In The News

A Source of Energy Hiding in Plain Sight

Marilyn A. Brown February 18, 2009
Countless dollars in energy from limited fossil fuels are wasted – a result of aging and inefficient factories, homes not being insulated and vehicles manufactured without any regard for conservation. The cost of oil is down now because global demand is down, but energy-importing nations could continue to control prices by conserving more energy, argue professors Marilyn Brown and Benjamin...

Hijacked Supertanker Underlines Our Energy Vulnerability

Michael G. Frodl February 17, 2009
Analysts once suggested that supertankers, a challenge to control, could not be taken by pirates. But pirates from desperate Somalia demonstrated that such pronouncements become just another challenge to be met, by managing to hijack a Saudi supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil. “Somalis turned the lack of an effective coast guard and police to their advantage to hijack ships and...

Green Taxes Would Be Good for British Jobs

Irwin Stelzer February 13, 2009
Consumers don't like paying taxes, but pricing energy in a way that encourages conservation could help the British economy in the long run. The global economy depends on fossil fuels, but countries that lack energy often don't agree with policies of countries that control supplies. Subsidizing fossil fuels delays the development of alternatives. “All of this makes it even more urgent...

Germany Joins EU in Tying Car Fees to Emissions

February 4, 2009
In Germany, described as the EU’s “most car-obsessed nation” in this Spiegel Online article, the government will reduce taxes on small cars and charge a penalty of €2 for every gram of carbon emitted per kilometer over a 120-gram limit. The tax plan may encourage consumers to choose small, fuel-efficient vehicles. “With carmakers Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche leading the way, a large percentage...

Norway and the Environment: Binge and Purge

January 29, 2009
Along with its Northern European siblings, Norway has long been viewed as a leader in sustainability, a reputation earned by prodigious domestic efforts to become carbon neutral by 2030. The nation is well on its way: gas taxes are high, public transportation is booming, and 99 percent of Norwegian electricity is generated by hydroelectric plants. On the world stage, Norway is a strong voice in...

New Study Shows Climate Change Largely Irreversible

January 28, 2009
A new scientific study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warns that the world approaches the point of no return with regards to climate change. Soon, even halting carbon-dioxide emissions altogether would not reverse the crucial planetary shifts in rainfall, surface temperature and sea level that threaten human life, not to mention geography itself, as huge coastal regions...

Politically Incorrect

Nayan Chanda January 23, 2009
Battles rage to save some products ill-suited in a world worried about energy shortages: In the US, CEOs of auto companies who long depended on oversized vehicles for profits now lobby politicians for financial aid, while protesters in Kolkata aim to protect noisy, polluting auto-rickshaws by burning buses and disrupting traffic. “Allowing the city’s 60,000-odd auto-rickshaws to carry on...