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Fracking the US trade deficit
Posted by Christian Science Monitor: David J. Unger on October 8th, 2013
Christian Science Monitor: Over the past decade, oil and gas production has surged at vast shale formations in Texas, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere across the US. That has led to a rise in exports of petroleum products and a reduction in the amount of oil and gas the US imports from abroad.
It's one benefit of the domestic hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling revolution that has stirred passion on all sides of the debate over America's energy future. The costs are damage to local environments, critics...
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Can anyone break Russia’s hold on Europe’s gas?
Posted by Christian Science Monitor: David J. Unger on September 14th, 2013
Christian Science Monitor: In Europe, they want cheaper natural gas to jumpstart an economy crippled by high energy costs. They aren't getting what they want from their current suppliers – namely Russia, which provides Europe with almost a third of its gas. But the global energy landscape is shifting, loosening Russia's tight grip on European markets.
"The European gas market at this moment is somewhat depressed due to its economy," David Goldwyn, former special envoy for international energy affairs under Secretary of...
Keystone XL is hot in Washington but ho-hum elsewhere
Posted by Christian Science Monitor: David J. Unger on May 23rd, 2013
Christian Science Monitor: The US House of Representatives voted 241 to 175 Wednesday in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline.
The vote is one of many symbolic gestures by the GOP-controlled House gestures in favor of a project that would transport oil from Canadian oil sands to Gulf refineries. If the Senate doesn't block the so-called Northern Route Approval Act, President Obama will almost certainly veto it. The point is to raise the profile of an issue that is frequently edged out by the headline of the day.
Half the...
Should colleges divest from coal, oil?
Posted by Christian Science Monitor: David J. Unger on January 25th, 2013
Christian Science Monitor: The divestment campaign aims to slow the development of coal, oil, and gas resources – forms of energy that emit large quantities of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses and contribute to climate change – by reducing the investment dollars flowing into energy companies. But energy companies have provided colleges and universities with relatively healthy returns in the past several years.
"We're not debating that fossil fuels are profitable right now. We all understand that. This goes beyond profitability,"...
Energy in 2013: What’s next for oil, gas, renewables?
Posted by Christian Science Monitor: David J. Unger on December 23rd, 2012
Christian Science Monitor: Last year saw a shift from a reliance on oil and coal to an exploration of untapped natural gas resources and renewable energy. Few will bet against this topsy-turvy, transitional energy state persisting through 2013 and beyond. For the coming year, fossil fuels will continue to dominate the energy market, but renewables will continue their slow and steady gains, experts say.
"Alternative" no more
Clean energy will continue its creep into the mainstream. Wind-powered generation grew by 27 percent...