US takes aim at ISIS oil, New sanctions on Russian energy, CO2 levels at new high
From Islamic State oil to solar innovation to climate change, Recharge delivers global energy's big ideas to your inbox each weekend.听.
Well-oiled: The US is targeting oil sales by the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). In addition to more air strikes, the US said Wednesday听听for the Islamic State听鈥� much of which comes from smuggling oil in tanker trucks to sell in Syria, Turkey, and Kurdistan, according to various reports. But disrupting those sales, without permanently damaging the region's oil infrastructure, is听.
Arctic freeze:听, aiming to "shut down" deepwater, shale, and Arctic oil operations. By further limiting Russia's access to Western capital, they threaten the South Stream pipeline, too. Combined with sliding oil prices,听.
396: Carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere increased at the fastest rate in 30 years last year, reaching an听, according to the annual World Meteorological Organization Greenhouse Gas Bulletin released this week. It comes just weeks ahead of international climate talks in New York, and will add听.
In the pipeline
Thursday, Sept. 18: WASHINGTON and THE INTERNET 鈥撎齛nd meet with President Obama in Washington. Mr. Poroshenko will likely push for an expanded transatlantic energy partnership and call on the US to ease restrictions on energy exports., which will be webcast.
Thursday, Sept. 18: EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND 鈥� Scots vote in a highly anticipated referendum on independence from the United Kingdom.听. Three things to know in advance:
1. If Scotland votes 'yes' to independence, it will take with it North Sea oil reserves that make up most of UK oil production. Those reserves are dwindling, but听; Others are听.
2.听BP and Shell are the major players in the region, and are against independence, citing the need for investment certainty.
3. Electricity plays a role in the debate, too. Subsidies for Scottish wind and tidal power are spread across the UK, and听.
Thursday, Sept. 18 to Friday Sept. 19: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA 鈥� Electra Mining Africa hosts听. Electricity prices are expected to increase by 8 percent annually in South Africa, and many industrial power users (miners, especially) struggle with unstable supply. Many are turning to alternative off-grid energy and energy efficiency best practices for solutions.
听
Drill deeper
Ohio Senator: GOP majority would get Obama 鈥榯o the table鈥� on Keystone XL听[海角大神]
A GOP Senate could push energy legislation through the chamber for the first time since 2007, Republican Sen. Rob Portman said at a Monitor-hosted breakfast in Washington Thursday. That could include forcing President Obama's hand on Keystone XL and oil exports. Two months before the election, a Republican takeover of Congress is looking increasingly likely.
听[The New York Times]
鈥淭he situation is very difficult,鈥� Andriy Kobolev, the head of Ukraine鈥檚 state energy company, Naftogaz, told the New York Times. 鈥淪ince we have no choice, no other solution, we鈥檒l find a solution and have to live with the amount of gas we will have.鈥�
听[BBC]
Long dominated by multinationals, Nigeria is pushing for an "indigenization" of its oil production 鈥� the world's 14th-largest. Female entrepreneurs are building on the movement, breaking into an industry that remains overwhelmingly male.
Energy sources
: "The United States is expected to provide nine out of every ten barrels of new global oil supplies in 2015."
: "The Earth's protective ozone layer is well on track to recovery in the next few decades thanks to concerted international action against ozone depleting substances ..."
: "Like chefs in a kitchen, state governors, legislators, and public utility commissioners have been testing an array of recipes, to increase the deployment of solar, wind, and other renewables, to cut energy use in homes and businesses, to improve the operation of the grid, to expand financing, and, overall, to improve the efficacy鈥攁nd economics鈥攐f clean energy."
Unplug
:
While energy use decreased more than three-fourths, refrigerator volume increased, and price (in $2010) decreased by two-thirds [over the last 40 years].
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From Islamic State oil sales to solar innovation to climate change, Recharge delivers global energy's big ideas to your inbox each weekend.听.
