Monthly Archives: August 2011

Is Irene a Harbinger, or Just a Cigar?

Posted on August 27, 2011 by Steve Maley

Is Hurricane Irene a “harbinger of human-induced Climate Change” as a New York Times headline suggests, or just a seasonal tropical cyclone? Hurricane season, after all, peaks in mid-September. Seeing Irene as Harbinger of a Change in Climate By JUSTIN … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Edwin Edwards for Governor?

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Steve Maley

Fans of former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards have created a Facebook page called “Ask Obama to Pardon Edwin Edwards”. As an convicted felon, the Silver Zipper is precluded from running for a fifth term as governor. Barack Obama could change … Continue reading →

Posted in Louisiana, Politics | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Drilling in New Jersey? No Fracking Way!

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Steve Maley

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie issued a conditional veto on a measure that would have imposed a permanent ban on hydraulic fracturing — a/k/a “fracking” — in the Garden State. Instead, Christie has suggested a year-long moratorium on the practice. … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exxon’s Offshore Lawsuit: The Rest of the Story

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Steve Maley

Last week, ExxonMobil filed a lawsuit against the Department of the Interior in the Western District of Louisiana. The lawsuit alleges that DOI, through the Minerals Management Service (MMS), acted improperly in cancelling three leases owned by ExxonMobil and Statoil, … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Two Words for Michele Bachmann and the $2 per Gallon Gasoline Pledge

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Steve Maley

Here they are: Natural Gas. I’m as bullish on domestic oil as the next guy, but I’m also a realist. I don’t see any way to solve a problem with the scope and breadth of our nation’s dependence on foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Politics | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

If Global Warming Doesn’t Kill Us, ET Will

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Steve Maley

Jon Huntsman tweeted yesterday: To be clear. I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy. Um. These scientists you trust, some of them at least, are accused of data manipulation and standing the peer-review process … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment | 1 Comment

Drilling Rigs in Pennsylvania! Hide the Womenfolk!

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Steve Maley

Democratic State Rep. Michael Sturla is apparently not the sharpest knife in the drawer. Speaking of the impact of the Marcellus Shale drilling boom on Pennsylvania, Sturla said: “Also, aside from building roads so their trucks can get to drill … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Energy | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Keystone XL Pipeline: Bureaucratic Hacky-Sack

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Steve Maley

The Obama Administration continues to play bureaucratic hacky-sack with what could be a key element of our nation’s secure energy future: the Keystone XL pipeline project. The new line would increase the export capacity of the Keystone Pipeline (placed in … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

It’s Not Easy Going Green, Part IV

Posted on August 7, 2011 by Steve Maley

Remember jatropha? In 2007, Goldman Sachs called it one of the best candidates for future biofuels. Time Magazine touted its promise in an article from January, 2009: Renewable energy, it turns out, does grow on trees. The fruit pods plucked … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy, Environment | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sustainability.

Posted on August 6, 2011 by Steve Maley

“Sustainability” is something of a corporate fad. Shell Oil has a sustainability policy. So does ExxonMobil. Dow Chemical. Walmart. Mattel. Even Ben and Jerry’s has a sustainability policy. Even though “sustainability” may be interpreted differently in different companies, sustainability is … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Politics | 4 Comments