COMMENT: ‘Is Romney a Climate Change Denier?’ – Doesn’t matter…

17 July 2012by Jesse Parent Leave a comment

“Until Americans ‘care’ enough to take climate change seriously, it is unlikely the political arena will change much. The curious thing to watch is how the US, collectively or individually, ends up interpreting relevant information. Each energy industry will naturally compete to prove why it is the best, the right choice for America’s future. But what are American’s going to believe, or use as a method to discern what is right? […]“

COMMENT | Fareed Zakaria: Republicans are Pandering on Gas Prices

Yes, Fareed, but you are leaving out point “C” which is actually ‘why’ “B” and “A” matter — oil is a finite resource, and peak oil (the point where we reach zenith of production capacities) is upon us. There is ever-more demand, and ever-less supply. Yes, there is a lot of politicizing going on about who can do what, but where is the person who is going to start talking reality about the world’s (and US’s) energy situation. Why does it remain such an unmentionable situation?

(I’ll also use this opportunity to announce the development of a new “Politicization of Energy Discussion in the USA” Case Study. It’s not just about this election year, either, it’s a long-standing trend, and this post is just one piece of a larger puzzle).

Simply because this issue comes up so much recently, I am re-posting this article here. Claims that a president has authority over gas prices are ridiculous — deserving ridicule. I invite you to learn more about Peak Oil, and offer another source for great oil/energy news daily – The Oil Drum. Below is an excerpt, click on the link for the full article and more charts. Also, stay tuned for the upcoming Case Study, Politicization of Energy in US Politics.

http://jpinfluence.com/2012/03/19/news-obama-doesnt-set-gas-prices/

STEALING FROM THE FUTURE

It’s a very key point that nine professional bodies of engineering in 2011 issued a declaration which said we have every technology we need to fully decarbonise the global economy by 2050. The main one that didn’t sign was the U.S. body. This is a matter of intention. It is a moral issue of the first order. We are the ancestors of those who come after us. The previous generation of adults didn’t know what they we’re doing, but we do. And if we know what we’re doing and we deliberately steal from the future just to feed artificial desires in the fleeing present, then that’s completely unforgivable. Isn’t it?

Global Warming: The Un-tellable Story, By Rebecca Novick

… I basically think about this quote almost every day of my life. If I’m alive for several more decades, I wonder what people are going to ask of me about this time that I grew up in?

I also found this fun to think about:

We have to get back to the Holocene. If we don’t, what we are risking is an entirely different planet. It’s a bit like all those science fiction fantasies of visiting other planets that humans have been having for the past century or so. We can go to another planet all right, but it’s going to be this planet. We fantasize about going to another planet than this, but we are actually creating a different planet out of this.

"The Perils of 2012", brief by Joseph E. Stiglitz

A look ahead at 2012. I like the angles the author addresses. If he spoke more directly about the global energy crunch, it might be similar to something I’d write if I were to speak about the upcoming year. Those great Columbia economists (Jagdish Bhagwati, Jeff Sachs…), they seem to know what’s cooking. Maybe I’ll work with them someday, down the road…

From Project Syndicate

Even without widening the fiscal deficit, such “balanced budget” increases in taxes and spending would lower unemployment and increase output. The worry, however, is that politics and ideology on both sides of the Atlantic, but especially in the US, will not allow any of this to occur. Fixation on the deficit will induce cutbacks in social spending, worsening inequality. Likewise, the enduring attraction of supply-side economics, despite all of the evidence against it (especially in a period in which there is high unemployment), will prevent raising taxes at the top.

Even before the crisis, there was a rebalancing of economic power – in fact, a correction of a 200-year historical anomaly, in which Asia’s share of global GDP fell from nearly 50% to, at one point, below 10%. The pragmatic commitment to growth that one sees in Asia and other emerging markets today stands in contrast to the West’s misguided policies, which, driven by a combination of ideology and vested interests, almost seem to reflect a commitment not to grow.

As a result, global economic rebalancing is likely to accelerate, almost inevitably giving rise to political tensions. With all of the problems confronting the global economy, we will be lucky if these strains do not begin to manifest themselves within the next twelve months.

US State of The Union Address, by President Barack Obama.

Miss it? Aired yesterday.

At WFES2012, China's Wen Jaibao speaks of fostering cooperation

File this under “looking to take a leadership role”.

Where is the USA in this discussion? Apparently, not at the WFES.

“To reduce the problems and inequality brought by the energy and resources issues, countries in the world should take further action and exert more effort,” Wen said in a keynote speech Monday at the opening of the Fifth World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

…

“China will work with the nations in the world to step up international cooperation and promote sustainable innovation to build a new world with green development and sustainable growth,” the Chinese premier said.

2012 U.S. Energy Sector Overview (CIT)

Wow, excellent, one of the more even handed and level headed analyses I’ve seen.

Q: What are some of the trends you expect to see in 2012?
A: It is always difficult, if not dangerous, to try and predict trends. What we try to do is analyze the recent business activity we experienced in 2011 and extrapolate what has momentum to carry through in 2012. For the gas industry we know the shale reserves will continue to see activity in U.S. gas and oil exploration and production. This will result in the continued need for the support services for this industry such as rigs, equipment and materials and the potential for fracturing to become more widely utilized. In the power sector we see a shift towards natural gas as the fuel of choice> This is creating value in existing gas power plants and a movement towards construction of new facilities. In the renewable power sector the expiration of government subsidies will reduce the ability for deals to be economically feasible unless consumers are willing to pay higher associated energy costs. However, we expect a growth in solar activity as prices for solar panels decrease and penetration of solar as a power source continues. The major variables in energy tends to be geopolitical or environmental events that affect the industry through commodity price fluctuations or legislation. In conclusion, energy consumption is fairly constant and there is a continuing need to meet that demand so notwithstanding a disruptive event, we see a