The oil industry and oil producers have a long history of market manipulation, writes Karl Grossman, and we see it going on right now with the low oil price that's squeezing fracking and getting America back onto gas-guzzling SUV's. But longer term, solar power is going to win out, and even Saudi Arabia knows it. Its game? To make out big, while the going's good.
… Saudi Arabia's oil price manipulation - let's get rich while … can! Karl Grossman | 2nd May 2015 News Energy Oil USA Saudi Arabia Corporations Renewables oil-refinery-texas-cut.jpg The oil industry …
Farmers on Palawan are being tricked into giving land away to palm oil companies with local government support, writes Rod Harbinson. Under the palm oil company 'leases' the farmers lose all rights to their land, never receive any money, and are saddled with 25 years of debt. Those who resist the land grabs are now in fear for their lives following the murder of a prominent campaigner.
… islanders unite to resist 'land grab' palm oil companies Rod Harbinson | 7th January 2016 … being tricked into giving land away to palm oil companies with local government support, writes Rod Harbinson. Under the palm oil company 'leases' the farmers lose all …
Mission accomplished in Iraq? It is now, writes Mike Whitney. A million deaths on, a once peaceful, independent country has been transformed into a petro-economy of never ending civil chaos and terror, where multinational oil corporations rule supreme.
… Mike Whitney | 7th June 2014 News War Oil Iraq USA Fossil Fuels Corporations … civil chaos and terror, where multinational oil corporations rule supreme. These are the 'best of times' for the oil giants in Iraq. Production is up, profits …
A year after Shell was forced into a £55 million settlement with an indigenous community in Nigeria devastated by oil spills, a UK High Court judge has allowed two new such cases to proceed on behalf of some 43,000 subsistence farmers and fishers whose livelihoods have been wiped out by the same cause.
… 53,000 Nigerian oil spill victims press new Shell lawsuits Oliver Tickell | 2nd March 2016 News Oil Energy Pollution Corporations Fishing Farming Indigenous Peoples Nigeria oil-spill-cut.jpg A year after Shell was …
Financial experts warn investors that their money is being used by oil companies for high-risk projects, reports Paul Brown, on the assumption that oil prices will go on rising, with little or no regard for climate change. $1.1 trillion could be at risk.
… Oil companies' $1.1 trillion gamble Paul Brown | 16th May 2014 Comment Oil Corporations Energy Economics Fossil Fuels Climate Change oil-refinery-cut.jpg Financial experts warn …
Faced with climate change, economic doldrums and collapsing oil prices, the government has the perfect opportunity to put Britain on the right track, write Simon Bullock & Tony Bosworth - reduce our dependency on fossil fuels, and invest in renewables and efficiency. So what's it actually doing? The exact opposite.
… Fracking, the oil price crash, and the 'greenest government … Economics Politics Corporations Fracking Oil Gas oil-rig-irish-sea-cut.jpg An oil rig in the …
Full credit to Peru for creating the Sierra del Divisor national park in one of the most precious areas of the Amazon, write Lewis Evans & Sarina Kidd. But not for leaving it open to oil drilling, risking the future of uncontacted indigenous tribes that depend on their pristine rainforest environment to survive.
… Plan' opens uncontacted tribe's land to oil drilling Lewis Evans Sarina Kidd | 7th October 2016 News Peru South America Oil Energy Corporations Indigenous Peoples … & Sarina Kidd. But not for leaving it open to oil drilling, risking the future of …
A small community in Uganda is challenging a UN-backed international oil palm venture that has expropriated small farmers and obliterated an entire forest on a Lake Victoria island to establish a vast plantation. Three years after the grab, Friends of the Earth groups are backing the islanders legal action, which is launched today.
… UN, banks and oil palm giants feast on the stolen land of … islanders dispossessed by the IFAD-supervised oil palm plantation that has robbed him of his … is challenging a UN-backed international oil palm venture that has expropriated small …
After 20 years of oil spills, deforestation, waste dumping and ill health, farmers and indigenous people in the the Ecuadorian Amazon have been fighting the Chevron-Texaco corporation. But despite its three times conviction and a $9.5 billion damages award to the victims, the oil giant looks no closer to making good its damage.
… Cazorla Miriam Gartor | 17th July 2015 News Oil Waste Pollution Ecuador Indigenous Peoples … Corporations Law USA Health chevron-ecuador-oil-cut.jpg After 20 years of oil spills, deforestation, waste dumping and …
A new investigation of palm oil plantations, companies and auditors has found that the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil is failing to deliver on its promise, writes Chris Lang. Widespread fraud, collusion between auditors and companies, conflicts of interest, and a flawed complaints system mean that RSPO-certified palm oil may be destructively and illegally produced.
… Sustainable palm oil? RSPO's greenwashing and fraudulent audits … Peoples Regulation Corporations palm-oil-malaysia-cut.jpg A new investigation of palm oil plantations, companies and auditors has …
Global oilseed, agribusiness and biotech corporations are engaged in a long term attack on India's local cooking oil producers, writes Colin Todhunter. In just 20 years they have reduced India from self-sufficiency in cooking oil to importing half its needs. Now the government's unlawful attempts to impose GM mustard seed threaten to wipe out a crop at the root of Indian food and farming traditions.
… Law The Land india-mustard-cut.jpg Global oilseed, agribusiness and biotech corporations … a long term attack on India's local cooking oil producers, writes Colin Todhunter. In just … India from self-sufficiency in cooking oil to importing half its needs. Now the …
BP's plans to explore for oil in the deep seas of the Great Australian Bight came under fire today at the company's Annual General Meeting in London, writes Graham Readfearn. The drilling would risk the ocean's rich marine wildlife - while blowing a massive hole in Australia's COP21 emissions targets.
… BP's deep sea oil exploration in South Australia - no way! … Readfearn DeSmog.uk | 14th April 2016 News Oil Energy Corporations Climate Change Oceans … matt turner-cut.jpg BP's plans to explore for oil in the deep seas of the Great Australian …
A London court has forced Shell to disclose documents about its pipelines and oils spills in Nigeria, writes Sarah Shoraka - and they reveal that the company has lied about the scale of oil spills in previous legal actions, and concealed the terminally poor condition of its pipelines.
… Nigeria: Shell's false oil spill claims exposed in court Sarah Shoraka | 23rd November 2014 News Oil Pollution Fossil Fuels Corporations Law … to disclose documents about its pipelines and oils spills in Nigeria, writes Sarah Shoraka - …
Shell's US president says the oil giant's unpopular drilling operations in Alaska's Chukchi Sea will stop for the 'foreseeable future' as exploratory drilling finds little oil and gas to justify its $7 billion investment.
… Environment | 28th September 2015 News Energy Oil Gas Arctic Corporations Climate Change … Shell's US president says the oil giant's unpopular drilling operations in … future' as exploratory drilling finds little oil and gas to justify its $7 billion …
A unique and pristine coral reef in the mouth of the Amazon is threatened by oil drilling planned by oil giants Total and BP, say the scientists who recently explored it. But the oil companies are determined to press ahead despite the risks, writes Lawrence Carter, and Brazil's environment ministry is set to give its approval.
… BP, Total oil drilling would endanger newly discovered … Carter Energydesk | 23rd February 2017 News Oil Energy Corporations Regulation Brazil … in the mouth of the Amazon is threatened by oil drilling planned by oil giants Total and …
Supported by state and national governments, palm oil plantations are advancing over the rainforest hills of Sabah, Malaysia, writes Sophie Chao. In their way: the indigenous Murut of Bigor, whose culture, livelihood and very lives are under threat as forests and farms fall to chainsaws and bulldozers, enriching loggers and distant investors beyond the dreams of avarice.
… Malaysia: the Murut struggle against palm oil, for land and life Sophie Chao | 12th December 2016 Activism Malaysia Palm Oil Corporations Farming Indigenous Peoples … by state and national governments, palm oil plantations are advancing over the …
Now that the US is signed up to ambitious Paris targets to limit warming, it too must play its part in keeping fossil fuels under the ground, write leading US campaigners. So let's make an immediate start by halting all new federal oil and gas leasing on public lands pending a full climate and environmental impact study.
… President Obama: Keep our oil and gas in the ground! Earthjustice … 2016 Comment Climate Change Fossil Fuels Oil Gas Corporations USA The Land blm-oil-gas-cut.jpg Now that the US is signed up …
'No deforestation' pledges by global food corporations are yielding results, writes William Laurance. But now the Indonesian and Malaysian governments are calling on them to abandon their promises - even as the region's rainforests go up in smoke, cleared for new oil palm plantations. The companies must hold firm to their commitments.
… rainforests go up in smoke, cleared for new oil palm plantations. The companies must hold … The recently created Council of Palm Oil Producing Nations between Indonesia and … Kuala Lumpur, will attempt to wind back palm oil companies' pledges to end deforestation. …
The palm oil industry's repeated failure to keep its promises illustrates why global initiatives to achieve 'sustainable palm oil' must place communities centre-stage, writes FPP. Standard-setters like the RSPO must demand action, enforcement and accountability - not just lofty commitments that inspire hope, but rarely deliver.
… To make palm oil 'sustainable' local communities must be in … high. Photo: Justin Kenrick / FPP. The palm oil industry's repeated failure to keep its … initiatives to achieve 'sustainable palm oil' must place communities centre-stage, …
Ecover refutes allegations that it has been using 'synthetic biology' to make soap ingredients from algae. On the contrary, write Tom Domen & Dirk Develter, it's just old fashioned fermentation, and the company remains at the forefront of sustainability and responsible practice.
… misleading claims about Ecover's use of algal oil as an alternative to petroleum and palm oil based ingredients. These assertions relate … ... that it has decided to use an algal oil ... produced by ... an experimental set of …
According to classical economics Adam Smith's 'invisible' hand' of free markets produces the greatest good for us all, writes JP Sottile. But what happens when rip-roaring 'external costs' are left out of the equations? Wars, repression, pollution, resource destruction and climate change. And because that invisible hand is connected to Mother Nature, it's coming back to strike us.
… Economics Climate Change Corporations Energy Oil War tornado-hit-cut.jpg According to … already misshaped markets. The problem is Big Oil. Simply put, Big Oil is a bad investment fueled by irrational …
Weeks after a major legal victory in London's High Court over oil-polluted communities in Nigeria, writes Joe Sandler Clarke, Shell has suffered a dramatic reversal of fortunes as Italian prosecutors charge the company, and Italy's Eni, on corruption charges over a $1.3 billion oil deal.
… Shell, Eni hit with Nigerian oil deal corruption charges Joe Sandler Clarke Energydesk | 13th February 2017 News Oil Corporations Crime Nigeria UK Italy … legal victory in London's High Court over oil-polluted communities in Nigeria, writes …
The Democratic Republic of Congo is to consult UNESCO, writes Melanie Gouby, over its wish to 'explore judiciously' for oil in Africa's first and most biodiverse National Park and World Heritage Site.
… DRC Congo wants to develop Virunga's oil Melanie Gouby the Guardian Environment | 17th March 2015 News Oil Africa DRC Corporations Un … over its wish to 'explore judiciously' for oil in Africa's first and most biodiverse …
The Port of Seattle is violating its shoreline permit in allowing Shell to set up a 'home port' for its Arctic oil drilling fleet, according to Seattle officials. The finding could nix Shell's oil drilling plans for the 2015 season.
… Shell's Arctic oil setback - unlawful use of Seattle Port … Oliver Tickell | 5th May 2015 News Transport Oil Arctic Law Corporations Energy … Shell to set up a 'home port' for its Arctic oil drilling fleet, according to Seattle …