next few years, with wattages reduced to 53, 43 and 29 respectively.
The new rule does not ban incandescent light bulbs; it just requires those bulbs to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient. And it only affects incandescent light bulbs manufactured in 2011 or later, not those already in use or on store shelves.
The new lights are comparably priced to the regular incandescent lights. A two-bulb package of 100-watt incandescent bulbs is about $4.32 at Lowe's, while a four-bulb package of new 72-watt halogen bulbs is $8.66, or $4.33 for two. By contrast, a two-bulb package of energy-saving compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is $11.28.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Experts say the new rules, which took effect New Year's Day, will save residents money and energy. California is already the nation's leader in energy-efficiency standards.
As of Saturday, what used to be a 100-watt light bulb manufactured and sold in California will have to use 72 watts or less. The 72-watt replacement bulb, also called an energy-saving halogen light, will provide the same amount of light, called lumens, for lower energy cost.
Similar new standards for traditional 75-watt, 60-watt and 40-watt incandescent bulbs will go into effect in California over the next few years, with wattages reduced to 53, 43 and 29 respectively.
The new rule does not ban incandescent light bulbs; it just requires those bulbs to be 25 to 30 percent more efficient. And it only affects incandescent light bulbs manufactured in 2011 or later, not those already in use or on store shelves.
The new lights are comparably priced to the regular incandescent lights. A two-bulb package of 100-watt incandescent bulbs is about $4.32 at Lowe's, while a four-bulb package of new 72-watt halogen bulbs is $8.66, or $4.33 for two. By contrast, a two-bulb package of energy-saving compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) is $11.28.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
$100 Oil: Good For Investors, Not Consumers
ATT.NET - Email, News, Sports, Entertainment and Games: "$100 Oil: Good For Investors, Not Consumers
By Jeff Cox, CNBC.com Staff Writer NEW YORK (CNBC) -- The rise in oil prices could be just getting started, posing opportunities for investors -- as well as challenges for consumers and hopes for U.S. economic growth.
Consensus estimates are for oil prices to rise to the $100-a- barrel range for 2010, a base case that would reflect a steady pace of economic growth. In an optimistic scenario, gains of that nature merely would reflect growth in the U.S. economy and would not pose an obstacle to what is expected to be a more sustained pace of recovery.
But anything beyond that, such as the estimate from Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Monday for $120 a barrel in 2011, could spell danger. More from CNBC Oil Predictions for 2011 Expect Another Recession in 2012-2013: Strategist Schork: Has Nat-Gas Peaked? ...
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
By Jeff Cox, CNBC.com Staff Writer NEW YORK (CNBC) -- The rise in oil prices could be just getting started, posing opportunities for investors -- as well as challenges for consumers and hopes for U.S. economic growth.
Consensus estimates are for oil prices to rise to the $100-a- barrel range for 2010, a base case that would reflect a steady pace of economic growth. In an optimistic scenario, gains of that nature merely would reflect growth in the U.S. economy and would not pose an obstacle to what is expected to be a more sustained pace of recovery.
But anything beyond that, such as the estimate from Bank of America Merrill Lynch on Monday for $120 a barrel in 2011, could spell danger. More from CNBC Oil Predictions for 2011 Expect Another Recession in 2012-2013: Strategist Schork: Has Nat-Gas Peaked? ...
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Gas up $1 a gallon on Obama's watch - Washington Times
Gas up $1 a gallon on Obama's watch - Washington Times: "Gas prices have risen $1 since just after President Obama took office in January 2009 and are now closing in on the $3 mark, prompting an evaluation of the administration's energy record and calls for the White House to open more U.S. land for oil exploration.
The average price per gallon across the U.S. hit $2.81 this week, according to the Energy Information Administration. That was up from $1.81 the week of Jan. 26, 2009, just after the inauguration, and marks the highest price since Oct. 20, 2008.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
The average price per gallon across the U.S. hit $2.81 this week, according to the Energy Information Administration. That was up from $1.81 the week of Jan. 26, 2009, just after the inauguration, and marks the highest price since Oct. 20, 2008.
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Life, Liberty, & the Pursuit of Happiness
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