oilsands

The Economic Impact of the G20 Ending Oil Subsidies

Thanks for a very interesting article. As usual jerrydd makes essential points. We have to end our addiction to oil. The ANWR will not make any difference. It has been used as a red herring by the last administration. We have unlimited free clean energy to harness. We already have the necessary technology. We can make changes to the way we do things.
There is no silver bullet; the success of our transition depends upon multiple sources. But continued dependence upon oil is poison. I received both oil and natural gas money, but the future of our country is way more important.
We must stop putting a millstone (incredible debt levels) around the necks of our grandchildren. Business as usual will turn this country into a second rate power and lead to a much lower standard living. The military can not save us from our own folly.
Disclosure: long oil and gas and royalties in both.

Picking Solar Energy Winners

Sako shooter, the price of oil is highly subsidized. Depletion allowances for a start account for 90 billion dollars per year, not counting the defense spending to "protect our interests".
You might also look at the subsidies for various forms of transportation before you draw conclusions about prices.
Technology already exists to stop bankrupting ourselves importing oil.
The lack of alternative energies use is determined more by lobbying than by what is cost justified. The bottom line of mega corporation campaign contributions is the determinant, not what is cost effective.
The upgrade of transmission is another major component of any approach, but it is rarely discussed.

Offshore Wind: Europe Now, U.S. When?

manya05: I don't believe there is any environmental objection to replacing coal and or oil with wind farms. The trade offs are solidly in favor of alternative energies. We just returned from Colorado and saw many wind units in operation in Iowa and Illinois. They take up so little space and leave agricultural production in tact. Offshore tidal is another alternative. Spain is now energy independent using wind and tidal. Guess you think sending money to the middle east is better. Especially since that foreign oil forces us to print more unsupported currency.

Natural Gas: An Energy Resource Whose Time Has Come

Brian, your comment to Norman is subject to misinterpretation.
The 15% tax withheld turns into a tax credit, i.e., it offsets US taxes dollar for dollar. The 15% credit is not a deduction, but a tax credit. I have owned Can Royals for years and to my knowledge, that is the only tax which affects Americans as of this time. The whole issue is subject to re-negogiation at any time, just as are any taxes. It is also an investment risk. If you expect the price of oil to permanently skyrocket in four to six years, as I do, then the risk seems worthwhile.

A. Palmer is right, "whatever it takes to get us off middle eastern oil. "
Worrying about relative costs of alternative energies is silly when we are bankrupting ourselves buying foreign oil. Besides, as earlier commentators have mentioned, the subsidy on oil in both tax write-offs and defense is probably over $3.50 per gallon. AND we have abundant coal and natural gas. The clean fuel concern can be solved by coal gasification, which seems to be totally overlooked. We need to convert to renewable energies, but the latter would solve a lot of interim problems. Germany has been using coal gasification for some time.

Mercedes: Hundreds of Thousands of Hydrogen Cars Coming

jerrydd makes many good points. Gasoline is going up sharply. If the big auto companies try to flim-flam us again, they will find competition from start ups. Or from large companies overseas. A quick to produce composite of medium and low technologies will have a tremendous cost advantage, which is what this market needs now. We can afford to subsidize these efforts because it is internal USA economic stimulus, rather than a dead loss of paying out for middle eastern oil. We will survive by a combination of approaches, not a silver bullet. We need natural gas vehicles, electric vehicles and mass transit, among other things. Think WWII and the battle for survival, because that is the reality.

Asian Solar Names to Raise Guidance for Q3, Q4

Kevin, thanks for the review. I was wondering about the statement about China signaling preference for solar. I remember a discussion of that a while back. Could you add some detail?
Thanks

Tiber Oilfield Spells Major Upside for Prices

Wonderful article. Thanks, Elliott.
Among the many fine comments Kiwichick's are worth noting. Kiwichick, you did overlook one Chinese move to provide oil for its needs, the activity in Africa. While China is pursuing a coherent policy to insure its future supplies, it also is working on making oil much less of a vulnerability by actually building alternate energy sources. Sounds like a plan. Maybe we should take note.
The bottom line is that oil is going to become very expensive, sooner rather than later.

Postal Service Set to Lead the Way in Deploying Electric Fleet

Anything to cut oil imports. This is indeed an exciting prospect for a large trial. It is interesting that the successful use of natural gas vehicles for years has been ignored in debates about our possibilities for energy independence and pollution goals.
For the record, the USPS is not government; they are run as a business. I believe it was Richard Nixon who started us down that road. However, it is a national resource and using it for a proving ground is a great idea. I believe that the thorough record keeping of the USPS will enable evaluation of the batteries b;y manufacturer.
jerrydd is right about the assumptions. Oil is going up, probably dramatically. The main thing is that there will be a test. We don't really need to justify testing on an economic basis within the USPS, the larger application makes it a great idea.

Oil Sands Keep on Trucking

Right on Roadrunner.
Trippleback, oils sands produce OIL. That is not an alternative fuel.
Apparently, most of the folks who have commented are unaware that a plant producing oil has been in operation for some time. And yes, it is a very expensive, very wasteful operation. It also decreases or dependence on the middle east. Comparing oil to other forms of energy is usually done while ignoring the enormous tax subsidies given to BP, Exxon, et al. Take those away and the price at the pump suddenly makes other approaches sensible. The quickest and easiest is natural gas, already in use by UPS and I believe taxi fleets and other fleets.
Mark Bern, the argument about environmental policy under Obama is a bit premature. He will be busy for some time trying to keep the nation from collapsing. Importing oil like there is no tomorrow was a major facet in our present crisis. As to moonbeams, a rural school district in Illinois bought and put up a wind generator because it is making money for them. We can't afford not to harness the free energy around us.

Brazil's New Oil Wealth: Three ETFs to Watch

Good article.
I'm not even sure what Gravity404 is trying to say about green. Hydro is green. They are successful with the ethanol; it enables them to export rather than import oil. Yes there are better solutions, but they accomplished a major coup by doing what they did. Their solution is not ours in detail, but we have numerous ways to use existing technology to reduce our oil imports; to stop eroding our dollar.
If we quit giving tax subsidies to oil companies, the true cost of gasoline would speed up the transition toward alternatives. Converting engines to natural gas, starting with truck fleets is a sensible solution. UPS began doing it years ago because it made financial sense.
And no we can not drill our way out of this problem. There is still worldwide competition for both equipment and trained manpower in the oil industry. Soon the price of oil will rise as the very high costs of recovery from the remaining locations are factored in.
Our weak dollar is the result of total national stupidity on so many fronts. It didn't begin last January. During the Bush administration the Canadian dollar rose from .65 US to 1.10 US.
The ridiculous belief that we can survive with a consumer economy is a large part of why we are in trouble.

China Is Pulling Ahead on the Environment

Thanks for a good article, Shaun.
Road runner, you have made good points. Chinese people work hard and save money. The irony is that there is a better climate for the small business in China than here. That alone is a condemnation of what is going on here in the USA.
The labels people use blind them to reality. Our government is also a seat of corruption. Our ancestors risked a great deal to come here and fought for the right to criticize and change governments.
The Chinese government has many challenges ahead of it. Local corruption is one of the worst. As people there gain access to the internet and information, there will be increased pressure to counteract this problem, among others.
I find it disheartening that we are dragging our feet on moving to alternate energies, making ourselves energy independent, and ending our support of people in the middle east who hate us.

Wood Energy: The New Renewable?

The significance of this is that our energy and economic problems will be solved by a multitude of approaches, not a one size fits all approach. The alternatives do have sound economic bases, contrary to much of the hype. People keep forgetting that we heavily subsidize oil through the tax code Our foreign policy isn't even first and foremost what is good for America, but what keeps us tied to oil. The shocking lack of efficiency in coal burning is an eye-opener. Just one more place where the media has failed us.
Natural gas has the possibility of weaning us from oil while we develop other sources. The wholesale infrastructure is already in place and converting vehicles and power plants is not expensive or difficult. And it would create jobs. The money saved by not importing oil will pay for the changes needed for various approaches.
Glad to see mention of transmission efficiencies as crucial to the changeover to a non-oil based economy. Various technologies already exists to make numerous improvements. We have unlimited clean energy supplies in hydro, tidal, wind, geothermal, biomass, et al. The roadblocks are political resistance and general ignorance.

Allegiant Travel: Swine Flu Is Not a Threat?

This is much more about putting money in the pockets of large pharmaceuticals than public health. The CDC looked at 28000 cases with 302 deaths and somehow decided that we needed vaccines for the entire population. They started by proclaiming out of date vacine to now be valid again. Nice payday for the vaccine maker. This is about money, politics and media hype. Your best defense is a healthy immune system.
Good luck.

Whole Foods: Stock Is as Pricey as Company's Wares

I have been looking at that stock for some time, with the same concerns you have expressed. We sometimes shop there, love the products, etc. but believe you have accurately described the situation. Will continue to watch this, in case another good buying opportunity shows up.
Thanks,

Closing Update for Tuesday, August 18: Some Recouping

Thanks very much, Derryl. Realistic, sensible comments.