Whether it provides an opportunity, or compromises our right to food, many of the currently used bio-fuel crops such as soybean, sugarcane and corn are traditionally used as staples. These staple food crops also have various other uses, such as animal feed, and for all intents and purposes, occupy the same soil or agricultural land. […]
The spirit of the EU 2020 energy strategy seems to be well underway. The EU is planning to streamline the practice of deal making in the energy sector between EU members and outside parties and fortify the voice of Brussels. This sounds difficult, as the EU is home to half a billion consumers and about […]
Germany’s Environment Minister Norbert Rottgen announced that Germany is going nuclear-free by 2022. The country’s seven oldest reactors were taken off-line shortly after the Fukushima meltdown, and an eighth (the glitch-prone Kruemmel facility in northern Germany) has been off-line for technical reasons and won’t be returned to active service. Six more will go into shut […]
This coming Monday Venezuelans will enjoy an entire week off to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week) instead of the normal Thursday-Friday break. One might think that in a country where more than 90% of the population is Catholic this would be cause for greater attendance at church. In reality, it will likely mean longer vacations […]
President Asif Ali Zardari, in a meeting with Director of US National Intelligence Dennis C. Blair, urged US to assist Pakistan in its own civilian nuclear technology deal to help overcome its dire energy needs. President had suggested that this kind of deal will not only bridge the trust deficit between the two countries, but […]
Yesterday was a very historical day as the Iranian delegation met with the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, China and Russia in Geneva. It is a little too soon to judge the efficacy of these talks, but there has been some positive news. As the New York Times reported, Iran has agreed to […]
Since Iran is such a vibrant country and is constantly in the news, there are plenty of news and analyses that I read while researching my blog but am unable to write about. So here is my first installment of stories about Iran that “slip through the cracks” (yes- I am quoting Lewis Black from […]
U.S. Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke is in Pakistan, again! Personally, I admire America’s commitment to strengthen democracy in Pakistan. I also applaud Obama’s efforts to stabilize Pakistan. For some, it is obvious that Holbrooke’s intense efforts and frequent visits are a clear sign that Washington is very serious about doing whatever it […]
Oil prices rose yesterday as Goldman Sachs stated it expects prices to reach $85 by the end of the year from its current level just below $70. Its analysts believe the recent price increase is the first stage of a longer sustained rally. They are right to see oil price rise over the long-term as […]
Former President Bill Clinton and Mayor Bloomberg appeared at a press conference on the Empire State Building’s 80th floor today to announce a cooperative initiative between the Clinton Climate Initiative and other partners to help green New York’s 78-year old signature building. This phase of renovation, expected to take about 18 months. Under the plan, […]
Senior US Representatives Henry Waxman (D-Calif) and Ed Markey (D-Mass) today released draft cap-and-trade legislation that would reshape US energy and climate policy through drastic cuts in emissions in the next 20 years and significant increases in renewables by 2025. The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES), intended to “create jobs, help […]
My colleague David Kampf in his posting today, draws our attention to the current Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Tehran in which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad predicts the collapse of capitalism. Scary, right? It is another firebrand speech from an energetic leader of a rising regional power with a productive nuclear program and a lot […]
On Tuesday, Russian and Chinese leaders signed a massive $25 billion energy deal. The agreement sees Russia providing energy-hungry China with secure oil supplies (300,000 barrels per day) for the next 20 years. In return, China will provide Russia with advantageous loans with $15 billion to Rosneft (the state-owned oil company) and $10 billion to […]