Reducing Emissions
Being punished for following the law
Yesterday a jury in a New Hampshire state court handed down a $236 million judgment against ExxonMobil over the use of MTBE in gasoline, the latest chapter in a story that has dragged on for 10 years. MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether, is an oxygenate that was blended in gasoline to reduce lead exposure…
“All the (unexciting, but transformative) news fit to print”
The readers of The New York Times opened their papers this morning to find an insightful column with some, perhaps, unfamiliar ideas. In the “Axis of Ennui,” respected columnist David Brooks writes about the “boring” people and industries that are transforming the U.S. economy for the better. At the top of his list is the U.S. energy industry.
“The most important energy innovation so far of the 21st century”
At a hearing earlier today on Capitol Hill, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Daniel Yergin briefed members of Congress on the extraordinary nature of the recent increase in domestic oil and natural gas produced from unconventional sources like shale. I wanted to highlight a few of the points he made to explain why the dramatic increase in production of shale gas and tight oil amounts to “the most important energy innovation of the 21st century.”
Exports debate shows new oil and gas production creating American jobs
This morning, ExxonMobil filed our submission with the U.S Department of Energy for the open-comment period of a recent study on the economic implications of LNG exports. That study concluded that natural gas exports would yield net economic benefits for the United States. Its conclusions also reinforce the fact that the country’s enormous natural gas resource base can support both growing domestic use of natural gas for manufacturing and electricity generation as well as LNG exports.
Sound science and the truth about “fugitive emissions”
Two new studies directly address a claim from last year when some Cornell scientists asserted that natural gas from shale produces more lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than coal. Those scientists blamed “fugitive” methane emissions said to escape during the recovery of natural gas. After the study’s release, The New York Times and other media outlets gave the report tremendous coverage. But coverage does not equal credibility.
An emissions success story from Canada’s oil sands
Canada has one of the world’s largest resources of energy in the oil sands regions of Alberta. The oil sands are a critical resource helping support U.S. energy security and economic growth – and industry is making continuous improvements in the environmental profile of their development. A prime example is ExxonMobil’s Kearl Oil Sands Project.
