Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Econbrowser, energy, gas tax, gasoline tax, Holland, James Hamilton, Knittel, petrol taxes, transportation
Via Econbrowser, writing about Knittel’s new paper.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, energy, Iran, Iran sanctions, Japan, oil imports, oil trade, Turkey
My sense is that Iran and China can work things out without “the international financial system.” Curious policy from the U.S. now, could work very much in China’s favor.
U.S allies like Japan appear to support the sanctions by “reducing” their oil imports from Iran by some unknown amount.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: efficiency, horsepower, Knittel, mpg, vehicle weight
From a paper by Christopher Knittel in American Economic Review (pdf).
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/cars-on-steroids-0104.html
click to enlarge
Since 1980, horsepower has more than doubled, and average weight has gone way up, so mpg gains have been largely canceled.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, exports, Geithner, Iran, Iran sanctions, oil imports, petroleum
The terms of the sanctions set arbitrarily by US govt. Could see this coming from the cheap seats.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/12/world/asia/china-balks-as-geithner-presses-on-iran-curbs.html
And let’s just keep this little bit handy —
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: drilling, frac, frack, fracking, hydraulic fracturing, hydrofracking, Natural gas, regulation, shale gas, shale oil, shale play
…with one day left in comment period.
Filed under: Uncategorized
…especially if you completely ignore the millions of gallons of toxic waste water and dozens or even hundreds of tons of solid waste that result from every frac, as this curious little article in New Scientist does:
Fracking risk is exaggerated – environment – 11 January 2012 – New Scientist.
Some of the water is recycled. It’s unclear exactly how much.
Steve Jobs didn’t have to set up his business with such poor conditions for those making all the Apple products, but he chose to do that. And we chose to buy them. But that blissful ignorance is breaking down.
Correction: My brother tells me these are Bill Gates’ slaves, not Steve Jobs’ slaves. Building XBoxes.
Filed under: Uncategorized
From Gregor Macdonald, noting price per million BTUs, and the tremendous discount for North American natural gas over oil and natural gas overseas. Click for chart:
Prices-for-a-Million-btu-Buy-Source-in-USD1.png 579×579 pixels.
Filed under: maps | Tags: exploration, Iraqi civil war, Kirkuk, kurdistan, Kurds, Natural gas, oil, petroleum, Shamaran Petroleum
High-res pdf from Shamaran Petroleum.
Added to the I.C. Energy & Transport Page.
Filed under: maps, Uncategorized | Tags: Anbar, energy, Israel, Kirkuk, kurdistan, Mosul, oil, oil production, pipelines, supply lines, Turkey
…may be impossible.
From a very interesting article on the potential of oil production from Iraqi Kurdistan at the Oil Drum.
There’s a lot to consider on this map.
Filed under: Bike of the Day | Tags: bicycle, fixed gear, fixed wheel, fixie, hipster
I saw this and immediately wanted to go carve traffic on my way to Pablo’s Coffee House.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: ENI, exemptions, Iran, Iran sanctions, Italy
Via Reuters…
Let’s see.. That’s S. Korea, India and Italy so far.
Filed under: maps | Tags: bicycle, bicycling advocacy, bike, cycling infrastructure, Jefferson County, pedestrian, recreation, transportation
That’s Jeffco, Colorado, comprising the western suburbs of Denver. There are a lot of Jeffco’s around.
click for pdf
They are seeking comments here: http://www.jeffco.us/bike-plan
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bond yields, economic meltdown, EU, Euro breakup, eurozone, Italian bonds
Via Econbrowser via Bloomberg.
Filed under: maps, Uncategorized | Tags: Armenia, Caucasus, Chechnya, Georgia, kurdistan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caucasus-ethnic_en.svg
click to enlarge
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bicycle theft, bicycles, bike theft, fixed gear, fixies, hipsters
Bicycle thefts surging – SGVTribune.com.
Operative word was. For sixteen weeks in 1992.
This is an interesting take on bike theft. Now they want fixed gear bikes as well as the old road frames for conversions. Used to be thieves were completely uninterested in both types.
Filed under: maps, Uncategorized | Tags: energy, New Zealand, oil spill, petroleum, Rena, tanker, transport
“The wreck of the Greek-owned Rena was described as New Zealand’s worst maritime environmental disaster even before the rear section of the ship, lashed by pounding seas, broke away yesterday. The ship has already spilled heavy fuel oil that fouled pristine North Island beaches and killed up to 20,000 seabirds, and despite salvage efforts nearly 400 tonnes of oil remain onboard.”
via New Zealand braces for oil spill as Rena splits on reef | The Australian
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bike lanes, infrastructure, Israel, Shai Agassi, Tel Aviv
Municipal Director General Menahem Leibe stresses that the city’s investment in bike paths is part of a clearly defined policy of putting bicyclists and pedestrians first. “It can come at the expense of private cars. There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Leibe said, although he adds that the ultimate goal is striking the right balance among pedestrians, bicycles and cars.
On Bloch Street, one end of which faces the municipality, dozens of parking spaces are being sacrificed for bike lanes, to the outrage of people who live or work in the area. “It’s insignificant,” Leibe said, promising to build more parking lots. He said it’s all part of the worldview of the municipality and the man who heads it.
“Our idea is for vehicles to park underground and for pedestrians and bicyclists to be on the ground. It’s the right thing, especially in a city as densely populated as Tel Aviv,” Leibe said.
via Coming to Tel Aviv? Better bring your bicycle – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.
Two years ago everybody was talking about Shai Agassi’s idea for electric car charging stations and battery exchange in Israel. Haven’t heard much about that lately.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: China, Chindia, India, Iran, Iran sanctions, who buys Iran's oil, workaround
India is exploring all options to find a way out to make oil payments to Iran as there are chances that Turkey, through which it is making payment, may come under pressure after a fresh round of U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran.
India currently pays Iran about $1 billion every month through Turkey for the 370,000 barrels a day of crude oil it buys from the world’s fourth-largest oil producer.
According to sources, India is holding talks with Russia for routing payments to Iran. Discussions with United States are also going on for a possible relaxation or waiver in the sanctions.
via India exploring ways of making oil payments to Iran | Calcutta News.Net
Iran sanctions lead U.S. allies in Asia to seek special arrangements in order to continue, perhaps increase, imports from Iran. This is an interesting way for the US to increase leverage against any country that imports a lot of oil from Iran, including China. Anything about these workarounds in the US press?
Industrialized Cyclist Notepad 
