Category Archives: Oil

Nobel, Schmobel

10/31/2013 – 11:57 am

It was pretty clear the Nobel Peace Prize committee goofed when they awarded the 2009 version to Barack Obama, apparently for the sole reason that he was not George W. Bush.  I have sympathy for their error; I was as tired of W’s arrogant idiocy as anyone. Four years later, I wonder if the Nobel […]

By floegel | Also posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary, Economy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Gas Attack

1/17/2013 – 2:01 pm

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Shell oil rig Kulluk, which was then beached on an uninhabited island off Alaska’s south coast.  Shell has since refloated the rig and it’s now in a sheltered harbor being inspected.  This is not the end of Shell’s troubles. Shell’s incompetence with equipment (see here for a longer, […]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, Energy, Global Warming, Nuclear Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Empty Shell

1/3/2013 – 8:00 pm

Happy New Year.  The snow here is two feet deep and the temperature is in single digits, sometimes above and sometimes below zero.  Winter in Vermont as it should be and as it too rarely seems to be anymore. Global warming is the cause, of course, and while we seem to be enjoying a respite […]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, Global Warming, Oceans | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Chump Change = No Change

11/15/2012 – 4:57 pm

Let me apologize in advance for all the numbers that follow, but they’re important. Eleven men died on Deepwater Horizon the night BP’s Macondo well blew out in April 2010.  It’s one number we shouldn’t forget and no number can be placed on the loss their families and communities suffered and continue to suffer. The […]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, Global Warming | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)

Accountability

4/19/2012 – 2:19 pm

What is a reasonable cost for a conference for 300 civil servants from across the western US?  Airfare, food, lodging, conference facilities, speakers, prep, etc., etc.  From the news stories, it’s clear that $823,000 is way too much.  Next year’s conference, I’m just guessing, will be substantially less extravagant, so let’s say $300,000.  That means […]

By floegel | Also posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary, Economy, Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

How to Read the Washington Post

10/20/2011 – 1:17 pm

Sunday, the Washington Post published “Obama allies’ interests collide over Keystone pipeline,” which on its face is a news story.  It’s also a guide to life in our nation’s capital. The gist of the story is that when it comes to the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, the White House is pinched.  On one side are […]

By floegel | Also posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Pure Speculation

9/22/2011 – 3:38 pm

Along toward the end of August, I received an email from my state’s junior senator, Bernie Sanders (I).  I look forward to these because a) Senator Sanders is even more PO’ed about the state of the nation than most of his constituents (although right-winger politicians can say the same) and b) he’s not beholden to […]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, Economy, Peak Oil | Tagged , , , , | Comments (0)