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Justin Mikulka

Is the U.S. Fracking Boom Based on Fraud?

Is the U.S. Fracking Boom Based on Fraud?

In a 2016 interview with Fraud Magazine, former Enron CFO Andrew Fastow explained what he thought made him so successful while at the former energy corporation that’s now infamous for financial scandal. “I think my ability to do structured financing, to finance things off-balance sheet and to find ways

The Fracking Industry's Methane Problem Is a Climate Problem

The Fracking Industry's Methane Problem Is a Climate Problem

Methane is shorter-lived in the atmosphere but 85 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a 20 year period.

Stanford Study Says Renewable Power Eliminates Argument for Using Carbon Capture with Fossil Fuels

Stanford Study Says Renewable Power Eliminates Argument for Using Carbon Capture with Fossil Fuels

New research from Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson questions the climate and health benefits of carbon capture technology against simply switching to renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

New Estimates Predict a Lot More Renewable Power Growth in the U.S. Very Soon

New Estimates Predict a Lot More Renewable Power Growth in the U.S. Very Soon

After revising its three-year U.S. power forecast, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has predicted major declines for fossil fuels and nuclear power alongside strong growth in renewables by 2022, according to a review of the data by the SUN DAY Campaign, a pro-renewables research and education nonprofit. “FERC‘

Fracking 2.0 Was a Financial Disaster, Will Fracking 3.0 Be Different?

Fracking 2.0 Was a Financial Disaster, Will Fracking 3.0 Be Different?

This post originally appeared on DeSmog. Two years ago, the U.S. fracking industry was trying to recover from the crash in the price of oil. Shale companies were promoting the idea that fracking was viable even at low oil prices (despite losing money when oil prices were high). At

The Inevitable Death of Natural Gas as a ‘Bridge Fuel’

The Inevitable Death of Natural Gas as a ‘Bridge Fuel’

But signs are emerging that, despite oil and gas industry efforts to shirk blame for the climate crisis and promote gas as part of a “lower-carbon fuel mix,” the illusion of natural gas as a bridge fuel is starting to crumble.

Fracking in 2018: Another Year of Pretending to Make Money

Fracking in 2018: Another Year of Pretending to Make Money

2018 was the year the oil and gas industry promised that its darling, the shale fracking revolution, would stop focusing on endless production and instead turn a profit for its investors. But as the year winds to a close, it’s clear that hasn’t happened.