After threat to cut off oil, Chavez says Venezuela may expropriate milk plants CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez warned that some milk plants may be expropriated to ease shortages, singling out Italy’s Parmalat SpA and […]
The Politics of Biofuels
In response to a recent query from an independent student newspaper in the UK, I wrote up an editorial piece on the politics of biofuels. I will post it over here in a few days, […]
Biofuels Aren’t Green?
At least that’s what a new study says. I think it paints with a pretty broad brush, because I do in fact think some can be green. But a new study published in Science, echoing […]
Exxon Freezes Venezuelan Assets
This came as a surprise to me: Exxon wins freeze on $12 billion of Venezuelan assets NEW YORK (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil Corp has won court orders freezing up to $12 billion in Venezuelan assets […]
Instant Energy Savings
The latest issue of Mother Earth News has an interesting article on ideas to reduce your carbon footprint: 8 Easy Projects for Instant Energy Savings Some of them are going to be familiar to everyone […]
Brother, Can You Spare Chavez a Billion?
Now that Chavez has run Venezuela’s oil production into the ground and needs a new cash infusion for his social programs, he is inviting oil companies back in to make investments: Venezuela seeks oil investment […]
Consumers Boil
This is quite timely coming on the heels of my previous essay. I talked about the press picking up and running with the comments of Oil Watchdog’s Judy Dugan as if she were actually a […]
The Intellectual Dishonesty of a “Consumer Watchdog”
I am having an internal debate with myself regarding which aspect Oil Watchdog I find most annoying: Their intellectual dishonesty, their reprehensible tactics, or just their plain old-fashioned stupidity. I can give lots of examples […]
Coal-Based Ethanol
The handwriting has been on the wall on this issue for a couple of years. In fact, I first mentioned it in March 2006 in Improving the Prospects for Grain Ethanol. Here is an excerpt […]
Corn Ethanol Economics
Someone e-mailed a few days ago and asked some questions about the present economics of corn ethanol. I did a few calculations, which I think are interesting enough to share. (Note that because this is […]