Canada Minister Sees Better Prospect of Change to EU Oil-Sands Law

OTTAWA - Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said the possibility of changes to a proposed European Union law that seeks to treat Canadian oil-sands crude as dirtier than conventional fuel have improved, because the law would increase costs and threaten the competitiveness of European refineries at a time when the continent's economy is struggling.

The European Commission, the EU's executive body, is considering singling out crude from Alberta's oil sands as being dirtier than other fuel types in a revision to its Fuel Quality Directive, or FQD, a law designed to lower carbon emissions from transportation fuels.

"We believe that the prospects for an improvement--for fundamental change here--are better than they were a year ago," Mr. Oliver told reporters on a conference call from the U.K., adding that "the issue of competitiveness, including in the refinery industry "are really very much top of mind."

He said Ottawa would consider taking action against the EU at the World Trade Organization as a "very last resort."

Canadian officials, who have long lobbied against the proposed law, say it discriminates against oil-sands crude and isn't based on science. The issue was re-ignited recently as Canada and the EU try to conclude a free-trade agreement that's been four years in the making. Officials from both side have repeatedly said the FQD and trade negotiations are being kept separate. A decision on the FQD is expected later this year.

Mr. Oliver said oil-sands opponents are unrealistic in lobbying for a world powered by alternative energy, and their message could "hurt the economy in a significant way." He said Canada wants its approach to climate change "to be based on reality" and will focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to invest in green energy and technology.

Meanwhile, Mr. Oliver said opponents of TransCanada Corp.'s proposed Keystone XL pipeline are getting "desperate," as U.S. decision on the controversial project nears, hence "the shrillness of their arguments, the hyperbole and the exaggeration that we're hearing from some sources."

Mr. Oliver said the project would be "very positive" for Canada and the U.S, creating jobs on both sides and contribute to economic growth.

The Obama administration is expected to make a decision on Keystone later this year.

Copyright (c) 2013 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

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Statoil: Proposed Tax Change Threat to Projects

Statoil has warned that a proposed change to tax breaks for investors on the Norwegian Continental Shelf threatens the attractiveness of future projects.

Norway is proposing to reduce the uplift in its petroleum tax system from 7.5 percent to 5.5 percent, which according to a Statoil statement Monday would reduce tax deductions on NCS projects by $38 million for every $1 billion invested.

Statoil said that a predictable and stable fiscal framework is important to secure the attractiveness of continued investment in the NCS.

"The proposed change in the Norwegian petroleum tax reduces the attractiveness of future projects, particularly marginal fields, and raises questions regarding the predictability and stability of the fiscal framework for long-term investments on the Norwegian continental shelf," Statoil CFO Torgrim Reitan said in a statement.

The proposed change is to be included in Norway's Revised National Budget 2013, which will be announced Tuesday.

The reduction in the uplift was designed to bring offshore investment in line with onshore investment in the country, an aide to Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, currently attending the Offshore Technology Conference show in Houston, told Rigzone Monday.

The Norwegian government has also proposed a transition rule for projects where the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received a plan for development and operation (PDO), or a plan for installation and operation (PIO), prior to May 5. For investments covered by this transition rule, the current uplift of 7.5 percent will still apply.

A former engineer, Jon is an award-winning editor who has covered the technology, engineering and energy sectors since the mid-1990s. Email Jon at jmainwaring@rigzone.com.

Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

View the original article here

Statoil: Proposed Tax Change Threat to Projects

Statoil has warned that a proposed change to tax breaks for investors on the Norwegian Continental Shelf threatens the attractiveness of future projects.

Norway is proposing to reduce the uplift in its petroleum tax system from 7.5 percent to 5.5 percent, which according to a Statoil statement Monday would reduce tax deductions on NCS projects by $38 million for every $1 billion invested.

Statoil said that a predictable and stable fiscal framework is important to secure the attractiveness of continued investment in the NCS.

"The proposed change in the Norwegian petroleum tax reduces the attractiveness of future projects, particularly marginal fields, and raises questions regarding the predictability and stability of the fiscal framework for long-term investments on the Norwegian continental shelf," Statoil CFO Torgrim Reitan said in a statement.

The proposed change is to be included in Norway's Revised National Budget 2013, which will be announced Tuesday.

The reduction in the uplift was designed to bring offshore investment in line with onshore investment in the country, an aide to Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, currently attending the Offshore Technology Conference show in Houston, told Rigzone Monday.

The Norwegian government has also proposed a transition rule for projects where the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received a plan for development and operation (PDO), or a plan for installation and operation (PIO), prior to May 5. For investments covered by this transition rule, the current uplift of 7.5 percent will still apply.

A former engineer, Jon is an award-winning editor who has covered the technology, engineering and energy sectors since the mid-1990s. Email Jon at jmainwaring@rigzone.com.

Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

View the original article here

Statoil: Proposed Tax Change Threat to Projects

Statoil has warned that a proposed change to tax breaks for investors on the Norwegian Continental Shelf threatens the attractiveness of future projects.

Norway is proposing to reduce the uplift in its petroleum tax system from 7.5 percent to 5.5 percent, which according to a Statoil statement Monday would reduce tax deductions on NCS projects by $38 million for every $1 billion invested.

Statoil said that a predictable and stable fiscal framework is important to secure the attractiveness of continued investment in the NCS.

"The proposed change in the Norwegian petroleum tax reduces the attractiveness of future projects, particularly marginal fields, and raises questions regarding the predictability and stability of the fiscal framework for long-term investments on the Norwegian continental shelf," Statoil CFO Torgrim Reitan said in a statement.

The proposed change is to be included in Norway's Revised National Budget 2013, which will be announced Tuesday.

The reduction in the uplift was designed to bring offshore investment in line with onshore investment in the country, an aide to Norway's Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, currently attending the Offshore Technology Conference show in Houston, told Rigzone Monday.

The Norwegian government has also proposed a transition rule for projects where the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy has received a plan for development and operation (PDO), or a plan for installation and operation (PIO), prior to May 5. For investments covered by this transition rule, the current uplift of 7.5 percent will still apply.

A former engineer, Jon is an award-winning editor who has covered the technology, engineering and energy sectors since the mid-1990s. Email Jon at jmainwaring@rigzone.com.

Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

View the original article here

Step Change in Safety Wins European Accolade

UK safety body Step Change in Safety has won a commendation by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for its efforts to improve workforce engagement in the offshore oil and gas industry.

Step Change, which is focused on the oil and gas sector, reported Wednesday that its Workforce Engagement Toolkit was shortlisted for a European Good Practice award. The toolkit is designed to help oil and gas firms measure workforce engagement at individual worksites, identify areas of improvement and provide practical guidelines on how to make these improvements.

The accolade came at the 11th Good Practice Awards in Dublin April 29.

Step Change in Safety Team Leader Les Linklater commented in a statement:

"We know that worksites which demonstrate positive engagement with their staff on safety matters are the ones which have the best safety records, therefore the Workforce Engagement Toolkit was designed to help companies measure and improve how they do this.

"It's an honor to receive such commendation at a European level and it is testament to the passion and drive of Step Change in Safety’s Workforce Engagement Steering Group which led the project. I believe using the toolkit will benefit not just individual worksites, but could transform workforce engagement across the UK Continental Shelf if widely adopted. Other industries across Europe and the rest of the world will undoubtedly find good practice within the toolkit which could be adopted across a much wider spectrum."

Jake Molloy, a regional organizer for the RMT union and member of the Workforce Engagement Steering Group, added:

"This is great news for the whole Step Change team but I think in particular for the Workforce Engagement Steering Group leaders, Ian Sharp and Mike Bowyer. Without their drive and commitment it might not have made it off the drawing board. It is a great initiative and, with the right input from workers, the toolkit has the potential to make a real difference."

Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.

View the original article here

Your Climate Change©

Start Date: March 1st;, 2013    End Date: April 22nd;, 2014 (Earth Day)

Dear Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon,

We, the People of the Earth, request You to act judiciously and expeditiously to protect the Earth from anthropogenic climate change.

Respectfully,
People of the Earth

This petition will be delivered shortly after the end date to the United Nations Secretary-General's office by the originator Prof. Ranga B. Myneni of Boston, MA, USA.

There is now sufficient evidence that our way of living is causing unnatural changes in climate. Collectively, we own this damage and therefore we need to solve it together. It is YOUR CLIMATE CHANGE also. The scientists have been studying and reporting to the policy makers about the dangers of climate change for the past 25 years. Yet, there has been little meaningful action to solve this global problem affecting all life on Earth. The solution lies in convincing policy makers that this is a priority for all citizens of the World. Therefore, I started an online project to collect one billion signatures by Earth Day 2014 for a petition addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations to act judiciously and expeditiously on anthropogenic climate change.

You can support by-
(1) Reading and signing the petition at https://www.yourclimatechange.org/
(2) Spreading the word to your (a) family, (b) friends, (c) colleagues and (d) acquaintances by-
(a) sharing using the Facebook, Linkedin, Google+ and Twitter links on https://www.yourclimatechange.org/
(b) Composing an email with the subject “Your Climate Change” and including the text of this post
(c) Post this message on your Facebook, Linkedin, Google+ pages and Tweet about it
(3) We can easily reach our goal. If one person can motivate at least 10 people to sign the petition, and they in turn can motivate 10 more to sign the petition and so on. All it takes is 9 such steps, provided that each signee is unique.
(4) Learn about climate change at http://ncar.ucar.edu/learn-more-about/climate

The petition originator is Prof. Ranga B. Myneni, Professor in the Department of Earth and Environment at Boston University. Myneni’s research focus is evaluating climate change impacts to vegetation using satellite data. Myneni has about 30 years of research experience. More at http://cliveg.bu.edu/

View the original article here

How Climate Change Is Destroying The Earth

How Climate Change Is Destroying The Earth | Reef Relief #container { width:848px; }#feature { width:848px; }#sidebar { width:270px; }#footer { width:948px; margin: 20px auto 10px; }.inside { width:948px; }#custom-header-bg { width:848px; }#content { width:528px; }.post .wp-caption img { max-width:516px; }.post .wp-caption { max-width:526px; }.post .caption img { max-width:512px; }.post.normal .postimage { width:528px; }.post.thumb .postimage { height: 100px; } .post.thumb { width:242px; }.post.thumb .postimage { width:242px; }body { font-family: Arial, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:13px; background-color:#edeeef; }.post { font-size:13px; }h1,h2,h3,h4,.post .post-title a { font-family: Georgia, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; }#header h1.blog-title a { font-size:44px; color:#333333; }.post h1 { font-size:36px; color:#005eab; }.post .post-title a { font-size:36px; color:#005eab; }h2 { color:#005eab; }a { color:#007a4b; }ul#navigation li a { color:#007a4b; }ul#navigation li.current_page_item a, ul#navigation li.current-cat a { color:#005eab; }ul#navigation li.current_page_item li a { color:#007a4b; }#footer-widgets li.widget { width: 182px; }ul#navigation { border:none; width: auto; float:right; margin-top: 8px; }ul#navigation li { padding-right: 15px;padding-left: 15px;border-right: #ddd 1px solid; margin:0; }ul#navigation li.last {padding-right: 0; border-right: none; }#feature img, .post.normal img { border: #ddd 1px solid; }#content table.cke_editor { margin:0; }#content table.cke_editor tr td { padding:0;border:0; } jQuery("document").ready(function(){jQuery("ul li").hover(function(){jQuery(this).parent().parent().addClass("onSub");},function(){jQuery(this).parent().parent().removeClass("onSub");});}); Who We AreOur MissionBoard & StaffWhat We DoSupporters & SponsorsHistoryThe FoundersLearnCoral Reef EcosystemsFlorida’s Barrier ReefEducational MaterialsReef Hot SpotsAct NowEventsJoin our Online CommunityDonateVolunteerInternReef TipsTips for Divers and SnorkelersTips for Boaters and FishermenTips for Eco-Friendly LivingTips for Eco-Friendly DrivingStoreBlogContactPhotosCoral CampVideosScientific Studies| Memberships| Email to a friend How Climate Change Is Destroying The Earth

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Declare War On Climate Change. We demand President Obama and Congress accept Climate Change as an enemy of the people.

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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US scientists’ consensus – Climate change is already having major effects on ecosystems and species

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/

Emerging consensus shows climate change is already having major effects on ecosystems and species

December 2012. Plant and animal species are shifting their geographic ranges and the timing of their life events – such as flowering, laying eggs or migrating – at faster rates than researchers documented just a few years ago, according to a technical report on biodiversity and ecosystems used as scientific input for the 2013 Third National Climate Assessment.

The report, Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity, Ecosystems, and Ecosystem Services, synthesizes the scientific understanding of the way climate change is affecting ecosystems, ecosystem services and the diversity of species, as well as what strategies might be used by natural resource practitioners to decrease current and future risks. More than 60 US federal, academic and other scientists, including the lead authors from the U.S. Geological Survey, the National Wildlife Federation and Arizona State University in Tempe, authored the assessment.

Wide-ranging change to ecosystems
"These geographic range and timing changes are causing cascading effects that extend through ecosystems, bringing together species that haven't previously interacted and creating mismatches between animals and their food sources," said Nancy Grimm, a scientist at ASU and a lead author of the report.

Other key findings of the report include:

Changes in precipitation and extreme weather events can overwhelm the ability of natural systems to reduce or prevent harm to people from these events. For example, more frequent heavy rainfall events increase the movement of nutrients and pollutants to downstream ecosystems, likely resulting not only in ecosystem change, but also in adverse changes in the quality of drinking water and a greater risk of waterborne-disease outbreaks. Changes in winter have big and surprising effects on ecosystems and their services. Changes in soil freezing, snow cover and air temperature affect the ability of ecosystems to store carbon, which, in turn, influences agricultural and forest production. Seasonally snow-covered regions are especially susceptible to climate change because small precipitation or temperature shifts can cause large ecosystem changes. Longer growing seasons and warmer winters are already increasing the likelihood of pest outbreaks, leading to tree mortality and more intense, extensive fires. Decreased or unreliable snowfall for winter sports and recreation will likely cause high future economic losses. The ecosystem services provided by coastal habitats are especially vulnerable to sea-level rise and more severe storms. The Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts are most vulnerable to the loss of coastal protection services provided by wetlands and coral reefs. Along the Pacific coast, long-term dune erosion caused by increasing wave heights is projected to cause problems for communities and for recreational beach activities. However, other kinds of recreation will probably improve due to better weather, with the net effect being that visitors and tourism dollars will shift away from some communities in favour of others. Climate change adaptation strategies are vital for the conservation of diverse species and effective natural resource policy and management. As more adaptive management approaches are developed, resource managers can enhance the country's ability to respond to the impacts of climate change through forward-looking and climate science-informed goals and actions. Ecological monitoring needs to be improved and better coordinated among federal and state agencies to ensure the impacts of climate change are adequately monitored and to support ecological research, management, assessment and policy. Existing tracking networks in the United States will need to improve coverage through time and in geographic area to detect and track climate-induced shifts in ecosystems and species.

Read more at http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/us-warming.html#cr

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Insurance Industry Is Taking Climate Change Seriously

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Now that it’s paying an average of $50 billion a year in weather- and climate-related losses, the insurance industry has become a believer in global warming.

A new study of 1,148 mitigation and adaptation programs in 51 countries—activities that cost a total of $2 trillion—shows that insurance companies have become strong supporters of reducing carbon emissions and minimizing the risks posed by extreme weather.

“Climate change stands as a stress test for insurance, the world’s largest industry with U.S. $4.6 trillion in revenues, 7% of the global economy,” writes Evan Mills, a scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at UC Berkeley. Mills’ study found that property damage and business disruption claims have been doubling every decade since the 1980s.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

Los Angeles Times:

Superstorm Sandy, which ravaged the Eastern Seaboard, is just one recent example of the kinds of increasing liability posed by severe weather events in a changing climate, Evans said.

Insurance industry representatives from the United States, Europe and Asia have been working with scientists on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since the 1990s to better understand their exposure to risks associated with rising global temperatures, Evans said.

Members of the industry have taken a lead role in raising public awareness of global warming, supporting climate research, and mounting efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by making their own operations more energy efficient, and through their investments in managing a $25 trillion portfolio, he said.

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