This sounds like something Homer-Dixon would say: Food sector vulnerable to emergencies, says study

Being lean and mean in the food and drink manufacturing sector might pay off in terms of profits, but the practice has left the supply chain vulnerable to a crisis, according to a UK government report.

The government-commissioned report concludes that the drive for efficiency and the just-in-time philosophy used by the industry has progressively reduced stock levels throughout the supply chain -- with the resulting damage to its resilience when an emergency occurs.

The Philippines: Another energy crisis?

Fifteen years ago, the country reeled from the consequences of neglecting the power sector. People in Metro Manila and much of the rest of Luzon didn’t know what hit them: one day the lights went out, and stayed out for up to 12 hours every day. Household appliances broke down, water could not be pumped for distribution, and office workers sweltered in buildings designed for air-conditioning. Investors who endured the discomfort both in their workplace and at home couldn’t wait too long for the crisis to end; many fled the country, taking their money with them.

China about to pass U.S. as world's top generator of greenhouse gases

Far more than previously acknowledged, the battle against global warming will be won or lost in China, even more so than in the West, new data show.

A report released last week by Beijing authorities indicated that as its economy continues to expand at a red-hot pace, China is highly likely to overtake the United States this year or in 2008 as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Russian Court Sentences Former Yukos Execs to Prison Sentences

A Moscow court on Monday sentenced two former executives of one-time Russian oil major Yukos to prison for embezzlement and money laundering, Russian news agencies reported.

Kurt Cobb: A question of scale

So it follows that the way back to sustainability is to break the stranglehold of the globalized economy on our local economies. Herein lies the problem of scale for organizations seeking to act as midwives in this process. In the United States and probably many other countries serious regulatory and legal obstacles can get in the way of any relocalization project. State and federal rules may frustrate and even prevent wise sustainability practices and rules.

Chávez's oil largesse winning fans abroad

London is the latest city to get a fuel deal as part of the Venezuelan leader's '21st century socialism.'

Expert calls for tapping solar energy

Qatar, which gets abundant sunshine, should tap solar energy and reduce the use of fossil fuels, noted environmentalist and a world leader in sustainable ecology Dr David Suzuki has suggested.

Analysis: Nile Basin energy future

Plans to coordinate the energy resources of the Nile River basin countries are attracting international support, but some critics argue the plan's reliance on large dams and electricity grids are inefficient and will distract from more effective energy alternatives.

Venture capitalists explore replacing crude oil with algae

The idea of replacing crude oil with algae may seem like a harebrained way to clean up the planet and bolster national security.

But Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones and her husband, David Jones, are betting their careers and personal fortunes on the prospect that they can raise the slimy plant and utilize its natural photosynthesis process to produce a plentiful supply of biofuel.

Dems' Big Chance

Energy: The new Democrat-led Congress can, with a few bold strokes, help win the war on terror while slashing America's dependence on foreign energy. Will it have the vision and courage to do so?

Japan finds 40 trillion cubic feet of gas hydrate reserves

Japan's government said an offshore field in the Pacific Ocean holds an estimated 40 trillion cubic feet of frozen natural gas, equivalent to the country's gas demand for about 14 years.

Greenhouse gas credit-trading beckons investors

The United States might have turned its back on the Kyoto Protocol but U.S. investors have not, tapping the roughly $25 billion in carbon emissions trading that's a direct result of the global environmental agreement.

GCC pushes for atomic programme

Saudi Arabia said yesterday Iran’s nuclear programme was an extra burden for the Middle East, but Gulf Arab allies had the right to their own atomic ambitions.

Asian pollution affects Pacific storms

Pollution from Asia is helping generate stronger storms over the North Pacific, according to new research. Changes in the North Pacific storm track could have an impact on weather across the Northern Hemisphere. Satellite measurements have shown an increase in tiny particles generated from coal burning in China and India in recent decades, researchers report in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

GM targets 2010 production for electric car

Lutz said the major uncertainty facing the Chevrolet Volt, a concept vehicle GM unveiled in January, was whether lithium-ion batteries can be developed to power it economically and safely.

Challenges, Threats, and Opportunities for Sustainable Agriculture, Part I

In summary, as agricultural modernization progressed, political and economic forces allowed the agricultural structure to become dominated by large corporations who took advantage of existing policies that favored large farm size, specialized production, crop monocultures, mechanization and agrochemical dependency. The result has been the setting in motion of a process of economic devastation with grave consequences for the nation’s family farmers and rural communities. The current dominant system does not provide farmers with an adequate income, does not ensure regional self-reliance, promotes production methods that do not meet key environmental and animal welfare standards, does not produce healthy food, and does not lead towards the renewal of rural communities. This affects the poor in the rest of the world, as the excess US production results in the subsidized dumping of surpluses in developing countries, with disastrous results for the livelihoods of poor farmers in the South.

U.S. Inflation Rate: Time to Sack Some Bankers and Govt. Officials

If you are tired of my constant, irritating harangue to buy oil stocks, in one way or another, based solely on my Stupid Mogambo Say So (SMSS), then I proudly present John Loeffler, appearing with James J. Puplava on the Financial Sense Newshour, who buttresses the “Peak Oil” case by saying that, when looking at oil production, “If we look at the number of countries that have peaked versus remaining, so far 64 countries have peaked in oil production; 36 remain.”

Russia ready to expand ties with Chile, build nuclear plants

Chile, which meets 90% of its demand for natural gas with imports from Argentina and is facing an energy crisis, is considering the possibility of building nuclear power plants.

The New Great Game: Opportunities for Trans-Atlantic Cooperation in the Caspian Region

Natural resources in the Caspian region are vital to the European Union's future energy policy. Though the United States has been focusing on the region since the 1990s, European decision-makers have largely neglected its strategic importance.

Korean Air-led group in oil deal

Korean Air Lines, the country's largest carrier, and its affiliates have agreed to buy 28.4 percent of oil refiner S-Oil for 2.4 trillion won (HK$19.92 billion) to secure a stable supply of jet fuel.

UK plans to cut CO2 doomed to fail - scientists

An independent scientific audit of the UK's climate change policies predicts that the government will fall well below its target of a 30% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2020 - which means that the country will not reach its 2020 milestone until 2050.

Industry closes anti-coal website

The website's hosts were forced to remove it within 24 hours of its launch, after the Minerals Council issued a notice under the Copyright Regulations 1969 complaining the content and layout infringed copyright.

Rising Tide remade the website, using its own photographs and layout. However, the council lodged a second complaint.

"They are trying to silence us," said a Rising Tide member, Steve Phillips.

The anti-Crichton: Kim Stanley Robinson

Kim Stanley Robinson is [ticked] about what humans have done to the world, and he's not mincing words. But he also believes deeply in our capacity for change and rebirth. He thinks we can do better.

How to change the world in 10 easy steps

So I offer 10 strategies for how to win the peak oil and climate change PR battle and change our society and the world. This is not something I can do by myself - so some of you had better get to work on this stuff. I will point out that I have ethical issues with lying here, so that somewhat limits the possibilities for me, but not all that much. I recommend against lying, because it can come back to haunt you. Besides, we're unlikely to be better at it than Karl Rove. Better we spend our time making him, and the rest of the voices look stupid. That's not so hard.

Wisdom of the land

Apples shipped from New Zealand. Pears grown in Chile. Spinach picked in Mexico. A stroll through your local grocer’s produce section is like attending a United Nations meeting. But time is running out for this model of oil-based agriculture, Colorado farmer David Lynch said.

“Every bean, every carrot travels an average of 1,000 miles to get to your grocery store,” Lynch said. “We have created this industrial food system that hinges on cheap oil, and cheap oil is a thing of the past.”

Jeff Vail: Why the Free Market Fails Consumers in Sustainable Energy Innovation

The free market will ignore solutions that can’t turn a profit. Any firm that fails to follow this simple maxim won’t be in business for long. The corollary to this maxim is that the free market will ignore any solution that cannot be controlled, either through property interests (enforceable intellectual property, monopoly licenses, etc.) or because economies of scale demand centralized operation. This means that free market innovation is structurally incompatible with a huge portion of the universe of possible energy solutions.

Iraq Oil Law Details Untouched Fields, Blocks - Document

Iraq's draft hydrocarbon law, the centerpiece in the development of the country's shaky oil industry, details dozens of untouched oil fields loaded with proven reserves and scores of exploration blocks that may prove a magnet to international oil companies, according to a document seen by Dow Jones Newswires.

Imperial poised to reveal huge oil reserves in Russia

One of the biggest oil explorers on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) is poised to disclose that it is sitting on reserves of more than three billion barrels in Russia, The Times has learnt.

Canadian Oil Sands Nuclear Plant Seen for 2016

The first in a series of nuclear power plants planned for the oil-rich tar sands of Western Canada should be operating by 2016, the head of the project said Thursday.

Exploring away from oil

The plan, officials say, is to build on reforms and leverage the state's competitive advantages - targeting energy-intensive industries, such as aluminium, steel and plastics, and utilising its location on the Red Sea.

Venezuela makes deals on oil projects

Several major oil companies reached agreements Monday with the leftist government of President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela over his plan to nationalize multibillion dollar projects in the Orinoco belt.

East Africa: Uganda Oil Can Feed EA Region

"Uganda is very poor. As I flew to this area I noticed that everywhere there are grass thatched houses. I ask Heritage company to speed up to ensure that we also ran faster and assist our people out of poverty."

The Political Economy of Alternative Energy

Al Gore is trying to say that by investing in alternative forms of energy, he is "offsetting" the heavy use of conventional electricity for his home. This is like saying that eating salad entitles a dieter to enjoy cake for dessert.

Citizens and business split on future EU energy supply

While Europe's citizens feel that the way to tackle climate change and energy security is to increase the share of renewable energy, business says that the future is nuclear.

Indonesia's biofuel drive not fully thought through

The current craze for the breakneck development of biofuels ignores the fact that biofuels by themselves cannot fully replace fossil fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, but always have to be used as a blend (e.g. ethanol blended with gasoline or "gasohol", or palm oil blended with diesel), and that to the extent edible products like palm oil are diverted for use as fuel, their price for human consumption may go up with corresponding adverse economic effects. What is burned as a source of energy is not as important as how efficiently it is burned since any waste heat added to the atmospheric gases is as bad as the greenhouse gases themselves.

Economy worries may slow gas price rise

U.S. consumers will pay more for gasoline in the weeks ahead as fuel demand picks up going into the spring driving season, but a slowing economy may keep pump prices from rising as much as normal, energy experts said on Monday.

Smart car weakness drags down Mercedes-Benz

Sales of the Mercedes brand alone were up 2.6 percent at 78,000 units, while Smart sales slumped by 48.1 percent to 4,000 units, largely as a result of the imminent model changeover, the car maker explained.

Swiss resorts ponder snow decline

Some of Switzerland's most famous ski resorts have published a report looking at the consequences of global warming on their winter tourist business.

Dethroning King Coal

WITH PRESIDENT BUSH finally acknowledging climate change but still opposing mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions, environmentalists have to content themselves with limited victories in the effort to curb global warming. There were two such signs of progress recently.

Iran Still Enriching Uranium...and Looking for Higher Oil Prices

Iran's economy is set to collapse under the weight of its energy situation. Despite holding the third-largest global oil reserves, Iran's rising consumer appetite is driving its energy exports down.

Al-Qaeda Claims Deadly Attack on Russians in Algeria

Al-Qaeda's branch in North Africa claimed responsibility for a attack on Russian gas workers in Algeria, in an internet message, saying it was to avenge Russia's actions in Chechnya.