As the ice in the Arctic gets thinner, resource opportunities are thicker and competition fiercer. Ice is melting at record high rates in the Arctic, and what used to be inaccessible areas are becoming primary targets for some of the world’s superpowers. Countries including Russia, Canada, the US, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland and Norway are fighting... Continue Reading →
Oil Initiatives, Technology, and Climate Change…
Using non-existent technology as a justification for destructive operations With climate change concerns growing, threats to the oil and gas sectors are multiplying. More than ever, there is a need for proof that current and future extraction initiatives are in line with climate goals. A report released by IPCC last October confirmed that shooting for... Continue Reading →
The US Lifts Iran Oil Sanction Waiver
A new order in the works Since May 2018, when president Donald Trump backed out of the Iran nuclear deal and shifted to reimpose sanctions, it was assured by US officials that he would not provide exemptions allowing allies to import oil from Iran. Eventually, the tight market required some damage control for the US... Continue Reading →
Brexit Energy: To Be or Not to Be
We all hear about Brexit and the political and economic consequence of the British withdrawal from the EU but only few discuss the consequences on energy in Great Britain. If there is no deal, the EU rules governing the EU ETS would no longer apply to the UK. The EU ETS limits emissions from more... Continue Reading →
What the Alberta Election Means for Climate Action and Energy Security in Canada
On 16 April 2019, the United Conservative Party (UCP) of Alberta won in a landslide provincial election against the New Democratic Party (NDP), obtaining a total of 63 seats in the provincial legislature. The leader of the UCP, Jason Kenney, focused much of his campaign on the province’s struggling economy, job creation, and constructing more... Continue Reading →
Reconstruction in Somalia: How Oil Could Halt Progress Before It Begins
On the 28th of February 2019, al-Shabaab fighters carried out a suicide attack on the Hotel Maka al-Mukarama in Mogadishu, killing 29 people and injuring a further 80.[1] A horrifying event, it served to illustrate the instability and violence that still plagues Somalia after almost 30 years of domestic conflict and state failure. Yet, only... Continue Reading →
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Oils?
Are big oils up to no good again? If we ever want a transition from fossil fuel to cleaner energies, the oil behemoths need to budge. However, whenever there seems to be a threat to their normal business, the oil supermajors are quick to buy some hush hush. And the seven sisters are notorious for... Continue Reading →
Will China Launch an Oil War for the South China Sea?
If China wanted to, it could build Australia out of a rock in the sea. China’s militarisation in the South China Sea has been so rapid and blatant that it has resulted in an ICJ case brought by the Philippines, as well as many “freedom of navigation” missions by countries keen to remind the world... Continue Reading →
Venezuela: “From an Oil Powerhouse to Poorhouse”
The current events in Venezuela have unprecedented consequences on Venezuela seen as an oil power and an influential country. With the protests spreading across the country, the US recognition of Juan Guaido, the situation was yet unstable. But it became more insecure with the possible U.S. sanctions on imports of Venezuelan crude oil announced on... Continue Reading →
Canada: A Climate Action Leader?
Canada: a country known for its multicultural identity, friendly people, boundless, rugged landscapes, and bountiful natural resources. In Canada, you can count on clean air and drinking water, pristine lakes and oceans, lush forests, and vast mountain ranges... But, you can also count on the extraction and use of fossil fuels which are becoming increasingly... Continue Reading →