National backlash threatens British stakes in Bolivian gas
INVESTMENTS by leading British energy companies in Bolivia’s huge gas reserves are under threat from a popular movement clamouring for nationalisation of the country’s hydrocarbon resources.
Politics
Kerry’s “Energy Plan” (A leftist analysis of energy and the environment)
If we want to know the logically simple but socially very difficult solution, it is conservation. Conservation is not conservative, but something that can only be accomplished through a revolutionary change in society. Whether we can accomplish the social transformation necessary is one issue, but the fact is that an energy soft-landing will require us to dramatically conserve dwindling fossil fuel stocks, by as much as 75%, and begin to think seriously about how to de-link from the growth economy… forever.
Union Threatens to Extend Nigeria Strike
A union leader threatened Tuesday to extend a four-day nationwide strike in Nigeria that has helped push world oil prices to record highs.
The Coming of Deindustrial Society: A Practical Response
The key to making sense of constructive action in a situation of impending industrial collapse is to look at the community, rather than the individual or society as a whole, as the basic unit…There are, however, three things a community needs to do…
How to Bring Down Civilisation
Derrick Jensen thinks the collapse of civilisation, be it deliberate or through oil depletion or any other means, can only be a good thing for the planet.
Sustainable Agriculture: Critical Ecological, Social & Economic Issues
Various ecological, social and economic challenges must be addressed if agriculture is to be truly sustainable. Martin Khor, Director of the Third World Network, discusses the choices facing developing countries and policy makers, and suggests some ways forward.
It’s Time for Fundamental Changes in the Way We Derive and Use Energy
Minimizing carbon emissions can be shown to produce healthy ripple effects throughout the economy. Thus, arguments for fundamental changes in the way we derive and use energy should be made on all fronts to build the support needed to confront human-caused global warming.
The High Price of Oil (book review)
What is striking about both books [Blood and Oil by Klare and Oil: Anatomy of an Industry by Yeomans]… is that they argue that the United States can avoid the petro-military dystopia if Americans (a) get Bush out of office, (b) make a concerted effort to create and exploit alternative fuels, and (c) — in Klare’s words — “reduce American dependence on imported oil and … sever the links between our energy behavior and our overseas security commitments.”
Democracy challenged by the global threat to the environment.
Oil depletion and global environmental crises represent a great threat to democracy, writes Peter McMahon.
The Gates of Hope
“Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope–not the prudent gates of Optimism, which are somewhat narrower; nor the stalwart, boring gates of Common Sense; nor the strident gates of Self-Righteousness, which creak on shrill and angry hinges (people cannot hear us there; they cannot pass through); nor the cheerful, flimsy garden gate of “Everything Is Gonna Be All Right.” But a different, sometimes lonely place…”
Bolivian peasants end oil siege
Peasant farmers in Bolivia have ended an occupation of foreign-owned oil fields after the government promised to speed-up land redistribution.
Chavez will visit China in October for talks on supplying crude oil to China
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will visit China in October to talk about oil as China reaches out for more sources of supply to feed its booming economy.