Council on Foreign Relations
Senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations and Director of its program on energy security and climate change; author of On Nuclear Terrorism, The Future of Arms Control and The Power Surge: Energy, Opportunity and the Battle for America's Future
Paris Climate Talks President Obama has joined almost 150 world leaders in Paris today for a two-week climate change conference. Also today, Bill Gates and the leaders of 20 countries, including the US, are announcing Mission Innovation. That’s a program to increase funding for clean energy research and development.
When Progress on Climate Change Still Spells Disaster The scientific consensus is that global warming is already changing the world as we've come to know it. In preparation for November's climate change summit in Paris, the US, China and other major polluters are establishing goals for reductions in Greenhouse emissions. But authorities say such goals won't be enough to prevent the ravages of global warming.
When Oil Falls, Who Wins? It seems like yesterday that oil prices were going up—pushing the price of gasoline along with them. Oh, how times have changed. One oil analyst says we’re seeing an “epic” transformation—bigger than anything in a generation. Oil now costs less than 70 dollars a barrel on the world market, and it’s expected to go even lower. That’s great for America’s consumer economy, but it’s big trouble for countries that depend on oil exports. We’ll look at the consequences, both good and bad—for international stability and the environment.
Big Oil, Big Problems Because of the oil-drilling technique called fracking, North Dakota’s Bakken shale formation is producing more than a million barrels a day. Laura Gottesdeiner is an independent reporter who spent a month in Williston—once a sleepy agricultural town of 12,000 people, now three times larger and still growing fast. On the website TomDispatch.com , her article was called, “ Adrift in Oil Country .” It was republished in Mother Jones magazine.
Big Oil and Other Industries Shift Gears on Climate Change Four years ago, the fossil-fuel lobby helped to beat back President Obama's proposed cap-and-trade system to reduce greenhouse emissions. Exxon Mobil, America's most profitable company, led the way in global warming denial. Times have changed and Exxon Mobil is beginning to sound more like Al Gore. The oil giant would even be willing to pay a tax on carbon emissions. Other oil companies would too, along with Walmart, DuPont and General Electric. They're now in direct opposition to former Republican and Tea Party allies, at a time of warnings that climate disasters could be "sudden and unexpected." Would a carbon tax help to slow global warming? What would it mean for company profits and the cost of living?
'Energy Independence:' Good News or Bad? With twice the oil and three times the natural gas previously estimated — and plenty of coal -- in just a few years the US could produce more fuel than it burns. But America's "energy independence" could lead to economic upheaval in countries that depend on energy exports, which could spell big trouble for global stability. Beyond that, while oil and natural gas burn cleaner than coal, they're still fossil fuels and, with the latest technology, they might never run out. Would that kill economic incentives for alternative energy sources and the political will to deal with climate change before it's too late?
The Keystone Pipeline Has the President Caught in the Middle While actress Daryl Hannah and Sierra Club officials were committing civil disobedience outside the White House last month, the AFL/CIO was holding a conference call with the American Petroleum Institute . It was Hollywood and the environmental lobby versus organized labor, two major elements of President Obama's political coalition on opposite sides of the burning controversy over the Keystone XL Pipeline . The President's promised he'll make the final decision on whether oil from Canadian tar sands can be piped to the US for refining and export. One top scientist says the project's increased carbon emissions will mean "game over" for climate change. But the State Department says if there's no cross-border pipeline, Canada will find other means of transportation so Keystone won't matter. Organized labor sees thousands of jobs. We look at the President's options. Forward on Climate Change Energy Citizens
A 'Go Slow' for US Nuclear Energy? Global warming was the best news for the nuclear power industry since Three Mile Island . New reactors were planned in the US for the first time in decades. But the growing radiation threat from Japan's disaster has raised disturbing questions about both safety and economics. President Obama has called for a safety review of existing nuclear plants, but he still plans new ones as part of America's "green energy" future. More frightened Americans are saying, "Not in my back yard," and investors are not interested unless public money is promised to pay for possible accidents. Is nuclear viable to help slow the pace of climate change? Can alternatives expand fast enough to replace it? How safe are the plants we have now?
Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Power There hasn't been a nuclear power plant constructed in the United States since the 1970's, but the Obama Administration has approved federal loan guarantees for two new reactors in Georgia. They are not yet licensed, and the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has raised questions about their safety from aircraft attacks and their vulnerability to earthquakes. Now comes the crisis at Fukushima. We update the situation in Japan and explore the future of nuclear power in the US.
Japan's Ongoing Disaster and the Future of Nuclear Power The extent of the damage at Fukushima is still unclear, and nobody knows how much radiation has been released or how more will be. But the ongoing crisis has renewed debate about the safety of nuclear power. There hasn't been a nuclear power plant constructed in the United States since the 1970's, but the Obama Administration has approved federal loan guarantees for two new reactors in Georgia. They are not yet licensed, and the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has raised questions about their safety from aircraft attacks and their vulnerability to earthquakes. Should nuclear energy be expanded to fuel President Obama's "green economy?" Is it still too early to tell?
The Gulf Oil Spill: The Environment, the Economy and the Politics For almost two weeks, the Gulf Coast has been in a state of high anxiety, as the oil slick gets closer and closer to shore and grows larger and larger. We speak with industry experts and environmentalists.
The Gulf Oil Spill: The Environment, the Economy and the Politics From the Gulf Coast to the White House to the offices of the British oil giant BP, the word is " unprecedented ." Nobody's ever seen anything like this before. As an already massive slick moves toward the shoreline, it continues to grow -- and it may take weeks to shut off the gushers 5000 feet below. Just a month ago, President Obama lifted the moratorium on new off-shore drilling, saying a competitive economy still needs energy from fossil fuels. What's the worst-case scenario for wildlife, commercial fishing and recreation? Will the impending disaster be bad enough to change the equation?
Barack Obama, the United Nations and Global Warming At today's United Nations summit , President Obama addressed 100 world leaders on the need for action against climate change. Because of the worldwide recession, he said, they will all have trouble selling their own capitols on the need for difficult measures. He conceded the difficulties in Washington.
Barack Obama, the United Nations and Global Warming Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon wants this week's summit of 100 world leaders to set the stage for a conference on greenhouse gas emissions later this year. In today's speech to the General Assembly, President Obama called for action. Because of the worldwide recession, he said, they will all have trouble selling their own capitols on the need for difficult measures. He also conceded that the US has been too slow to recognize the growing danger. But that record, and continued foot-dragging on Capitol Hill, have led to skepticism that he can unite the rest of the world against climate change. We look at Obama's first day at the UN.
The Future of Non-Proliferation Although the US has no intention of attacking North Korea, President Bush reiterated today that the US won't tolerate that country's nuclear weapon. The President emphasized diplomacy in the aftermath of Korea's nuclear test this weekend, adding that Japan, South Korea, China and Russia all have agreed that multi-national diplomacy is the way to go. With Iran allegedly on its way to building a bomb, what's happened to the international non-proliferation regime? Why have some countries turned away from nuclear weapons while others go full-speed ahead? Is aid with nuclear power an invitation to building a bomb?
Too rich for our own good Affluent communities put their futures as risk when they become unaffordable for everyone but the wealthy.