One of the most notable features of any survey of the history of energy regimes in the Americas over the past century is the “pendulum effect.” Anecdotal though the observation may be, it is clear that despite the broad and incremental transformational changes that have occurred in the global energy landscape over time, individual countries have un…
2019 saw a significant number of countries, regions and cities declaring a “climate emergency”.10 The year closed at 1.1°C above pre-industrial averages, making it the second-warmest year observed—second only to the record set in 2016.11 Sea levels are rising at an alarming rate, and the devastating impacts of climate change are more visible than ever with wildfires ravaging Australia, S…
Industrially drilled petroleum and its refined products have transformed life and landscapes around the world in ways that are often not visible or recognized. It is difficult to see petro-leum’s shaping force when it forms part of so many of the objects and materials that surround us: the fabric of our clothes, the toys of our children, the asphalt on which we drive, even the food we eat. Pe…