- Social:
National Resources Defense Council
Co-Director of the Energy and Transportation Program at the Natural Resources Defense Council
PROFILE
Ralph Cavanagh
Guest
FROM Ralph Cavanagh
Which Way, L.A.?
Oil and Gas Boom Reshapes US Energy Landscape Turns out it was old news to energy experts, but this week's report from the International Energy Agency has a lot of others revising their thinking about the domestic production of oil and what it will mean for jobs and the economy. Until now, it's been conventional wisdom that Saudi Arabia would be the world's leading producer of oil until 2035. Now, the Agency says the US will surpass that country in just five years . America's boom in oil and natural gas is being compared to the tech boom of the 1990's, with the unexpected capacity to create new jobs and accelerate economic recovery. But it's already bad news for the environment and lifestyles in many places — and it could drastically set back efforts to cope with global warming.
To the Point
America's Oil Boom: the Economy and the Environment When the President and Mitt Romney talked about "energy independence" during the recent campaign, it had the sound of an unattainable promise. Now the International Energy Agency says the US will surpass Saudi Arabia's oil production in just five years and be "all but energy self-sufficient" soon after. That means new jobs and economic growth, but renewable fuels and increased efficiency will also have to be part of the picture. If they're not, there could be drastic consequences for the environment and climate change.
Which Way, L.A.?
Proposition 7 Sounds Good, So Why Don’t Most Environmentalists Like it? Proposition 7 is called The Solar and Clean Energy Act of 2008. We're already seeing a blitz of TV commercials on a measure that has divided environmentalists in California. Current law requires private utilities to get 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010. Prop 7 would speed that up by mandating 50% by 2025. Opponents agree on the goal: phase out coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power sooner; replace them with energy from the wind, the sun, biomass and the tide.
Recommended
KCRW Features
Tiny Desk Talks NPR Music is proud to introduce their newest series, “Tiny Desk Talks” fueled by Lagunitas Brewing Company. Featuring one of their talks in collaboration with KCRW for an intimate conversation on music in film with composer Ludwig Göransson (Black Panther, Atlanta, Creed) and music supervisor and KCRW DJ Liza Richardson (Barry, Narcos), moderated by KCRW’s Jason Bentley. Watch the conversation below.
KCRW Features
Jerry Gonzalez, Latin Jazz Heavyweight, RIP We interviewed Gonzalez twice on KCRW—in 1996 and 2000—and we hear excerpts from those Café LA visits in this special feature.
KCRW Features
Measure B and municipal banking After the 2008 financial crisis, an activist movement rose up in opposition to the big Wall Street banks that caused the subprime mortgage collapse. They camped out in a park at the base of Wall Street, called themselves Occupy Wall street and eventually the movement spread to other cities. And here in LA there is a measure on the ballot for this Tuesday that has its roots in the Occupy LA movement.
To the Point
The Voting is Over, but the Campaign Continues Women had a major impact on the midterm elections. So did $5 billion in campaign spending. Meantime, Democrats now lead the House while Republicans dominate the Senate, and the politics of division continues on Capitol Hill. We’ll hear how former House Speaker Newt Gingrich helped start an era of gridlock and perpetual campaigning.