July 2012 Archives

Is optimism building that the United States--and the rest of the world--can address global warming?

A series of extreme weather events -- including droughts, wildfires, and heat waves -- have thrust the topic of climate change into the limelight. Some influential energy experts, both conservative and moderate, are mulling a carbon tax to control fossil-fuel-generated emissions of greenhouse gases, which most scientists agree are causing global warming. Recent studies have shown that carbon emissions in the United States and other developed countries have actually stabilized and even decreased, due in part to increased reliance on natural gas over coal (the former results in 50 percent fewer carbon emissions than the latter). Some experts and prominent thinkers, such as New York Times' David Leonhardt are also saying that despite the odds, the nascent renewable-energy industries are thriving as costs continue to come down.

Are these trends, or at least perceived trends, taken together signs that the United States and other parts of the world can come together in a way to address global warming even without an overarching agreement to cut greenhouse-gas emissions? What else is needed in order to spur more concrete action on this front? Is a carbon tax possible, both politically and economically? What other options should be on the table?

15 responses: Dirk Forrister, Christine Todd Whitman, Marlo Lewis, Lewis Milford, Alex Trembath, Matthew Haskins, Andrew Wheeler, Bernard L. Weinstein, William O'Keefe, Scott Sklar, Tyson Slocum, Graciela Chichilnisky, Richard Revesz, Mark Muro, Christine McEntee

Is the United States ready to venture into a new frontier of offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic Ocean?

After more than five years of winding its way through the regulatory maze, Shell could be less than a month away from securing the final permits from the Obama administration to drill in the Arctic's Chukchi and Beaufort seas. The global oil and gas company has run into some obstacles in recent weeks, such as when one of its drilling rigs already in Alaska broke loose and drifted precariously close to the shoreline. Shell's window of opportunity to drill is also closing quickly: It must suspend drilling operations in the ocean by October. (Drilling is possible only during the Arctic's summer months, July through October.)

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said last week that Shell's plans are part of a larger dynamic unfolding in the Arctic. "We are at the beginning of deciding the whole future of the Arctic of the earth," Salazar told The New York Times.

What's at stake with Arctic drilling as it relates to America's economy, environment, and national security? Has the Obama administration effectively reviewed Shell's plan to drill? Or should the Interior Department require more reviews and delay the company's plan further? If Shell's plans are approved, how will Arctic drilling change the country's energy landscape?

12 responses: Brigham McCown, Amy Harder, Marilyn Heiman, Jamie Williams, Amy Harder, Thomas J. Pyle, Frances Beinecke, William O'Keefe, Craig Rucker, Michael Bromwich, Conrad Schneider, Kevin Massy

What factors--such as economic, national security, and environmental--should Washington consider as it mulls how to reform biofuels policy?

The House Energy and Commerce Committee held two hearings last week on biofuels policy, focusing on the renewable-fuels standard and also fraud within the biofuels-trading system. Congressional Republicans also keep up a steady drumbeat of criticism about the military's investment in biofuels. The Obama administration continues its support of biofuels, but it has been less outspoken about the energy source this year than it was earlier in President Obama's term. It's important to keep in mind that biofuels make up a small part of the transportation mix--about 4 percent--and the overwhelming portion of that is corn-based ethanol.

What are the biggest challenges facing biofuels development today? What are the overarching factors Washington should consider when developing biofuels, such as the goal to become less dependent on foreign oil, create jobs, and protect the environment?

Should the renewable-fuels standard be changed or eliminated altogether? Should the military ramp up--or down--its investment in biofuels? What other issues, such as the biodiesel systems fraud, should Congress and the executive branch consider within the realm of biofuels?

15 responses: Donna Harman, Donna Harman, Brooke Coleman, Anne Steckel, Jack Gerard, Brent Erickson, Jim Collins, Tom Buis, Margo Thorning, Marlo Lewis, Bernard L. Weinstein, Bill Squadron, William O'Keefe, Scott Sklar, Bob Dinneen

Does climate change cause extreme weather like the heat waves much of the country has been enduring for the past few weeks?

Climate and weather scientists are cautious about saying that one extreme weather event is irrefutably caused by climate change, but most agree that a warmer planet will cause a higher frequency of extreme-weather events--even if you can't scientifically prove that one single extreme-weather event is caused by climate change. The heat waves across the country, wildfires in Colorado and elsewhere, and the "super derecho" storms that hit the Washington area and the rest of the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions are thrusting this debate into the spotlight again. It's been a reoccurring topic for the last couple of years as more extreme weather seems to crop up each summer.

Is there a direct link from climate change caused by human activity and use of fossil fuels to extreme weather? What kind of research or studies should be done, if any, to determine a connection? Will this kind of extreme weather prompt action by the Obama administration or Congress to take action on climate change?

15 responses: Gene Karpinski, Dirk Forrister, Frances Beinecke, Kevin S. Curtis, Eileen Claussen, Howard A. Learner, Josh Freed, Jennifer Morgan, Marlo Lewis, William O'Keefe, Eli Hinckley, Daniel J. Weiss, Don Wuebbles, Scott Sklar, Richard Alley

How could the Iran sanctions affect global oil prices and, consequently, gasoline prices in the United States?

The financial sanctions on Iran officially kicked in last week, and energy economists aren't yet certain about their impact. But what is clear is that oil prices are falling globally from their high in April--in part thanks to increased production from Saudi Arabia. Some lawmakers are starting to talk about imposing a second round of sanctions if Iran continues to resist scrutiny of its nuclear program.

What factors should the Obama administration and other countries consider when imposing sanctions? What other actions, such as tapping into the nation's strategic oil reserves, could the administration take to blunt the possibility of high oil prices? Is the administration doing enough at home to wean the country off foreign oil?

The administration recently exempted certain countries from sanctions because they significantly reduced the volume of crude-oil imports from Iran. Do you see the exemptions as a demonstration of the sanctions' effectiveness? Or do you agree with those lawmakers who have criticized the exemption, in particular to China, as giving a "free pass" to those who help Iran's economy? If these countries can't further reduce their oil purchases from Iran in the next six months, and become subject to U.S. sanctions, how would this strategy impact foreign policy?

7 responses: Brigham McCown, Keith Crane, Amy Harder, Tom Buis, William O'Keefe, Will Rogers, Bernard L. Weinstein