John Ryden is an Engineer with a background in Finance and Economics. Here he will discuss how energy production, energy use, and conservation affect us and the rest of the world with a focus on the economic implications.

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Polar Bears Threaten Energy Development

11 comments

May 15, 1:52 PM

by John Ryden, Global Warming Examiner

The Interior Department has placed polar bears on the list of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. [Link] The bears depend on the Arctic sea ice and global warming is causing a decline in the amount of sea ice. This threatens their habitat and could cause a drastic decline in their population if they can’ adapt.

Usually when an endangered animal is threatened with the loss of habitat, the cause is some type of development project like building commercial structures. Typically the development project is challenged and halted, thus preserving the animal’s habitat.

The challenge with the bears is different. The bear’s habitat is threatened not by encroaching commercial development, but by the burning of fossil fuel all over the planet. Some environmentalists might use this as an excuse to prohibit drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The proximity of the drilling is irrelevant to the global warming problem. Could environmentalists use this as an excuse to challenge any energy project in the United States? Could the construction of a new electric generating plant fueled with either coal or natural gas be challenged on the basis of protecting the bears?

If reasonable energy development is stopped in this country, it would have a serious negative effect on our economy. That may have the perverse effect of actually making the global warming problem worse. Let’s say we can’t develop energy in this country and it drives industry off-shore to a country like China. We not only loose the jobs and investment in our economy, but the production may be much less energy efficient in China. That would result in a worsening of global greenhouse gas emissions and be counter-productive to saving the bears.

What the bears really need is a national energy policy that reduces greenhouse gas emissions over time that also projects our economy. We should start by reducing the use of those fuels, like coal, that produce the most greenhouse gas emissions. A long term national energy plan may call for the development of fossil fuel energy resources like oil to replace coal in the short term. Closing off oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge may actually hurt the bears.

Topics: Global Warming , Greenhouse Effect , Arctic , Polar Bear

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Bush signs $25 billion loan guarantee to auto industry postponing their collapse

6 comments

October 1, 3:12 PM

President Bush signed the bill authorizing $25 billion in loan guarantees to the auto industry. U.S. auto companies are being hammered by high gasoline prices, weak consumer spending, the credit crisis, and tough competition from foreign imports.U.S.... Read More
Topics: Global Warming , oil , gasoline , GM , consumption tax , John dingell , loan guarantee

Off shore oil development is back on - for now

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September 30, 3:47 PM

Little noticed during the congressional debate on the financial bailout plan has been the passing of continuing resolution for funding the government into next year. With the partisan rancor in congress and the upcoming election, a lot of spending bills... Read More
Topics: Bush , oil , Alternative Energy , nuclear , McCain , oil shale , Obama , Nancy Pelosi , California , offshore drilling

Chavez to sell China oil currently going to US

2 comments

September 24, 4:42 PM

Hugo Chavez, president of Venezuela, is currently in China making deal to supply China with up to 1 million barrels of oil per day by 2011. Under the agreement, China will invest $4 billion in Venezuela’s oil industry to secure this supply of oil.... Read More
Topics: China , oil , ExxonMobil , Mexico , offshore drilling

Arctic sea ice second lowest coverage on record

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September 23, 5:11 PM

NASA reported that Arctic sea ice reached its lowest extent for the year on September 16th. Each year the sea ice cover contracts during the summer and then grows again during the winter. The maximum extent is in March of each year.This year the sea... Read More
Topics: Global Warming , Greenhouse , Arctic , Methane

Global warming costs from Hurricane Ike

2 comments

September 17, 4:51 PM

Damage in Florida from Hurricane Andrew in 1992The amount of damage from Hurricane Ike is going to total in the tens of billions of dollars. I have seen estimates where the insured costs are likely to be as high as $20 billion.This is going to be... Read More
Topics: hurricane , hurricane ike

Hurricane Ike – in harms way

3 comments

September 15, 3:22 PM

Hurricane Ike has moved out of Texas, but left a wake of destruction in its path. It appeared that the hurricane started moving North just before landfall. This moved the eye right over Galveston. I was watching some of the Fox live coverage with Geraldo... Read More
Topics: Global Warming , hurricane ike

Hurricane Ike storm surge could be greater than Katrina

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September 12, 7:54 PM

Hurricane Ike is heading towards Galveston, Texas. The storm is a Category 2 storm, very close to Category 3 strength. The storm is huge. Hurricane force winds extend up to 120 miles from the center. Tropical Force winds extend out to 275 miles.The potential... Read More
Topics: Global Warming , hurricane , ike

Natural gas producer promoting – natural gas

1 comment

September 12, 4:01 PM

CNG-NOW!Chesapeake Energy Corporation is promoting the use of compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to gasoline in cars. Chesapeake Energy Corporation is the second-largest independent producer and third-largest overall producer of natural gas... Read More
Topics: Global Warming , Bush , Carbon Dioxide , natural gas , natural gas vehicle , CNG

Congress to develop energy policy

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September 10, 12:06 PM

Democrats in Congress have been put on the defensive by the electorate who collectively seem to understand that we need to develop our country’s oil and natural gas resources. The idea that not drilling off-shore will somehow solve our energy... Read More