Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. April 2, 2013.
As the Obama administration approaches a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, a national survey finds broad public support for the project. Two-thirds of Americans (66%) favor building the pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada’s oil sands region through the Midwest to refineries in Texas. Just 23% oppose construction of the pipeline. [Note: contains copyrighted material].
http://www.people-press.org/files/legacy-pdf/4-2-13%20Keystone%20Pipeline%20and%20Global%20Warming%20Release.pdf [PDF format, 10 pages].
YaleGlobal. March 8, 2013.
Innovation in renewable energies is taking many directions, though implementation of best practices and policies is naturally slow to follow. It may be unrealistic to expect a global treaty on climate before innovation plays out. “Worldwide implementation may require getting comfortable with many different culturally appropriate approaches,” writes the author. “There are many ways to encourage carbon mitigation, but perhaps no single panacea.” Cost comparisons of renewables with fossil fuels are unfair as long as the latter receives the lion’s share of subsidies – by one report, the wealthiest countries pay five times as much in subsides for fossil fuels than they do for climate aid. Coal may appear as the least expensive source of energy as long as many governments disregard health and environmental costs. Individual countries and cities are developing an array of programs for climate protection, including carbon taxes – a good backup plan until the world reaches agreement on a fair and effective climate treaty. [Note: contains copyrighted material].
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/weaning-fossil-fuels-and-growing-green-economy [HTML format].
Center for Strategic & International Peace. January 3, 2013.
U.S. “independence” from energy imports has been a key source of political dispute ever since the October War in 1973 and the Arab oil embargo that followed. Much of this debate has ignored or misstated the nature of the data available on what the U.S. options are, as well as the uncertainties involved in making any long range projections. This situation has become more critical during the last year as it becomes increasingly apparent that the U.S. has far more commercially exploitable oil and gas reserves than most previous estimates have indicated. Some estimates go so far as to project the U.S. could actually become an energy exporter in the future. [Note: contains copyrighted material].
http://csis.org/files/publication/130103_us_energy_independence_report.pdf [PDF format, 15 pages].
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. December 2012.
Immense opportunities and challenges lie ahead in shaping the world’s energy future. Triple digit oil prices spurred technological advances that have unlocked an array of unconventional oils–from carbon-laden tacky oils that resist flow to ultra-light petroleum liquids trapped in tight shale oil. Policy guidance is needed to strike a balance between exploiting these energy assets and protecting the climate. [Note: contains copyrighted material].
http://carnegieendowment.org/files/global_oils.pdf [PDF format, 30 pages].
Council on Foreign Relations. October 18, 2012.
The cost and availability of energy resources have become contentious issues in the United States amid slow economic growth and high unemployment. On the presidential campaign trail, Republican candidate Mitt Romney has blamed rising gas prices on President Barack Obama’s decision to temporarily block construction of the Keystone oil pipeline from Canada to the United States. Obama, meanwhile, has called for investing in alternative energy sources to reduce U.S. dependence on oil and gas. [Note: contains copyrighted material].
http://www.cfr.org/united-states/candidates-energy-policy/p26796 [HTML format].
