MenuAs climate change shifts from a “far-off problem” to “eminent threat” in public perception, governments and billionaire philanthropists scramble to mitigate the impacts of global warming. Geoengineering, the radical transformation of the environment and ecosystem, has been an object of considerable interest. There are two main approaches to man-made climate intervention: Aerosol geoengineering, the spraying of particulates
Monthly Archives: February 2023
Ukraine Crisis Highlights Security Needs Of Civilian Nuclear Power
On November 27-28 a conference in Paris addressed a broad spectrum of challenges humanity is facing. Renowned thinkers, including Nuriel Roubini and Jacob Frenkel, the former Chairman of JP Morgan International, and three central bankers from Iceland, Tunisia, and Armenia, warned about inflation and the growing mountain of debt threatening the global economy. The panel
China’s Saudi Trip More Than Niceties
China has again taken center stage with a string of groundbreaking events that will define its policy course for years to come – both domestically and internationally. The CCP’s 20th Party Congress bequeathed Xi Jinping a historic third term as President, but extreme economic turmoil and COVID protest have resulted in a chink in his political armor.
Europe’s Energy Outlook Imperiled By Policy Myopia
Europe’s winter – likely to be warmer than average – is a welcome relief for a continent that was facing existential energy supply problems a few months ago. Those problems still exist, and many Europeans are suffering due to the avoidable problems associated with overreliance on Russian gas. Thankfully, the window in which Russia could have leveraged its energy
Peak Oil: The Perennial Prophecy That Went Wrong
Peak oil, a hypothetical point when global oil production maximizes and enters an irreversible decline, has been the holy grail of resource economics for decades: prized and just as elusive. Recently, technological development including increased digitization has altered conventional understandings associated with “peak oil”. Like other consumable resources, peak oil is grounded in reality: Oil
Windfall Tax Will Worsen Energy Crisis
The midterm elections’ “red trickle” has not curbed some Democrats’ enthusiasm to begin proposing controversial legislation. One of the most divisive and consequential is the proposed windfall tax on energy companies. Proposals from Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) have gained the tacit support of President Joe Biden but are unlikely to pass congress. Washington
Carbon Offsetting In The Global South Provides A Moral Hazard – And No Escape
The COP27 conference which wraps up in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh featured dire environmental predictions. Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres warned world leaders we are “on a highway to climate hell with our foot still on the accelerator”. This has prompted an array of responses of varying efficacy, including carbon offsetting on a global
The Future Of American LNG: Climate Booster And Foreign Policy Tool
Liquefied-natural gas (LNG) is a bridge fuel that will help the world reach decarbonization as an energy source that is vastly cleaner than its hydrocarbon competitors, such as diesel and coal. When it comes to power generation, it is still able to employ much of the infrastructure used by other fossil fuels. Lately, it has
Democrats’ And GOP Energy Policies Clash At Midterms
President Joe Biden’s recent statements denouncing coal drew fire from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and several western Democrats, upsetting the calculus for many elections out west. In midterms, Biden may have forgotten, all voters have a say, not just the activist base. To make things worse, Biden also “promised” to stop all oil drilling in a Q&A
Copper Prices Are Imperiling Electrification And Decarbonization
Copper is the wiring connecting the present and future. It is also the global markets’ latest runaway. The growing supply-demand gap for copper is increasing volatility in markets to the point that buyers are seeking to secure long-term deals due to increased concerns about its availability. Copper prices have surged since they hit a low point in March