Markham on Energy

Technology, innovation are the only answer to climate change. Full stop.

“In my view, innovation is essential to human progress.” – Bill Gates I’m writing a news story about an Alberta team entered in the Carbon X Prize that got me thinking about the best way to tackle climate change and environmental issues. The competition stresses technical innovation. Isn’t technology how we’ve tackled all of humankind’s problems? […]

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Fracking for President campaign illustrates why Canadian oil/gas industry is ‘socially dim’

Canadian oil and gas industry is caught in 1950s time warp, incapable of innovative communications with Canadians If you ever wondered why the oil and gas industry does so poorly with the Canadian public, look no further than a playful and clever American PR campaign called “Fracking for President.” As I reported Wednesday, the campaign

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Why we love oil/gas AND renewables in a post-climate change world

North American Energy News delivers news stories, analysis, opinion that illuminates this new stage of human history for our readers Every news organization has a bias. Today, I want to write about ours, which is based upon the premise that the global economy has begun a century-long transition from fossil fuels to clean energy technology. I’ve

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Epic bad idea: Democrats propose Justice Dept. join #Exxonknew battle

Hillary Clinton better hope casualties are within the range of acceptable losses because this issue has snafu written all over it By proposing that the Dept. of Justice investigate fossil fuel companies for misleading the public about climate change, the Democrats are backing a losing cause, one that could come back to bite them before the Nov.

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Clinton ditches “all of the above” energy policy in joint DNC proposal with Sanders

Abandoning “all of the above” for “renewable energy fast” is significant change in American energy policy, politics After the high-profile speeches and celebrity endorsements of Hillary Clinton, down on the floor and in the backrooms of the venue, Democratic delegates will be debating policy – including a significant change to the party’s “all of the above” energy approach. This

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Bill McKibben, NRDC and the ‘Keystoning’ of the Energy East pipeline

TransCanada and the Canadian oil industry need to significantly step up their political game with Energy East A few months ago, uber environmentalist Bill McKibben promised that all future energy infrastructure projects will be”Keystoned.” Right on cue, McKibben’s 350.org has teamed with the NRDC to Keystone the 1.1 million b/d Energy East pipeline project. No one is

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Gay oil sands supporter blows up social media with lesbian meme targeting Saudi Arabia

Lesbian meme created by gay oil sands activist Robbie Picard, who thinks buying OPEC gas supports repressive, anti-LGBTQ regimes The Facebook meme that accompanies this column has raised a lot of hackles on social media. Our readers overwhelmingly think it’s offensive. But the oil sands supporter who created the meme says he is trying to draw attention

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Did Harold Hamm threaten to drive Canadian, Mexican oil from the American market?

Hamm said to be auditioning for energy portfolio if Donald Trump becomes president Bakken oil mogul Harold Hamm, the leading contender to be energy secretary in a Trump Administration, fired a howitzer across the bow of Canada and Mexico during his Thursday speech at the Republican convention. Hamm’s ham-handed delivery and incendiary remarks have mostly

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