If one more Californian tells me how "progressive" California is, I am going to scream. "Progressivism" is the term applied to a variety of responses to the economic and social problems that were introduced to America by industrialization. It began as a social movement and grew into a political one. Early Progressives rejected Social Darwinism, believing that the problems … [Read more...]
Peak oil pulled a fast one on me
I don't know about you, but I'll admit that I was completely caught off guard by the recent (and ongoing?) crash in oil prices. It'd be a stretch to say I'm embarrassed by my lack of foresight, although perhaps "dumb-ass" would be a bit deserving. For even though there were bloggers out there discussing the possible ramifications of low oil prices, its possibility still didn't … [Read more...]
Clean energy is just greenwashing now
Last week, I learned that clean energy in America is now dead -- killed off before it had much of a chance to get started. For me, clean energy was killed at a conference center in Roanoke, Virginia. But it could have happened just as well in your state too. Along with colleagues from the city council of Staunton, a community of 24,000 in the rural Shenandoah Valley, I … [Read more...]
The downside of higher U.S. energy exports
Critics of TransCanada's Keystone XL project often argue that Canada should reap the full benefits of its natural resources, rather than exporting its petroleum riches south of the border. Head to the U.S. and, ironically, you can hear the same discussion. Much of America's new found oil wealth is being shipped abroad, which is worrying Americans who figured they had a … [Read more...]
Maddow gives air time to Koch brothers fracking advocate
Editors note: This piece ran last year on Eric Francis's Planet Waves website and it remains an important touchstone concerning how the main stream media continues to act as the lapdog to Big Oil and Big Energy in general. After reading this piece, ask yourself, how much has changed in the major media relative to critical reporting on the facts concerning fossil fuels … [Read more...]