June 2012
24 posts
TOP 5: Last Week’s Top Geopolitical Articles
http://jpinfluence.com/2012/06/25/top-5-last-weeks-top-geopolitical-articles/
We’ll take a look at some of the biggest news-makers around the world, from the aftermath of elections in Greece and Egypt, a developing flashpoint in the Caspian Sea, to the ongoing struggle in Syria.
Greek elections haven’t calmed fears about Europe’s financial health.
By Anthony Faiola and Howard Schneider | 22 JUNE 2012 (Washington Post)
Summary: Greek elections wrapped up last week, with the entire Eurozone, as well as the rest of the global economy, waited on-edge for some signs of hope and stability. “But it was unclear Monday whether anything would be enough to stave off a broader crisis. Among investors, a bitter truth appeared to be sinking in: The problems in Europe are so widespread and so deep that a real solution is sure to be complex, hard-fought and anything but quick.” With new French president Francois Hollande set to battle for the future of the EU with Germany’s Angela Merkel, Greek’s role in an ever-complicated European Union saga plays on, as the country attempts to re-order its finances.
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English: Southern Caspian Energy Prospects portion of Iran Country Profile (CIA map)
The Caspian’s New Sea Monsters. Thepost-Soviet region has begun a high-stakes arms race, fueled by competition for recently discovered oil fields.
By Joshua Kucera | 22 June 2012 (Foreign Policy)
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http://jpinfluence.com/2012/06/25/top-5-last-weeks-top-geopolitical-articles/
EDITORIAL: The Sublimation of American Energy: An Unexpected Transition to a New Global Energy Paradigm →
jpinfluence.com
Hydraulic fracturing. Shale gas. Tight oil. Boom-Time. Golden Era.
There is a growing excitement about this moment, and the potential future, of energy coming out of the United States. Natural gas and oil production in the US are experiencing significant increase, and the global energy system receives a new layer and new potential.
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NEWS: Top 5 Geopolitical Articles [June10-16] →
jpinfluence.com
We’ll take a look at some of the biggest newsmakers around the world, from the European Union’s dire state, to the escalating conflicts in Syria, to the changing strategy of the United States as power shifts around the globe. Here are the top five stories in geopolitics this last week.
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Does the US need a national energy policy? →
jpinfluence.com
14 June 2012 · by Jesse Parent · in General Commentary.
Read more at
COMMENT: Does the US need a national energy policy? | Jesse Parent [INFLUENCE]
The BTE Pipeline Blast: The Implications of Sabotage →
naturalgaseurope.com
At the end of May, the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum pipeline carrying gas from Azerbaijan to Turkey blew up in the Turkish section. Full supplies were suspended until 11 June, whilst repair work was carried out on the line. The extent of the damage and the reluctance of Turkish officials to confirm the cause have led to widespread speculation that Kurdish militants were responsible.
http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/bte-pipeline-blast-the-implications-of-sabotage
Natural Gas Europe
"Does the US need a national energy policy?" →
theenergycollective.com
I was recently asked the question - and thought it deserves some unpacking. I think the underlying challenge to a having a stable and coherent grand energy strategy is the lack of coherence about what we want our future to look like, and what factors are actually influencing it. If we want a future reality, we need to be informed and have no illusions about what our current reality is – and understand the transition needed to get from ‘now’ to ‘desired future’. To this end, I again state that we need a ‘national energy dialogue’ to go along with a national energy policy. Whether it comes from grassroots or top down, the dialogue needs to take place so people understand what the choices are, and what the factors are guiding those choices – choices about where the energy we use comes from, it’s environmental and economic impact, as well as how it shapes the future of our country and world. …
http://theenergycollective.com/jesse-parent/87121/does-us-need-national-energy-policy
Zakaria: The game-changer in the geopolitics of energy →
globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com
By Fareed Zakaria
Last year, the world’s energy watchdog published a report which asked an important question: “Are we entering a golden age of gas?”
So I was struck when I saw the International Energy Agency’s 2012 report. Gone is the question mark.
Instead it says, simply: “Golden rules for a golden age of gas.”
And the starting point of that golden age is right here in America.
It’s becoming increasingly clear that the shale gas revolution is a game-changer not just for the energy industry, not just for the U.S. — but for geopolitics.
The technology behind shale gas production, where shale rock is blasted with a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals, is only two decades old. The process is called fracking.
Related: Fracking — What is it?
And in a short time, its success has led to the drilling of 20,000 wells in America, the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, and a guaranteed supply of gas for perhaps 100 years. The International Energy Agency says global gas production will rise 50% by the year 2035; two-thirds of that growth will come from unconventional sources like shale — a market the U.S. completely dominates.
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