Let's Go! Mercy Poll | Shell Let's Go!:
*While we at Shell are grateful the US Government will tolerate the necessary disruption of the marine ecosystem in the pursuit of vital resources, we also recognize that many of our customers experience knee-jerk reactions to the news that so many mammals will be affected. It is to address these concerns that we at Shell are launching the Let's Go! Mercy Poll. This poll allows you—the public—to openly and democratically determine which Arctic mammal could have its Level B Harassment "take" reduced by half during Shell's upcoming Arctic drilling activities. (Such harassment is defined as the disturbance of animals' feeding, breeding, nursing, migration, shelter, and breathing activities.)
YES, THIS ABOVE LINK IS FOR REAL AND WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE PLEASE THAT THIS COMPANY NOW HAS A BIGGER STAKE IN THE BROWSE. CORPORATE GREED IS GREED NO MATTER THE BRAND NAME.
Photo Damian Kelly
ACTION OF THE DAY
A MAJOR national bank has been forced to remove more than 100 misleading out of order signs from its ATMs after being targeted by anti-coal activists.
A MAJOR national bank has been forced to remove more than 100 misleading out of order signs from its ATMs after being targeted by anti-coal activists.
A score of ANZ Banking Group machines sprawled across six capital cities were plastered with "out of order" signs on Sunday after campaigners launched their latest bid to draw attention to the bank's funding of the coal industry.
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With several weeks of summer left we have a new ice melt record.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/arctic-ice-melts-to-record-low-scientists-20120828-24x5m.html
The sea ice in the Arctic Ocean has melted to its smallest ever level in the latest dramatic sign of the long-term impact of global warming, US researchers say.
Scientists at the University of Colorado at Boulder said data recorded on Sunday broke the 2007 record for the lowest extent of sea ice and that the melt could become even more significant with several weeks of summer left to go.
The planet has charted a slew of record temperatures in recent years, with 13 of the warmest years ever taking place in the past decade and a half.
Scientists say climate change is largely caused by human emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases, which hinder the planet's reflection of the sun's heat back into space.
The melting of Arctic sea ice has helped open up new shipping lanes but is also believed to hold serious consequences for the rest of the planet as the ice serves a vital function in keeping the planet cool.
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No wonder Canberra doesn't give a damn about JPP,our tax dollars are directly funding the elite units that are responsible for the torture and murder of these people.
How did the Indo's get the West Papuans to sign away their country?
They handpicked tribal elders and had them sign away their country.
Ring any bells?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-27/human-rights-abuses-in-west-papua/4225844
Resistance leaders in the restive Indonesian region of West Papua say they are losing their struggle for independence as authorities step up a decades-long campaign of abuse and intimidation.
After almost 50 years of Indonesian rule, the reins of control are being pulled tighter than ever, with human rights groups saying the frequency and ferocity of abuse is on the rise.
There are even claims that an elite counter-terrorism unit, one that has been funded and trained by Australia, is operating in West Papua where it is accused of targeting and killing independence leaders.
This is not in fact a real Shell website. This is part of a well documented brand hijacking that started with THIS FAKE WEBSITE some months ago. See this article for details
ReplyDeletehttp://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/shell-social-media-oil-spill-a-coordinated-online-assassination-20120719-22bpe.html
You know it's fake, right?
ReplyDeleteYes i have rellies who live at the north pole and they tell me the ice is thicker than ever.
DeleteGINA RINEHARTS ADVICE FOR PEOPLE TO GET RICH - don't drink don't smoke don't go to the pub etc.
ReplyDeleteLocal member Barry Haase had kind words to say about Gina Rinehart’s recently reported comments.
“Mrs Rinehart has in no way denigrated those who work or even those who don’t, she merely pointed out that if one is jealous of the wealthy, they should do their best to succeed and gave a few basic tips on how to achieve this,” Mr Haase said.
“We need to encourage more Australians to be entrepreneurial and become billionaires.”
You would think anyone close to mining would have heard the old addage,(for those living in dongas and trying to save),"W**K W**K - MONEY IN THE BANK !
NO NEED TO BEAT ABOUT THE BUSH GINA - WE KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/banks-fear-gunns-almost-out-of-bullets-20120902-258co.html
ReplyDeleteSLUGCATCHER STRIKES AGAIN - ANYONE WITH A SUBSCRIPTION?
ReplyDeleteDanger signs growing
Monday, 3 September 2012
SLUGCATCHER last week saw a series of significant international developments that represent very powerful warning signs for Australian LNG developers.
Thanks to Goolarabooloo
DeleteIn China, unconventional gas exploration aimed at supplying up to a quarter of that country’s gas demand from coal seams and tight shales was boosted by Royal Dutch Shell confirming plans to spend $US1 billion ($A973 million) a year on shale gas exploration.
At first glance, both events appear to be separate. Different countries. Different issues.
When looked at as pointers to the way the global gas market is developing though, the lessons for Australia’s LNG industry can be clearly seen – and they are not good.
The Russian experience, which means 130 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Shtokman field will remain untouched for another decade, was mainly about cost and price.
Technical issues related to the location, 600km north of Russia in the Barents Sea, could be handled, just. A solution had even been worked out to handle icebergs, calved as a result of global warming, with floating platforms installed that could be shifted off-site as required.
Clever technology could not, however, overcome the fact that the two major markets for Shtokman gas, the US and/or Europe, have dried up and might not return; Europe due to its deep recession, and the US thanks to the development of its own shale gas deposits.
It is early days in the Chinese shale gas hunt. However, the fact that Shell has committed to spending $US1 billion a year exploring in the country is a sobering reminder that the Chinese gas market could go the same way as the US, with domestic gas production squeezing imported gas out of the market.
Australian gas project developers will be watching with interest the latest cancellation of the Shtokman project as they too battle with high construction costs, approval delays, ownership shuffles and uncertainty about the future price of the LNG they plan to produce.
If Shtokman is a capital cost and export market issue, then China’s shale gas hunt is a wake-up call about what might happen should discovery in that country follow the US experience.
While the Russian and Chinese developments occurred far from Australia they are reminders that gas is becoming a commodity as freely traded as oil. However, for project developers there is one enormous difference: oil projects generate rapid cash flows in their early years, quickly repaying capital; they can have a short but profitable life
Gas projects take decades to retire the debts incurred during construction and are exposed to long-term price movements. They have a longer life than oil projects, but never match oil for payback speed.
Companies planning major LNG projects in Australia, including Woodside with its Browse development and ExxonMobil with Scarborough, will be closely watching events in Russia and China.
At Shtokman, the decision to walk away was made by Russia’s dominant gas producer, Gazprom. It announced it had agreed with its two western partners, Total of France and Statoil of Norway, to shelve plans on the grounds of cost and risk.
Interestingly for Australia’s LNG industry, a third reason for the postponement was the potential for major gas projects being developed on the east African coast thanks to recent discoveries in Tanzania and Mozambique.
The African projects could become a threat to Australia’s LNG industry on cost grounds and because they will have a short sailing distance to Asia’s gas markets.
In China, the senior Shell executive in that country told Reuters the $US1 billion shale gas investment plan followed the signing of a joint venture with the China National Petroleum Corporation, which is estimated to control 60% of China’s oil industry and 75% of its gas industry.
The deal exposes Shell to what could be the world’s largest accumulation of unconventional gas with success in China raising interesting questions for its involvement in LNG projects in Australia, especially those with less robust economics.
We remain in interesting times.
ROGER ON ALAN KOHLERS INSIDE BUSINESS 2/9/12.
ReplyDeleteThey have been looking at the balance sheets of Chinese shipbuilders,cement makers,steel etc.,and have found bills that were being paid in 10 days are now taking 125 days.
Their customers are going broke very fast.
There is a possibility that iron ore prices could halve to $40 or $50 a tonne which could halve Rio's and BHP's share price - God knows what that would do to FMG,Mt. Gibson & Atlas.
FMG could be loosing $30 for every tonne shipped.
With household debt in Australia at record highs,about 170% today,compared to 30% 50 years ago,people just can't take on any more debt - no matter how low interest rates are.
Lookout for real estate,something the Chinese are buying up big,at high prices.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/14734305/state-rolls-out-rail-amid-gloom/
Spending across Government would be scrutinised in coming months to protect the State's triple-A credit rating and Budget surplus amid tumbling iron ore prices, Treasurer Troy Buswell said yesterday.
The warning came as a key economic index suggested the WA economy was in for its toughest six months since the global financial crisis. It said sectors outside the mining industry were particularly vulnerable.
The gloom did not stop Mr Buswell and Premier Colin Barnett committing to a six-year, $1 billion-plus mission to equip Perth's northern corridor and central east and west with 22km of light rail.
Shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt said he was "flabbergasted" Mr Buswell had estimated the MAX would cost about $1 billion based on a light rail system on the Gold Coast.
"That was 13km long that cost $1 billion now, as opposed to this project that's 22km long six years from now," he said.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/the-surplus-is-history-20120831-254dm.html
In the last several days, the national airwaves have been treated to another underwhelming debate about whether or not this year's budget surplus will be reached.
As usual the government insists that everything in on track despite commodity prices like iron ore and coal collapsing and the circulation of credible reports suggesting there is already a $10 billion hole in this year's forecasts.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/world-business/steel-traders-expose-chinese-banks-bad-debts-20120903-259aa.html
ReplyDeleteThe battle between the banks and steel traders also exposes flaws in the 4 trillion ($620 billion) stimulus round in 2008, and offers a warning to those calling for pumping more money into the system. At that time, Chinese banks threw money at the steel trade - a crucial cog in supplying the country's massive construction and infrastructure growth.
But those steel loans, after offering a quick fix, became excessive, poorly managed, or a combination of the two. Government officials insisted more money was needed to prop up the industry. Steel executives said the money flow was too heavy, and they had to put the money to work in real estate and the stock market.
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"After the financial crisis, when the government released its stimulus, banks begged us to borrow money we didn't need," Li Huanhan, the owner of Shanghai Shunze Steel Trading, told a judge at a recent hearing. "We had nothing to do with the money, so we turned to other investments, like real estate."
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By the end of last year, China's steel industry had a total debt burden of $400 billion - around the size of South Africa's economy. Some of China's leading mills alone owe 200-300 billion yuan, according to the China Iron and Steel Association.
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Reports of steel traders fleeing China are becoming more widespread, as are local media articles of indebted executives committing suicide.
Ratings agency Fitch said last week that China's steel sector continued to suffer from oversupply and weak prices could persist through the first quarter of 2013. China's biggest steelmaker Baoshan Iron and Steel has predicted a "most difficult" third quarter.
"There's good reason for the banks' lack of confidence in steel traders," said Arthur Kwong, head of Asia Pacific Equities at BNP Paribas Investment Partners in Hong Kong, which has total assets under management of $640 billion globally. "When you have an industry where people run away after falling behind on their loans, that doesn't inspire a lot of people."
Re the Slugcatcher piece above :
ReplyDeletehttp://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Its-Official-China-Embraces-Oil-Shale-and-Fracking.html
YES IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR GAS,
http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Its-Official-China-Embraces-Oil-Shale-and-Fracking.html
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that China contains the world’s largest reserves of shale gas, with 1.275 quadrillion cubic feet of “technically recoverable” shale gas. The U.S., by contrast, has a paltry 862 trillion cubic feet of estimated shale gas reserves.
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By 2020, China intends for shale gas to provide 6 percent of its energy needs. In its 12th Five-Year Plan, covering 2011-2015, the Chinese government outlined a goal to produce 229.5 bcf of shale gas within the next three years, with a goal to increase shale production at least 1,000 percent between 2015 and 2020.
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BUT ALSO FOR THE HIGH OIL PRICE THAT WOODSIDE RELY ON SO MUCH TO PAY FOR THEIR STUFF UPS.
A partial solution? Oil shale - China has roughly 240 billion tons of accessible oil shale reserves. According to data developed by China's National Energy Administration, about 10 million tons of oil can be produced from these reserves annually.
Ding is in no doubt of the necessity to produce petroleum from oil shale, saying, "The oil shale industry is essential to safeguarding China's energy security."
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AND ELSEWHERE :
Monday, 03 September 2012
Cheniere Energy filed its application with regulators for a second US LNG export plant on the Gulf coast at Corpus Christi in Texas, and also applied to the US Department of Energy for permission to export LNG from the plant to countries such as Japan and China.
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Monday, 03 September 2012
The Japanese and Russian governments are announcing the formal go-ahead this week of the joint venture Vladivostok LNG project at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Russian Far East port. The Vladivostok LNG plant will be similar in scale to nearby Sakhalin LNG (pictured).
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