The last decade — ever since it became clear in the mid-2000s that conventional oil fields around the planet were running low — has been the era of “extreme oil.” Big Oil promised the world that the wonder of new technologies — most notably hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, as well as other advances in drilling capabilities — would make it possible to tap rich...
Environmental Must-Reads – July 26, 2013
A selection of the latest headlines and must-read articles on issues ranging from fracking to the BP oil spill.
Surprise, surprise: New evidence about BP disaster suddenly turns up
At the start of the BP civil trial now underway in New Orleans, I expressed my pleasure that more of the facts of what happened on the Deepwater Horizon rig on, and leading up to, the night of April 10, 2010, would finally be aired for the public to see, in an open court of law. Sure enough, the first couple weeks of the case — with billions of dollars in penalties against BP as well as rig...
BP trial showing the world that Big Oil cannot be trusted
Like a lot of you, I’ve been keeping a close eye on what is happening with the BP civil trial here in New Orleans. As I wrote last week, the airing of what really happened on the Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010 — in a case that many of us never thought would ever come to trial — has been a Godsend of vital information for the American public. I applaud the U.S. Justice...
BP begs for settlement as sharpened sword of justice looms
In a few hours, the government’s massive civil case against BP in the Deepwater Horizon spill is finally slated to come to trial. As we noted on the blog last week, it’s unusual for a case this large — with so much to lose for both sides — to come before a judge. The fact that the U.S. Justice Department has been pressing forward is a powerful signal of confidence by the...