Producing biofuels from a fast-growing grass delivers vast savings of carbon dioxide emissions compared with petrol, a large-scale study has suggested. A team of US researchers also found that switchgrass-derived ethanol produced 540% more energy than was required to manufacture...
The Majority Leader of the American House of Representatives Steny Hoyer has admitted Congress had not reached a breakthrough on a compromise energy package but still hoped to bring the legislation back into consideration next month. The Democrat House Speaker...
As the world gears up for the Bali Climate Summit in December, last week-end saw three US presidential candidates present plans to combat climate change. Dennis Kucinich, John Edwards and front runner Hillary Clinton appeared before an audience of about...
The safety regime at Britain's North Sea oil operators has been condemned after a report found almost 60% of oil platforms had problems that oil companies should have addressed. The report, by the Health and Safety Executive, argues the industry...
Statoil, the Norwegian national oil company, has begun a two-year drilling programme in Arctic waters to determine the potential of Norway’s share of one of the world’s few remaining unexplored oil prospects. It also hopes to co-operate with Russian companies...
If you sit down and enjoy a glass of wine tonight with your evening meal, you can be thankful that your car does not run on the stuff. Hugo Chavez, Venezuela’s president said yesterday that that record crude prices are...
Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has warned China that the EU could penalise cheap imports from high carbon-emitting countries in order to defend European companies that are obliged to meet strict environmental standards. In a speech to students at Beijing’s...
Interesting article in today’s New York Times about the differing Democratic and Republican long-term approaches to energy policy. “Over the next decade or two, the differences could have a major effect on billions of dollars in government spending, on the...
Internet search company Google yesterday committed hundreds of millions of dollars to renewable energy projects. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google co-founders, announced its initiative to produce electricity from renewable energy sources rather than coal. Mr Page said: “Our goal...
Higher royalties in Alberta will not hurt the "overall viability" of Petro-Canada oil sands projects, but some planned investment in conventional oil and gas in the province will be affected, CEO Ron Brenneman said yesterday. "At least at this point...
