Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Reconciliation and Climate-Smart Agriculture

Angry Bear’s Mike Smith; I am a little baffled by our governments assessment of agriculture. Just today they released a few details about paying farmers to plant cover crop, as per this article here. House Budget Plan Offers Big Injection of Funds in USDA Conservation Programs House Budget Plan Offers Big Injection of Funds in […]

US crude at 24 month low, gasoline at 22 month low, total supplies at 42 month low

Focus on Fracking: US crude supplies at a 24 month low, gasoline supplies at a 22 month low, total supplies at a 42 month low; August global oil shortage was 2.77 million barrels per day Natural gas prices at 7 1/2 year high near a 12 year high before falling back; US crude supplies at […]

Polluting the Atmosphere for Free

Coming to a Close?, Quartz, Michael J. Coren & Clarisa Diaz Quartz has an article up on Carbon emissions which I found interesting. It is explaining why natural gas prices are increasing. Taking from the Quartz article, a few segments. The price of carbon has never been higher. In April, a metric ton of carbon in Europe […]

Lodestar

Time was when the future could be and was read from the tea leaves of the past. Elders, old-timers, and other records could tell us what to expect in the way of weather. That wasn’t so long ago. Today, all we have to go on is the scientific models. The past no longer applies when […]

Norway’s Climate Dilemma

Norway’s Climate Dilemma Carlos Joly, a finance-and-climate consultant, has a piece today on the upcoming election in Norway, one of the world’s major exporters of oil and gas.  To its credit, Norway puts its earnings in a fund to support future generations after its deposits are exhausted, known to economists as the Hartwick Rule.  That’s great for […]

A Little Bit Can Go A Long Way

Economist-Farmer Michael Smith gives us a view of how serious the drought conditions are and the impact on the nations agriculture. Post after post of hydraulic shovels pulling orchards up in California, news of the large almond producers having to cull hundreds of acres at a time to divert water and resources to other parts […]

Gasoline and Natural Gas Supplies, Alaska drilling

Gasoline supplies at a 42 month low; natural gas supplies still 16.5% lower than a year ago; offshore Alaska drilling resumes; Commenter Blogger RJS, MarketWatch 666 This Week’s Rig Count Number of drilling rigs active in the US increased for the 40th time out of the past 47 weeks during the week ending August 13th, […]

The Golden Seed

Economist Farmer Michael Smith continues his take on Agricultural Economics. The Golden Seed . . . “Drought Resistance by Engineering Plant Tissue-Specific Responses” ____________ I’ll cut to the chase, for centuries we have been searching for the golden goose to lay the golden egg. This search for perfection in an imperfect world leads our collective […]