Richard Heinberg: Five Axioms of Sustainability

My aim in this essay is to explore the history of the terms sustainable and sustainability, and their various published definitions, and then to offer a set of five axioms (based on a review of the literature) to help clarify the characteristics of a durable society.

The Agenda Restated - Kunstler

Out in the public arena, people frequently twang on me for being "Mister Gloom'n'doom," or for "not offering any solutions." I find this bizarre because I never fail to present audiences with a long, explicit task list of projects that American society needs to take up in the face of the combined problems I have labeled The Long Emergency. That the audience never hears this, and then indignantly demands such instruction, only reinforces my sense that the cognitive dissonance in our culture has gone totally off the charts.

'Gas war' forces Ukraine to clean up its act

For years Western environmentalists tried in vain to convince Ukraine to shake an energy addiction that made it one of the world's least energy efficient economies.

Then in one fell swoop Russia turned energy conservation into a Ukrainian national priority by doubling the price of gas exports to its Western neighbour at the start of last year -- before hiking them again this January.

North Sea's Decline & Russia's Intransigence Highlight Gas Challenges & Opportunities

Concern will perhaps be greatest in Western Europe, which increasingly relies on Russia gas supplies as the North Sea enters its twilight years. The decline of the North Sea is illustrated by the winding down of investment in new capacity by the Super Majors. Although a lot of North Sea exploration is being carried out by smaller companies, the fact is that pretty much all of the elephantine discoveries that are going to be made have been made, and it makes sense for the industry’s biggest players to chase opportunities in other places.

Arabs urged to use energy judiciously

Two experts have called for the appropriate use of both conventional and renewable sources in energy-deficit Arab countries which suffer from huge power shortages. About half the Arab region faces power shortage and 20% of its population have no access to electricity, according to Merwat Tallawy, executive secretary at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA).

RWE plans one billion euro gas pipeline between Czech Republic, Belgium

RWE, Germany's second-biggest power supplier, is planning to build a one-billion-euro (1.3-billion-dollar) gas pipeline between the Czech Republic and Belgium, its chairman has said.

Oil workers targeted as Nigeria violence grows

Thousands of foreign workers and their families have left Africa's top oil producer since a faceless new militant group launched unprecedented attacks about a year ago on the places where they work, live and relax.

Nigeria: 90 Percent Indigenes to Lose Jobs

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has disclosed that 90 per cent of Niger Delta indigenes stand to lose their jobs in the region if the current insecurity and hostage taking persist.

Nigeria oil workers call off strike

The two main oil-worker unions in Nigeria said they called off a strike planned for Monday to protest insecurity in the restive petroleum-producing region pending a meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Methane now bubbling from Beaufort Sea

Remotely Operated Vehicle observations revealed streams of methane-rich gas bubbles coming from the crests of pingo-like-features (PLFs) – due to warm water influx. We offer a scenario of how PLFs may be growing offshore as a result of gas pressure associated with gas hydrate decomposition.

UN chief says climate change has driven world to 'critical stage'

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has warned that climate change had driven the world to a "critical stage," directly affecting human health and the environment.

EU Says Germany Stifling Progress on Climate Change

Germany's lack of progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions is holding back international efforts to combat global warming, the European Union's Environment Commissioner was quoted as saying on Sunday.

Vietnam highly vulnerable to climate change: expert

"Vietnam potentially is one of the countries where sea level rises could have the most dramatic impact," said Mark Lowcock, a senior official with Britain's Department for International Development on Monday.

Global Warming Myths and Lies

As the fervor over global warming continues to permeate the discussions of politicians and the media alike, I’ve noticed a stock set of anecdotal arguments from those who choose to remain unconvinced of anthropogenic global warming. A lot of their arguments remind me of the arguments of those who believe NASA faked the moon landings: “Well, in their pictures you don’t see the stars, so it must have been done in a studio.” Um, have you ever tried taking a picture of the night sky? How many stars do you see? But I digress...

Jeremy Leggett: War and Skis

Global action is an amalgam of millions of tiny personal initiatives, and sacrifices - so I'm saying farewell to the slopes.

It’s “You” Who will Save the World

Time magazine has awarded “You” as the personality of the year. Maybe it is a populist sign from a popular magazine, but with global warming and peak oil at our doorstep, it is now “your” turn to save the world with your care for using energy.

Australia says emissions trading needed to fight global warming

A worldwide system to put a price on harmful gas emissions should be a key part of any plan to combat global warming, but should not come at Australia's expense, Prime Minister John Howard has said.

Australia: Oil supply report to be released

A Senate report into Australia's future oil supply will be released on Tuesday.

It comes as peak oil theory experts and environmentalists prepare to link growing concern about global warming to the over use of oil.

SADC countries face blackouts

Neighbouring countries may end up with the blackouts currently experienced in South Africa.

Eskom plans to divert exported electricity when the domestic supplies run short.

Eskom has export contracts with three countries - Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe - and according to a report recently done for the department of public enterprises, Eskom will be allowed to cut the electricity supply to those countries with just 24 hours notice.

Nigeria's Energy Crisis

Just as the ink on my article last week about this administration's mismanagement of the power sector since 1999 was starting to dry up, the country was dealt another knock out punch by the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). PHCN through its Public Affairs unit informed the country that power generation dropped again by almost 60 per cent from over 3,000MW to below 1,500MW.

The blame was placed squarely on Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC), which had shut down its gas gathering and compression facilities for routine maintenance as well as Agip's new Independent Power Plant (IPP) at Okpai.

Agrophilia

One of the issues that always comes up in sustainable agriculture discussions is food security, and there’s a good reason for it. If something were to happen to the centralized food system, whether it be a bird flu outbreak or a terrorist attack, the only way to feed ourselves would be with local farms. The problem is that most of the farms we now have aren’t diversified enough to feed us.

Russia: Dependence on Oil Could Hurt Growth

News that the GDP grew a healthy 6.7 percent in 2006 met with as much anxiety as cheer among analysts, who said the economy got lucky last year with the oil price but is not diverse enough to stay ahead if that luck runs out next year.

Environmentalists Need to Help Fight Bush's Ethanol Surge

Corn-based ethanol has been at the center of a well-funded misinformation campaign launched and perpetuated by the Bush Administration. In fact Nicholas Hollis, President of the Agribusiness Council, believes that "ethanol is the largest scam in our nation's history."

Algae-Based Fuels Set to Bloom

Relatively high oil prices, advances in technology, and the Bush administration's increased emphasis on renewable fuels are attracting new interest in a potentially rich source of biofuels: algae. A number of startups are now demonstrating new technology and launching large research efforts aimed at replacing hundreds of millions of gallons of fossil fuels by 2010, and much more in the future.

Total sets its sights on nuclear energy

Total, the French energy group, has begun to eye nuclear energy as access to oil and gas becomes more restricted in countries reluctant to allow foreign investment in their most precious resource.