Tag: energy

How oil capitalists conspired to spread climate change denialism — in 1988

In the summer of 1988, the United States experienced the worst heat waves and droughts since the Dust Bowl. Ominous images of burning forests, withering fields and sweltering cities filled the American press and elicited nervous suspicion: was this the work of the so-called greenhouse effect? Had the danger of which some scientists warned already arrived?… Read More How oil capitalists conspired to spread climate change denialism — in 1988

Dilip

Andrés Tapia: Oil exploitation is threatening the Ecuadorian rainforest – and the planet

I grew up and learned about caring for nature thanks to a pilot programme (Fatima Experimental Center) for the conservation of Amazonian fauna run by the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of Pastaza (OPIP). Today, Pastaza Kikin Kichwa Runakuna (Pakkiru – the current name for OPIP, my home organisation) consists of more than 180 grassroots communities and 13 associations,… Read More Andrés Tapia: Oil exploitation is threatening the Ecuadorian rainforest – and the planet

Dilip

Dire warning for the planet: Coal is powering the economic recovery // Welcome that kind of activism: US climate envoy John Kerry on Disha Ravi

Global carbon dioxide emissions are set to surge dangerously this year as the global economy undergoes a huge recovery. In a new report, the International Energy Agency estimates that carbon emissions from energy use are on track to spike by 1.5 billion tonnes in 2021, as heavy coal consumption in Asia, and in China in particular,… Read More Dire warning for the planet: Coal is powering the economic recovery // Welcome that kind of activism: US climate envoy John Kerry on Disha Ravi

Dilip

Why Bitcoin is so bad for the planet – video explainer

In a year, bitcoin uses around the same about of electricity as the entire country of Norway. The digital currency is one that allows people to bypass banks and traditional payment methods. It is the most prominent among thousands of so-called cryptocurrencies and has been repeatedly reaching new records – but is it sustainable? The Guardian’s UK… Read More Why Bitcoin is so bad for the planet – video explainer

Dilip

Lauren Aratani: Electricity needed to mine bitcoin is more than used by 'entire countries

It’s not just the value of bitcoin that has soared in the last year – so has the huge amount of energy it consumes. The cryptocurrency’s value has dipped recently after passing a high of $50,000 but the energy used to create it has continued to soar during its epic rise, climbing to the equivalent to the… Read More Lauren Aratani: Electricity needed to mine bitcoin is more than used by 'entire countries

Dilip

This obscure energy treaty is the greatest threat to the planet you’ve never heard of

The Energy Charter Treaty allows fossil fuel companies to sue governments for taking action on climate change. It must be stopped before it’s too late.   On 4 February the German energy giant RWE announced it was suing the government of the Netherlands. The crime? Proposing to phase out coal from the country’s electricity mix. The company,… Read More This obscure energy treaty is the greatest threat to the planet you’ve never heard of

Dilip

Heather Hansman: Who will clean up the 'billion-dollar mess' of abandoned US oilwells?

Jill Morrison has seen how the bust of oil and gas production can permanently scar a landscape. Near her land in north-east Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, where drilling started in 1889, more than 2,000 abandoned wells are seeping brine into the groundwater and leaking potent greenhouse gasses. The problem is getting worse. As the oil… Read More Heather Hansman: Who will clean up the 'billion-dollar mess' of abandoned US oilwells?

Dilip

Roger Sollenberger: What caused the Texas disaster? Decades of Republican deregulation: "Laissez-faire run amok"

NB: Contemporary conservative thought has a tendency to equate all social control, or even the hint of such control, as ‘communism’. Hence the antipathy toward activists such as Greta Thunberg, who simply asked for urgent measures to control damage to the environment. Note this paragraph from the article below: “The fight against climate change in… Read More Roger Sollenberger: What caused the Texas disaster? Decades of Republican deregulation: "Laissez-faire run amok"

Dilip