How Canada can help with the world’s growing LNG shortage

Increasing Canadian LNG would improve energy security and also help reduce world emissions

How Canada can help with the world’s growing LNG shortageThe growing global shortage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is expected to bring a sustained period of higher prices and extreme market volatility, according to analysts with Norway-based consultancy Rystad Energy. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – and the subsequent decision by European countries to seek other natural gas suppliers – is exacerbating an already tight…

More world oil and gas investment desperately needed, report warns

Increasing spending does not contradict efforts to reduce emissions, says IEF

More world oil and gas investment desperately needed, report warnsWorld energy markets are facing a “red alert,” and there’s more trouble ahead without enough investment going into oil and gas to meet demand, according to a new report by the International Energy Forum (IEF). “At a time when the global energy crisis calls for more supply, underinvestment in hydrocarbons will be the main reason…

No end in sight for soaring oil prices

The best bet remains to bring sanctioned Iranian oil back to the market

No end in sight for soaring oil pricesAmerican gasoline prices have crossed the unprecedented US$5-a-gallon mark. American Automobile Association data shows prices at the pump are up roughly 60 per cent from a year ago. And prices in Canada are already more than $2 a litre. We are seeing new record prices around the world with each passing week. And no respite…

The perfect playbook for a global food security crisis

Climate change, a pandemic, war and nationalistic hoarding are all contributing factors

The perfect playbook for a global food security crisisEvents unfolding around the world are creating the perfect playbook for a global food security crisis: climate change, a pandemic, war and nationalistic hoarding are all factors. Climate has been affecting agriculture for a very long time. And the unpredictable nature of severe weather patterns is making the lives of our farmers more difficult. Growing…

Don’t blame climate change for the world’s food shortage

More to do with strangulation of the world’s fuel supply

Don’t blame climate change for the world’s food shortageThere are a million funny things to talk about, a million laughs to be had, a lot of phenomenal progress being made on numerous fronts, things that do make our lives better and better. But it’s kind of hard to smell the roses when it’s like Voldemort is expected by dinner time. There’s the war…

War and brutality go hand in hand

Combat naturally leads to behaviours that would be deemed shocking in normal life

War and brutality go hand in handAntony Beevor is a prolific English military historian, most famous for the bestseller Stalingrad. First published in the late 1990s, the book’s narrative covers the period between the June 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union and the conclusion of the Battle of Stalingrad in February 1943. That battle is often described as the Second…

Wheat makes the world go round

Wheat is one of the world’s staple crops. And Ukraine and Russia are critical exporters

Wheat makes the world go roundFor American academic Scott Reynolds Nelson, the timing was fortuitous. His Oceans of Grain came to market coincident with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And as Nelson’s thesis revolves around the critical role wheat has played in history, the invasion’s implications for supply disruption add to the book’s topicality. For sure, Nelson may egg the pudding.…

Rising gasoline prices at the heart of runaway inflation

A climate catastrophe seems in the making. And mitigating the impact of the Ukraine crisis won’t be easy

Rising gasoline prices at the heart of runaway inflationThe Paris-based International Energy Agency is widely viewed with respect, its analyses providing a better understanding of the direction of energy markets and the issues impacting the industry. IEA is the energy watchdog of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), founded by the likes of Henry Kissinger in the immediate aftermath of the…

Trump the better man to negotiate end to Putin’s War?

Proved to be an effective negotiator while president, especially when dealing with dictators

Trump the better man to negotiate end to Putin’s War?Many people in the political mainstream will say, “Even a broken clock is right twice a day” when they discuss the viewpoints of left-leaning public intellectual Noam Chomsky. They will often say the same thing about Donald Trump, who is supported by the far right. Chomsky and Trump agree on issues far less than twice…

Will Ukraine’s fate be the same as that of 1940s Finland?

Finland was truly alone. That’s not the case with Ukraine today

Will Ukraine’s fate be the same as that of 1940s Finland?Bordered by Russia to the east and Sweden to the northwest, Finland’s historical experience has been coloured by the existence of these more powerful neighbours. In fact, ‘dominated’ might be more apt. After being effectively part of Sweden for centuries, Finland was ceded to the Russian Empire in 1809. But when the chaos surrounding the…