For a region like North America, low oil prices are a godsend. We use more oil overall and more oil per capita than anywhere else. Around 20 million barrels of the roughly 100 million used each day across the planet are consumed by the United States alone. But for nations like Venezuela, falling oil prices can spell political chaos. The Latin American nation saw some serious chaos this week:
A police helicopter launched a daring attack on the Venezuelan Supreme Court Tuesday, in a dramatic escalation of the months-long crisis engulfing the regime of President Nicolas Maduro. The helicopter was apparently stolen and piloted by an officer in the country's investigative police force, Oscar Perez. As it strafed the court building and the Interior Ministry in Caracas, the attackers fired gunshots and lobbed grenades, officials said.
The attackers apparently made a preliminary video of their crusade and got away after the incident. This comes as Venezuela has been teetering on total collapse for months. In large part because state subsidies for food and medicine were contingent on higher oil prices. The nation produces about 2.4 million barrels of oil a day and is the eighth or ninth largest oil exporter.
I remember the first Netroots Nation, called Yearly Kos at the time, when many of us met for a science vs the Bush administration chat session and complained about creationism and barring of stem cell research for half an hour. Then one person pointed out that the real science issue facing us is energy: where best to get it, how to avoid the worst of the damaging price swings, and what forms might have the least harmful impact.
That was a real good point. Many of us grew up during another big price delta, the one in the mid- and late ‘70s, when oil skyrocketed. In fact, the second round of increases happened right before I got my first learner’s permit and kinda screwed up my precious teen social life! So, what follows below is an incomplete list of possible forms of energy and a few pros and cons of each. I’ll update those points in the event someone comes up with a good one.
from Daily Kos http://ift.tt/2uzvLUd
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