Oil

After many months of Ed Milliband putting himself out there as a Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change that actually gets climate change, finally his big Plan, the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan was unveiled on Wednesday, in a speech in the House of Commons that namechecked Transition Towns and which is the boldest national vision for a low carbon society yet seen. Many others have since pitched in with their thoughts, I thought it might be useful here to offer an analysis from a Transition perspective.

Bakken Oil; bonanza or hype?
The End of the Age of Oil: Will It Be a Soft or Hard Landing?
Will Iraq Be a Global Gas Pump?: The (Re)Making of a Petro-State

A weekly review from a UK perspective

UK announces long-term carbon reduction strategy
Climate change: Green dreams
Energy bill rises to tackle climate change are tiny

Quite apart from the long-shot chance that the venture could actually succeed, Exxon benefits from being able to brandish an environmental pin on its lapel, and its association with an authentic biofuels rock star. As Deutsche Bank's Paul Sankey told me in an email, "I think it's part R&D, part PR." Venter himself needed the cash injection, and could earn $300 million from Exxon if he meets certain unspecified project milestones probably associated with the economics of the algae.

A weekly round-up including:
- Prices and production
- The Nabucco pipeline

Real People, Real Preparation, Part One
In Public Housing, Talking Up the Recycling Bin
High-rises on hold: What to do with empty lots?

Introducing The Citizen’s Guide to Climate Policy
The Bill
Big Oil/Lundberg Survey Scare Tactics Against Climate Legislation

The State of Homelessness in the U.S.
Looming crisis spells stimulus (Hundreds of Thousands of Workers Will Lose Unemployment Benefits Soon)
Food banks squeezed by prices, demand

Obama remains diplomatic on oil and guns
European countries sign up for Nabucco deal to break Russia’s gas monopoly
Australian oil warning