Last week saw scenes of chaos never before seen in the Middle East, which is saying something given the history of that region.
In Israel, hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate, block roads,...more
While most of the United States was transfixed by the story of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon flying over much of the country, a story involving Communist China with more far-reaching implications was occurring one...more
In rapid succession during the morning of February 6, Eastern Turkey and its environs were hit by first, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and, then, a magnitude 7.5 quake. Horrific images showing high rise buildings collapsing,...more
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City is in the process of completing its total revamping of Terminal 1. Aside from the nearly $10 billion in upgrades, the new terminal will boast what authorities at the...more
One side effect of the collapse of cryptocurrency giant FTX has been to shine the spotlight on the movement that has been gaining significant traction over the last few years – that of ESG in our business affairs or the...more
Recent events show how very dicey the issues can be as we attempt to transition to a more sustainable way of life and doing business. This became front and center last week with the collapse of the crypto-currency firm FTX,...more
We are about 90-120 days before Regulations are likely to be promulgated under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including regulations pertaining to the renewable energy provisions. These Regulations should include guidance...more
Statesmen hesitate to get involved in wars for numerous reasons. One key reason is that, once they are started, wars can, and often do, take on lives of their own. Indeed, at times, they produce the exact opposite result of...more
Americans tend to think of Canadians as just like ourselves, only nicer, more polite, and more tolerant. We look at our own divisions and wish we could be as pleasant and accommodating as we believe the Canadians to be....more
Now less than one month before Election Day, the New York Governor's race is far closer than most had anticipated. Incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul, who succeeded Andrew Cuomo following his resignation, is being pressed by...more
10/19/2022
/ Boycotts ,
Clean Water Act ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Exports ,
Fracking ,
Gas Prices ,
Natural Gas ,
New York ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Pennsylvania ,
Pipelines ,
Political Campaigns ,
Russia ,
Shale Gas
With energy markets already in tumult partly because of events in Ukraine and Iran, not to mention the OPEC production cut, another area of the world is now being convulsed by energy issues, with the prospect of natural gas...more
10/19/2022
/ Anti-Terrorism Financing ,
Egypt ,
Energy Market ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Greece ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Israel ,
Lebanon ,
Libya ,
Military Conflict ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
OPEC ,
Terrorist Organizations ,
Turkey
Blasts were heard at the Nord Stream 1 pipeline last week, and damage to the pipeline itself was detected underwater shortly thereafter. Russian sources indicated that the damage would further delay the delivery of natural...more
10/6/2022
/ Climate Change ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
Exports ,
Germany ,
Green Energy ,
Marcellus Shale ,
National Security ,
Natural Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia
Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming the ultimate battleground state in American politics. Famously described by Democratic political operative James Carville as “Philadelphia in the East, Pittsburgh in the West, and Alabama in...more
The best statesmen understand what less worldly and less experienced people often overlook: Wars are mainly political and economic endeavors, and they involve the use of brute force to obtain political and/or economic...more
Over the last two weeks, while news coverage in America has been fixated on the FBI’s raid on Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, and later on the death of Queen Elizabeth II, there have been important news stories not widely...more
9/12/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
FERC ,
Fossil Fuel ,
Greece ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Turkey ,
Ukraine ,
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
As with many other industries, the airport industry is rushing to electrify. Nearly every airport conference contains a session on airport electrification. As nearly every commercial service airport in the United States is...more
In a startling turnaround, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that he would consider allowing the operator of the State’s one remaining nuclear power plant, located at Diablo Canyon, to petition to keep the facility...more
Less than two years after a catastrophic explosion nearly leveled whole parts of Lebanon's capital, Beirut, plunging the country into economic disrepair and social despair, the Ukraine war and natural gas gave Lebanon a...more
Since the execution of the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 that led to the establishment of the Euro single currency, different European Union countries have faced issues meeting the Treaty’s requirements to maintain the currency,...more
7/21/2022
/ Embargo ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
European Central Bank ,
Food Supply ,
Fossil Fuel ,
GDP ,
Germany ,
Greece ,
International Monetary Fund ,
Oil & Gas ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
Just north of Philadelphia International Airport and south of the Philadelphia sports Stadium complex lies the Port of Philadelphia, one of the largest freshwater ports in the world. So strategically located is the Port of...more
In 2008, then acting New York Governor David Patterson ordered a temporary ban on hydraulic fracturing in New York State. His successor, Andrew Cuomo, promised to study the issue. For nearly six years, Cuomo reiterated that...more
On Tuesday, February 15, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invoked the Emergencies Act of 1988 to try to end the continuing demonstrations by truckers in that country. The demonstrators called themselves a “freedom...more
Two new developments of enormous significance passed under the radar last week, buried by the growing threat of an outright Russia/Ukraine war and governmental encroachment on democracy in Canada. These developments, however,...more
3/14/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Coal ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Sector ,
EU ,
FERC ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
NATO ,
Natural Gas ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Shale Gas ,
Ukraine
Shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday, February 23, President Biden reinstated the sanctions against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that he had waived only last year. Depending on what side of the political divide you...more
3/14/2022
/ China ,
Climate Change ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Sector ,
Fracking ,
Germany ,
Joe Biden ,
Marcellus Shale ,
NATO ,
Oil & Gas ,
Paris Agreement ,
Pipelines ,
Russia ,
Ukraine
Last weekend, Ottawa police cleared the streets of the Canadian capital of the trucks that had parked themselves downtown for the better part of a week. There were dramatic confrontations, but thankfully little...more