The Catastrophic Downside Risk of Nuclear, Oil, Gas, and Coal

The Catastrophic Downside Risk of Nuclear, Oil, Gas, and Coal

Energy systems need to also be measured according to the potential risks associated with them in the advent of failure. And the actuarial costs of these risks need to be better understood and included into the market price for the energy that these systems produce. This post examines this catastrophic downside risk of nuclear and fossil energy focusing on the recent events in Japan and on the BP oil spill as two recent examples of hugely expensive catastrophes. It poses the question why should the taxpayers and the public bear the burden of these costs in this manner artificially lowering the price these energy sectors are thus able to charge for their products.

How to Use Social Media for Better Corporate Social Responsibility

How to Use Social Media for Better Corporate Social Responsibility

As corporate social responsibility and social media collide, David Connor examines the outcome – and provides tips on getting the most from CSR via social media.

Green Project Management and the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill

Green Project Management and the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill

This is an explanation of how Green Project Management could assist in incorporating environmental thinking in any project, factoring the environment into project management processes. The authors believe that a more structured approach to including the environment in all project management processes would have uncovered some of the issues faced at the BP Deep Water Horizon Spill, and led to some very different decisions during the project, prior to deciding to drill more than five thousand feet deep in the Gulf of Mexico.

De-risking, Sustainability, Wellness, The Tea Party and Market Trends

De-risking, Sustainability, Wellness, The Tea Party and Market Trends

The implementation of de-risking by consumers (and potentially voters) is a growing force for restoring the economy, environment and jobs. There is emerging market research that point to consumers embracing de-risking as a key lifestyle component. And there is also growing business documentation that aligning with this de-risking trend affords an attractive revenue growth path for businesses offering de-risking solutions.

How Reducing GHG Emissions Could Affect Employment

How Reducing GHG Emissions Could Affect Employment

The disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has reopened the debate over the direction the United States’ energy future is headed. Now more than any other time in history, citizens are beginning to understand the necessity to evolve past our love affair with oil. An economy that is dependent on a non-renewable, quickly fleeting resource can only move towards instability if alternative fuels are not found. The Congressional Budget Office is beginning to analyze how energy policies and initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will affect employment in an economy that is trying to pull itself out of a recession. Democrats are pushing for a comprehensive energy bill that will enhance the production of clean energy technologies, put a price on emitting carbon, reduce greenhouse gases by a significant amount over the next 20 years, and influence entry into a range of new renewable energy industries. Senators John Kerry and Joseph Lieberman are due to present their energy bill in the Senate next week. This bill, The American Power Act will be hard-pressed for passage without strong republican backing. The loss of republican Senator Lindsay Graham as a cosponsor of this bill is devastating. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said, “the oil spill showed drilling alone would not solve U.S. energy problems and that higher summer fuel prices will heighten consumers’ views that the country must move more aggressively into alternatives.” (Cowan & Gardner, 2010) If the country decides to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this will have many significant implications for employment in our country.

British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in The Loop Current – Florida Next

British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in The Loop Current – Florida Next

Scientists monitoring the massive BP oil spill with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Envisat radar satellite say that it has entered the Loop Current, a powerful oceanic conveyor belt that flows clockwise around the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida. It is expected to begin impacting FLorida in six days time.

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Accident Waiting to Happen

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: An Accident Waiting to Happen

The oil slick spreading across the Gulf of Mexico has shattered the notion that offshore drilling had become safe. A close look at the accident shows that lax federal oversight, complacency by BP and the other companies involved, and the complexities of drilling a mile deep all combined to create the perfect environmental storm.

EPA Establishes Web site on BP Oil Spill for The Public

EPA Establishes Web site on BP Oil Spill for The Public

As part of the ongoing federal response to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, EPA today established a website to inform the public about the spill’s impact on the environment and the health of nearby residents. The website – http://www.epa.gov/bpspill – will contain data from EPA’s ongoing air monitoring along with other information about the agency’s activities in the region.

Reining in the Agri-Biz Juggernaut

This the third article in the series The Two-Headed Dragon ~ Energy/Water/Food Scarcity and Climate Change. Top Ten Policies that Feed it, and Two New Technologies that Could Enable us to Slay It and Save the Planet focuses on the issue of big agribusiness; how it is is dominated by a very few very large corporations; the big problems this dominance is creating for farmers and the environment and some things we can do to restore our agricultural system to one more in tune with nature and that serves the interests of most citizens.