Climate Denial as Industry Policy, Scientists as Industry Fodder
As the climate cavalcade gained momentum and there appeared to be real movement from political leaders around the world, the wheels started to turn on a new sceptic movement in the United States, a reactionary force mobilised by a fear of profit harming climate science that would inspire industry regulation and undermine free-market ideals. The Rio […]
Youth Climate Coalition To Peabody Energy Boss: 'We Don't Want Your Coal'
“Mr Kellow will not be doing any interviews,” came the message into the media room at an unofficial G20 side event in Brisbane earlier this week. Glenn Kellow is the chief operating officer at Peabody Energy – the world’s biggest privately owned coal company. The news of Mr Kellow’s media shyness was all the more curious given […]
Citizens Protest Fracking Permit in Louisiana’s St. Tammany Parish
On November 13, over 600 people filled the Lakeshore High School gym for a public hearing on a drilling permit for the first hydraulic fracturing site in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. According to Patrick Courreges, a spokesman for Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), it was the first public hearing for a drilling permit that anyone […]
China-U.S. Climate Deal Is Historic, But On Its Own Is Not Enough
Despite the fact that they’ve been using the “climate action is useless because China won’t act” canard as one of their favorite arguments for years now, Republicans’ outraged response to the historic climate deal between China and the U.S. probably took noone by surprise. Because that’s the thing: it is historic. For the first time […]
Republicans Attempting Science: A Preview of the Republican-Led Senate
On September 9th, two subcommittees of the Congressional Committee on Science, Space and Technology held a joint hearing where they spent the better part of two hours arguing the benefits of moving crude oil by pipeline. The Republican committee members grilled the representatives from the Department of Energy and the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration […]
Former Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's Warburg Pincus May Profit from Tar Sands Exports
Several environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of State and Secretary John Kerry over the permitting of a controversial border-crossing northern leg of a pipeline system that DeSmogBlog has called Enbridge‘s “Keystone XL Clone.” The Keystone XL Clone is designed to accomplish the same goal as TransCanada‘s Keystone XL: bringing Alberta’s tar sands to Gulf […]
Introducing DeSmog Canada’s New Executive Director
A year ago, DeSmog Canada excitedly welcomed Emma Gilchrist to the role of Deputy Editor. As amazing as it has been to have Emma working tirelessly to bring the best out of our writers, digging into editing like it’s fun (really) and breaking news stories of national importance, we just can’t seem to contain all […]
Ministers Misleading Public With Claim Fracking Is ‘Too Big To Ignore’, Experts Warn
Energy experts are warning that shale gas extraction will do little to solve Europe’s energy security in a new report published yesterday by the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). The report says the potential for shale gas extraction in the EU is “uncertain” due to limited geological data on the accessibility of the gas […]
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship Indicted Over 2010 Mine Disaster
Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has been indicted on conspiracy and fraud charges for his role in the 2010 explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia that killed 29 workers. According to a statement by US Attorney Booth Goodwin of the Southern District of West Virginia: “The indictment charges Blankenship with conspiracy […]
G20 Governments are Spending $88B Each Year to Explore for New Fossil Fuels. Imagine if Those Subsidies Went to Renewable Energy?
Rich G20 nations are spending about $88 billion (USD) each year to find new coal, oil and gas reserves even though most reserves can never be developed if the world is to avoid catastrophic climate change, according to a new report. Generous government subsidies are actually propping up fossil fuel exploration which would otherwise be deemed […]