Obama Striving to Put an End to Oil Subsidies

President Obama's proposed 2013 budget seeks to end "unfair' oil subsidies. As evidenced by his State of the Union addresses in 2009, 2010,, 2011, and 2012, the President has repeatedly tried to put an end to oil subsidies.

Oil Spills off the Coast of New Zealand and Nigeria

Oil spills off the coast of New Zealand and Nigeria continue to make the point that oil has far-reaching consequences for the environment and the economy. On December 20, last year Nigeria experienced yet another oil spill, the worst in over a decade. Prior to that The Greek cargo ship Rena that ran aground off the coast of New Zealand on October 5, and then broke in two early in January 2012. Hundreds of tonnes of oil have spilled from the ship killing hundreds of birds. The Rena is already New Zealand's worst maritime disaster, and authorities say the situation will worsen with the release of even more oil.

State Department Hearings for the Keystone XL Pipeline

On September 26th, the State Department began a series of hearings on the Keystone XL pipeline. Two very different views were expressed at public meetings in two states on Monday. People in Kansas criticized the Keystone XL pipeline for being environmentally destructive, while people in Texas praised the pipeline.