California is set to become the first viable commercial market for dimethyl ether (DME), with a research and development facility planned for Los Angeles.

Former Maine Governor Angus King, an independent, sounds off against critics of Maine Power. Calling out a Saudi Prince who told Fareed Zakaria on CNN that he hopes the US does not find alternatives to fossil fuels, Gov. King has this to say to wind opponents:

Walking through Prizren, Kosovo, one feels excitement at what this charming town of 70,000 could achieve in a few short years. Water and sewer lines are benefiting from upgrades. Homes and apartments are starting to crowd out houses that had been abandoned and became decrepit.

While oil companies fund any effort that sabotages a shift to clean technology, many oil companies benefit from government largess. US producer subsidies reached US$52 billion, Canada cuts checks that total $US2 billion to oil companies, and even the European Union subsidizes oil production at the cost of US$8 billion.

A German military think tank has drafted a report that discusses the impact that peak oil could have on the world’s economy. The Bundeswehr refuses to comment publicly, but the fact that “peak oil” is actually expressed in the document is sobering news.

The Obama Administration told us that these oil leases were approved for drilling because they were far from the coast, were “safe,” and in the spirit of compromise, offshore drilling advocates were thrown a bone in order to get some kind of climate change legislation crammed through Congress.