COAL DYING INDUSTRY

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Four Charts That Should Make the Coal Industry Nervous, 

Very Nervous

Wind energy is on track to break records this year as renewable energy overtakes coal as the source of new electricity generation.

August 05, 2014 By Todd Woody

Todd Woody is TakePart's senior editor for environment and wildlife.

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Coal-fired power plants still supply about half the United States’ electricity, but those days are numbered. One indicator: The American Wind Energy Association reported Monday that at the end of June, nearly 15,000 megawatts' worth of wind power was under construction.

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How much coal-fired capacity was built in all of 2013? A grand total of 1,507 megawatts, according to the U.S. Energy Information Agency. 

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Here’s Why Al Gore Is Optimistic About the Fight Against Climate Change

The U.S. installed three times more renewable energy capacity last year than it did coal. That's in comparison with the 6,861 megawatts’ worth of natural gas–fired power plants that came online in 2013. That capacity is just for so-called utility-scale power plants and doesn’t count, for example, solar panels installed by homeowners and businesses. Californians alone put more than 300 megawatts’ worth of solar panels on their roofs in 2013.

Keep in mind that just 1,032 megawatts of wind power capacity was built in 2013 because of the expiration of a key federal tax credit that brought the industry to a dead stop last year. In January, however, Congress extended the subsidy for another year, triggering the current building boom.

The map below shows how the renewable energy landscape has shifted over the past decade.

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Hydropower historically has been by far the largest source of carbon-free electricity in the U.S., as the map from 2003 shows. But by last year, non-hydro renewable energy—mainly solar and wind—was routinely generating more electricity. “April marked the eighth consecutive month that total monthly non-hydro renewable generation exceeded hydropower generation,” the EIA reported last week, noting that the number of states where non-hydropower produced more electricity than hydropower has doubled to 33 since 2003.

Finally, this map shows where wind projects are under construction, indicating the growing economic stakes states have in promoting renewable energy. No state is more invested in wind power than oil-rich, Republican Texas, where nearly 60 percent of that 14,600 megawatts of new electricity capacity is being built. 

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Robert Writt vs. Shell Oil Company

Robert Writt vs. Shell Oil Company – Update

Aug 23rd, 2014 

by John Donovan. 

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The litigation relates to a corruption case in which Shell was ordered to pay $48 million (£29.4m) in civil and criminal fines after its contractor (Panalpina Inc.) bribed Nigerian customs officials. It appears Shell decided  to make Robert Writt the fall guy for Shell’s involvement in the massive corruption scheme (targeting officials of a host country) by turning Writt in to the US federal authorities in the belief that Shell was safe from legal retribution by him. The Appeals Court decided otherwise.

By John Donovan

The Texas Supreme Court has agreed to hear Shell Oil Co.’s argument it shouldn’t have to face defamation charges from a former Shell Project Manager, Robert Writt who the company reported to federal authorities as potentially responsible for a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violation at a Nigerian oil and gas project.

Shell is appealing a lower court ruling that cleared the way for Writt to continue pursuing a defamation claims against Shell. 

Shell had managed to have the case blocked on a legal technicality, but the Court of Appeals of the first District of Texas overturned the decision.

The case is:

NO.01-11-00201-CV ROBERT WRITT, Appellant

V.

SHELL OIL COMPANY AND SHELL INTERNATIONAL, E&P, INC., Appellees

I have provided access to a bundle of court documents running to 143 pages, which includes a judgement and opinion rendered on 25 June 2013.

The appeals court ruled that Shell Oil Co could potentially be held liable for defaming Robert Writt when it informed federal authorities that he had violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act while working for Shell.

The litigation relates to a corruption case in which Shell was ordered to pay $48 million (£29.4m) in civil and criminal fines after its contractor (Panalpina Inc.) bribed Nigerian customs officials.

Extract from Daily Telegraph article from November 2010 headlined: Shell to pay $48m Nigerian bribe fine

Four of Panalpina’s other clients in addition to Shell were also fined, including Transocean, Tidewater, Pride International and Noble Corp.

“These companies resorted to lucrative arrangements behind the scenes to obtain phony paperwork and special favours, and they landed themselves squarely in investigators’ crosshairs,” said Robert Khuzami, the director of enforcement at the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

Shell contended that the report it supplied to the US Dept of Justice after conducting a two year long internal inquiry at Shell, which cost the company $10 million, was protected by absolute privilege and consequently it was immune from the defamation law suit brought against the company by Robert Writt.

However, the Appeals Court decided that Shell could not evade Writts defamation suit on these grounds. 

Writt filed his suit against Shell Oil Co in 2009, alleging wrongful termination and defamation arising from the companys report to the Dept of Justice that had implicated him in the Panalpina bribery scheme.

It appears that Shell decided to try to make Robert Writt the fall guy for Shell’s involvement in the massive corruption scheme (targeting officials of a host country) by turning Writt in to the US federal authorities, in the belief that Shell was safe from legal retribution by him. The Appeals Court decided otherwise.

Panalpina agreed to pay $11.3 million in the SEC case and $70.6 million in the DOJ case. It had allegedly paid out bribes totaling over $27 million to officials in countries including Angola, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Nigeria and Russia.

Shell and its affiliates paid $18.1 million in the SEC case plus a $30 million criminal fine for its role in Foreign Corrupt Practices Actviolations that  included supplying $2 million to subcontractors to fund Panalpina bribes paid to Nigerian customs officials.

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Posted in: Africa, Bribery, Business Principles, Corruption, Gas, GoogleNews, John Donovan, Kashagan, Litigation, Nigeria, Oil, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Russia.
Tagged: Litigation · Nigeria · Oil · Royal Dutch Shell Plc

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Corruption Allegations Against Shell...update on OSSL

Update on OSSL Corruption Allegations Against Shell

Aug 22nd, 2014 

by John Donovan. 

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By John Donovan

A contributor to the Shell Blog has requested an update on the long running OSSL saga. OSSL is the former “Mr Fixit” company working for Shell in Ireland that blew the whistle on alleged corruption surrounding the controversial Corrib Gas Project.

There have been two internal investigations by Royal Dutch Shell and three by the Irish police authorities. All reached the conclusion that there is no evidence to support the OSSL allegations.

In fact, there is evidence but for obvious reasons, neither the police nor Shell want to reveal the truth.

OSSL directors are continuing to bombard Shell, the Garda and other parties with emails every day. That aspect has turned nasty and I completely disassociate myself and this website with the emailing campaign and demands for payment by OSSL from Shell.

My sole interest is in the truth being exposed, as it will be.

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Posted in: Bribery, Business Principles, Corrib Gas Project, Corruption, Garda, Gas,GoogleNews, Ireland, John Donovan, OSSL, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Shell.
Tagged: Corrib Gas Project · Gas · Ireland · John Donovan · Royal Dutch Shell Plc

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‘Bomb Trains’ Speeding to Disaster...article from LA PROGRESSIVE

Railroad ‘Bomb Trains’: Speeding to Disaster BY WALTER M. BRASCH Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on emailShare on pinterest_shareMore Sharing Services4 It’s 3 p.m., and you’re cruising down a rural road, doing about 50. A quarter mile away is a sign, with flashing yellow lights, alerting you to slow down to 15. It’s a school zone. But, you don’t see any children. Besides, you’re going to be late to your racquetball match. So, you just slide on past. You’re an independent long-haul trucker. You get paid by the number of miles you drive. If you work just a couple of hours longer every day than the limits set by the federal government—and if you can drive 75 or 80 instead of 65, you can earn more income. You have your uppers and energy drinks, so you believe you should be able to work a couple of hours a day more than the regulations, and drive faster than established speed limits. Railroad derailments in the United States last year accounted for more than one million gallons of spilled oil, more than all spills in the 40 years since the federal government began collecting data. Now, let’s pretend you’re the CEO of a railroad. Your trains have been hauling 100 tanker cars of crude oil from North Dakota to refineries in Philadelphia and the Gulf Coast. That’s 100 tankers on each train. A mile long. About 90 percent of the 106,000 tanker cars currently in service were built before 2011 when stricter regulations mandated a new design. The older cars are susceptible to leaks, explosions, and fires in derailments. But, because of intense lobbying by the railroads, they are still carrying oil. Railroad derailments in the United States last year accounted for more than one million gallons of spilled oil, more than all spills in the 40 years since the federal government began collecting data. The oil pollutes the ground and streams; the fires and explosions pollute the air. Most of the derailments threatened public safety and led to evacuation of residential areas. One derailment led to the deaths of 47 persons, the destruction of a business district, and an estimated $2 billion for long-term pollution clean-up and rebuilding of homes and businesses. Three derailments, including one in a residential area of Philadelphia, occurred this past year in Pennsylvania. The derailment and explosions of “bomb trains” became so severe that in May the Department of Transportation declared the movement by trains of crude oil from North Dakota derived by the process known as fracking posed an “imminent hazard.” The federal government wants to reduce the speed limit for those trains carrying highly toxic and explosive crude oil. If you’re Hunter Harrison, CEO of Canadian Pacific (CP), you say you “don’t know of any incidents with crude that’s being caused by speed,” and then tell your investors, “We don’t get better with speed [reduction]. We get worse.” If you’re Charles Moorman, CEO of Norfolk Southern, you agree completely with your colleague from CN, and say that a higher speed limit is safe. If you’re Michael Ward, CEO of freight giant CSX, you say that lower speed limits “severely limit our ability to provide reliable freight service to our customers.” You and your fellow CEOs have even had one dozen meetings with White House officials to explain why slower speeds are not in the nation’s best interest. You explain that your railroad should be allowed to determine the best speed for your trains. Driving a car through a school zone, you don’t have the right to determine your best speed. Driving a truck on interstate highways, you don’t have the right to determine your maximum speed. But, if you’re a multi-billion dollar railroad industry, you think you have the right to set the rules. Walter Brasch

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Sexploits of former Royal Dutch Shell Executive

Sexploits of former Royal Dutch Shell Executive Andrew Manley 

Aug 20th, 2014 

by John Donovan. 

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By John Donovan

Andrew Manley worked at Shell for 30 years, leaving at the end of January 2010.

By then he was Downstream-One Programme Director. 

Mr Manley was a hapless individual and his emails were prone to leakage.

I published them, including the one when he announced his departure to no doubt delighted colleagues.

The IT project he led was plagued by delays. 

Mr Manley left to become an overpaid“high-flying Ministry of Defence mandarin.”

He grew very close to his 32 year old private secretary Laura Clare who he quickly promoted to be his chief of staff. Both are shown right. She obviously had impressive credentials.

Once again he became embroiled in a bungled IT project but quit his £200,000 job during an inquiry into whether he had an inappropriate relationship with Ms Clare. 

As if he would.

Related Articles

Ministry of Defence chief quits after probe into his relationship with blonde aide – and 47 nights in luxury hotel: Daily Mail

Leaked Andrew Manley email reveals Voser impact on Shell Downstream-One plans

Leaked Shell Email: Downsteam-One Director Andrew Manley leaves Shell

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Posted in: Daily Mail, GoogleNews, Leaked Shell Emails, Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Shell.
Tagged: Royal Dutch Shell Plc

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Reggie Watts Goes Solar for #ClickClean

from

 

Greenpeace USA 

Published on Aug 18, 2014

Let's face it, you've been clicking dirty. But that can change. Join us, and ask Internet companies to switch to a greener online, so we can all enjoy a greener offline. Learn what's up at clickclean.org
#ClickClean

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