oil

Ending subsidies doubled the price of fuel in Nigeria. Photo by Luke Robinson As part of an effort to stabilize the economy and establish fiscal responsibility, the Nigerian government ended a decade long policy that subsidized gasoline imports. The end to fuel subsidies sent the price of gasoline soaring, doubling, and even tripling the...[read more]

Breaking news from COP17 – reducing dependency on oil is critical for tackling climate change. In this post, Robert Bowen of Future Cape Town looks at the Masters Thesis of Allen Rhodes, entitled Planning the Post-Oil City, highlighting the seven trends identified and the opportunities they present for...[read more]

Image source: http://www.greenbuildingsNYC.com

As you might have noticed if you have been in or near the outdoors over the last few days, it is very hot. The negative consequences of this are all around us: sweltering, ill-willed subway stops, undershirts as overshirts, flip-flops rampant. Because you have probably been busy splitting your time between sweating, panting in front of...[read more]

Setting a strong 60 mpg standard for America’s new cars is the biggest single step we can take to cut carbon pollution and achieve Freedom from Oil. Over the next month, President Obama will decide what the standards for new cars sold between 2017-2025 will be. 2025 may seem like a long way off — but decisions being made now could...[read more]

The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) created a short video explaining the true costs of our oil dependency by following a single gallon of gasoline refined and consumed in California. According to the video, this single gallon of gasoline emits 25 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and a single driver in the United States...[read more]

For my Energy and Capital article this week, I debunk the recent excitement over space based solar power and other energy pipe dreams, and shift the focus to utility scale solar players with real technology and real profits. Space Based Solar Power (And Other Energy Pipe Dreams) The Solar Race Will Be Lost in Space By Chris Nelder...[read more]

A new contender now tops my long list of worries: Mexico.I have been keenly aware of Mexico’s troubles for most of my life. I lived in Mexico City for a short while as a kid, and saw its crushing poverty firsthand. I vividly remember certain formative experiences, like seeing kids my age dressed in rags and panhandling for centavos, or...[read more]

I’m about the last urbanist writer to note that, yes, transit ridership did in fact hit its highest level since 1956 last year. Ridership was up 4% in 2008, and up 38% since 1995. While precipitated, in part, by the significant increase in gas prices during the first half of the year, much of the gains persisted through falling fuel...[read more]