In a previous post, I wrote about the challenges of balancing economic and environmental interests when crafting regulatory policy. I argued that while regulations often incur significant economic costs, more regulation doesn’t necessarily translate into greater environmental benefits. This issue came up at a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on Tuesday about state and federal approaches … Continue reading
The Keystone pipeline isn’t the only one causing a headache for energy watchdogs. Last week, the WSJ reported that Iranian hackers had gone “far enough to worry people” in possibly manipulating oil or gas pipelines through the computers that control electricity generation. Such cyberattacks, believed to be a retaliation against sanctions, are seen as a … Continue reading
With the nomination of Gina McCarthy to be the newest chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, a lot of shade has been thrown on the administration’s lack of transparency and practices of favoritism. First Senator Vitter delayed the vote with 1,038 questions, which he then narrowed to five key demands. Now it is looking like Republicans … Continue reading
The environment is one of those things like education or jobs. No one says they are against job creation. No one claims to be anti-education. Nobody (despite what environmentalists may tell you) wants to destroy the environment, or eradicate the habitat of this or that endangered species. These things happen, of course. Jobs are lost, … Continue reading
The US’s booming energy resources are changing the landscape, and not just from the Midwest to the Intermountain West. A recent report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says that North American oil production may affect the global market as dramatically as the recent increase in Chinese demand. IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven … Continue reading
The Bureau of Land Management has released a new proposal for rules governing the use of hydraulic fracturing on federal land. This proposal contains revisions from last year’s proposal that better balance environmental and business interests over the controversial drilling technique. Hydraulic fracturing, or ‘fracking,’ has been used in conventional, vertical wells since at least … Continue reading
As the economy slowly grows, the job market has been improving as well. Contributing to this is improvement in the manufacturing sector. Contrary to trends in the past decade, manufacturing is returning to the U.S. and new jobs are being created in the process. However, they are not the type of manufacturing jobs you are … Continue reading
The ever-present “fracking” debate has ignited in California, as Governor Jerry Brown expressed acceptance to the use of hydraulic fracturing causing an eruption of controversy. The state is projected to have enough Monterey Shale to offset several years of oil imports. Companies have been extracting oil in California for years, but it wasn’t until now … Continue reading
“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” This statement forms the opening paragraph of a pointed memo released … Continue reading
On Wednesday, Sally Jewell was officially appointed as the new head of the Department of the Interior. Jewell has spent her professional life outside of the political realm, which made her a desirable candidate for many people. She began her career as an engineer for Mobil Oil where she worked for several years. She later … Continue reading
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