Topic: Government
Iran stores abundant fuel oil on supertankers Iran has been storing straight-run fuel oil on supertankers for at least three months, in an unprecedented move prompted by China s poor feedstock deman ... moreIn 1913, Lord Northcliffe, who owned the Daily Mail, offered Β£10,000 to the first men to fly the Atlantic from North America to Ireland or England in less than 72 hours. The prize was won b ... more
The real key to economic recovery isn #8217;t in the form of a piece of legislation waiting for passage in Congress or on the President #8217;s desk awaiting signature. In fact, the real key to econom ... more
Mexican drug cartels cripple Pemex operations in basin Reporting from Reynosa, Mexico The meandering network of pipes, wells and tankers belonging to the gigantic state oil company Pemex have long ... more
The economic reforms initiated by India Government in 1991 targeted the industrial sector, which have added new dimensions to industrial growth in general and Indian cement industry in particular. Ami ... more
Several researchers address the failure of e-government (EG) in developing countries. Researchers studying the failure of information and communication technology (ICT) and EG systems reveal that the ... more
Wall St. firm behind slow solar pace on federal lands? - Goldman Sachs subsidiary bought lots of leases but hasn't used them ROACH DRY LAKE, Nev. Not a light bulb's worth of solar electricity ... more
Santiago, Chile's capital city, has undergone numerous changes in its urban fabric due the process of economic globalisation since mid 1980s, affecting its social, physical and economic configurations ... more
IEA predicts greater reliance on OPEC oil NEW DELHI - Global dependency on the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) for oil will rise in the next five to 10 years as pr ... more
The primary purpose of this study was to introduce an up-surging trend of technological entrepreneurship in Korea during the last decade and to determine how governmental policy for promoting technolo ... more
We need a better understanding of the 'environmentalist's paradox' We hear lots of concerned chatter these days not least, here on this site - about peak oil, peak water, deforestation, resource d ... more
Interview with Michael Smith (Part 2 of 2) I feel the peak/plateau period is much delayed because of the recession. Currently I am looking at around 2020 - perhaps as late as 2025. But of course it is ... more
Oil Price Ignores Long-Term Supply Worries You could be excused for seeing a grim metaphor for the death of the oil age in the scenes of destruction visited on the U.S. Gulf coast this summer. Howeve ... more
John Michael Greer - Green Wizardry: A response to Rob Hopkins Rob Hopkins is a smart guy, and even though he s garbled a fair number of the details, his post raises useful points regarding some of ... more
This week a study on peak oil by a German military think tank was leaked on the Internet. The document shows that the German government is closely studying the issue of peak oil, and is aware of the p ... more
A series of public technological platforms (PTPs) has emerged in China over the recent years. PTPs may share certain characteristics with government-sponsored R D consortia which have flourished in Ja ... more
This paper advocates periodical monitoring of fuel quality for conformation to quality standards. The Fuel Quality Monitoring System (FQMS) aims to phase out off-specification fuel from the market by ... more
Health professionals have a responsibility to respect and support patients who use cannabis for medicinal purposes, but must stay within the law and follow professional guidance at all times. UK resea ... more
Judge rules against U.S. government on oil drilling HOUSTON (Reuters) A federal judge on Wednesday rejected the U.S. government's request to dismiss an industry lawsuit challenging its deepwater o ... more
This week a study on peak oil by a German military think tank was leaked on the Internet. The document shows that the German government is closely studying the issue of peak oil, and is aware of the p ... more
The news on Monday that one in six Americans are now enrolled in government poverty programs (Medicaid, food stamps, unemployment insurance and welfare) was an unsettling reminder of the economic fix ... more
Despite its potential benefits to growth, entrepreneurial activity remains limited in Pakistan. Governmental policy has been placed historically on large-scale manufacturing as opposed to SMEs. This h ... more
Determinants of RFID adoption among Logistics Service Providers in Malaysia: a discriminant analysis
Some states are taking a two-faced approach to the healthcare overhaul law.Seven states are suing to overturn the healthcare reform law, saying it's unconstitutional, the Associated Press reports. Bu ... more
The Peak Oil Crisis: Prospects for China The key question in all this is how much longer China's economic miracle can continue before the realities of finite mineral resources force a slowdown? Anoth ... more
With the rapidly growing Chinese economy in the past few decades, the people of mainland China are now enjoying increasingly more economic benefits than ever before. Out of the many growing technologi ... more
Milk is well known as a great dietary source of protein and calcium, not to mention an indispensable companion to cookies. But "nature's perfect food, " a label given to milk over time by a variety ... more
Lenders Back Off of Environmental Risks Blasting off mountaintops to reach coal in Appalachia or churning out millions of tons of carbon dioxide to extract oil from sand in Alberta are among environme ... more
Small business is very much in the news this week, as never in recent memory has there been so much expectation resting on small business owners and entrepreneurs to lead the way. With plenty of data ... more
Kurt Cobb - Personality profile: Do you "go with the flow" or do you "stock up" just in case? Why is it that some people believe they can really store up much of anything? Yes, it is wise to have emer ... more
Dallas-based Parkland Memorial Hospital hid information from outside auditors working on behalf of federal government investigators, according to an internal memo that recently was recovered by the Da ... more
In the Darwinian world of healthcare today, public hospitals may not be fit enough to survive. As standalone hospitals, they don't have the resources to upgrade and meet new requirements, the Wall Str ... more
Biofuels Firms Buy Up African Land, Cause Deforestation, Food Output Loss Biofuels companies from the U.K. to Brazil and China are buying up large swaths of Africa, causing deforestation and diverting ... more
The age of easy, cheap oil maybe getting over slowly The Arctic is thought to hold the world s largest reserves of untapped oil and gas, with as much as a fifth of remaining undiscovered oil located ... more
In the last couple of years, there has been a growing concern about the amount of coal that remains in the productive reserve for the world. At the same time, the incoming British Government, which h ... more
The age of easy, cheap oil maybe getting over slowly The Arctic is thought to hold the world s largest reserves of untapped oil and gas, with as much as a fifth of remaining undiscovered oil located ... more
In the last couple of years, there has been a growing concern about the amount of coal that remains in the productive reserve for the world. At the same time, the incoming British Government, which h ... more
The most recent Health Wonk Review, hosted by Joe Paduda at Managed Care Matters, raises provocative questions about making health care reform a reality. You ll find Paduda s round-up of some of t ... more
This has been a busy week. I had started a longer Campfire piece on Democracy and Gresham's Law but didn't finish. Instead, lets share 3 things that we learned this week. How about '2 facts and an ins ... more
Summer vacation time is winding down, but there are lots of great upcoming events to help you learn, connect and jump into Fall. This list of small business webinars, events and conferences is brought ... more
A new US oil rush could rock OPEC It contains hundreds of billions of barrels of light crude oil and thousands of wells and should be scaring the pants off any oil exporter needing high crude prices ... more
This has been a busy week. I had started a longer Campfire piece on Democracy and Greshams Law but didn't finish. Instead, lets share 3 things that we learned this week. How about '2 facts and an insi ... more
North American businesses, social economy organisations and government agencies are tackling the challenges of declining non-renewable energy resources and climate change by voluntarily purchasing gre ... more
A new US oil rush could rock OPEC It contains hundreds of billions of barrels of light crude oil and thousands of wells and should be scaring the pants off any oil exporter needing high crude prices ... more
Dealing With Scarcity Julian Cribb, in his book The Coming Famine (which I reviewed today over in Arts), contends that we ve already seen peak oil the time when production can do nothing b ... more
Big Oil ticked off at new money law NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A new law requiring oil companies to disclose all payments made to governments has sparked a sharp debate, with Big Oil saying it will pu ... more
Wind Turbine Projects Run Into Resistance BARSTOW, Calif. The United States military has found a new menace hiding here in the vast emptiness of the Mojave Desert in California: wind turbines. Mo ... more
On Wednesday, August 25, I gave a presentation called How limited global oil supply may affect climate change policies at the MIT-NESCAUM Endicott House Symposium on climate change. The audience inclu ... more
On Wednesday, August 25, I gave a presentation called How limited global oil supply may affect climate change policies at the MIT-NESCAUM Endicott House Symposium on climate change. The audience inclu ... more
Good Intentions, Bad Policy Perhaps the single most important policy-related insight in economics is that changes in policies lead to behavioral responses. More generous unemployment insurance leads t ... more
This Sunday, August 29, is the fifth anniversary of the day Hurricane Katrina inundated New Orleans, which touched off one of the most egregious and most publicized tragedies in modern American his ... more
Summary: When I wrote Money-Driven Medicine, the Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much (Harper Collins, 2006), #0160; Rick Scott stood out as one of the more memorable characters in a #0160; rogues ... more
Saint John's Health Center of Santa Monica, which LA Weekly refers to as the hospital to the stars, will pay the U.S. government $5.25 million to settle claims of over-billing Medicare."This is a good ... more
BP frozen out of Arctic oil drilling race BP has been forced to abandon hopes of drilling in the Arctic, currently the centre of a new oil rush, owing to its tarnished reputation after the Gulf of Mex ... more
There #8217;s no reason for entrepreneurs to be down in a down economy. In fact, it #8217;s been the inventiveness of entrepreneurs and small businesses in the past that have spurred on economic recov ... more
In 2006, when the government began offering prescription drug coverage for seniors through Medicare Part D, the goal was to increase utilization of prescription drugs by the elderly who may not have b ... more
Once upon a time, microloans were primarily for entrepreneurs who lived in economically disadvantaged communities or were considered part of underserved populations. During the recession, however, mic ... more
Had North Carolina billed Medicaid upon prisoners receiving inpatient treatment from hospitals and other healthcare providers, the state could have saved about $11.5 million a year, an audit found, ac ... more
Oil analyst: U.S. policy detached from market reality The world is running out of oil. This prediction could be made today, of course, but it also has been stated with moral certainty numerous times ... more
Last week I had my first visit with my new primary care doctor. I picked him based on recommendations (plus he s one of the few that accepts my insurance), and also because he seemed to be an eager ... more
Children who eat school lunches that are part of the federal government's National School Lunch Program are more likely to become overweight, according to new research. Yet children who eat both the b ... more
FACTBOX - China's fledging shale gas exploration (Reuters) - China last week launched its first national shale gas research centre to support the country's development of the fuel. Encouraged by the ... more
Universities are widely cited as engines of the knowledge economy, with public policy increasingly viewing universities as integral to economic growth and competitiveness. This new function, colloquia ... more
The flu kills more than 35,000 people in the United States in an average year -- and most of those deaths could be prevented with a simple vaccine. After last year's H1N1 outbreak, the government says ... more
(TrendHunter.com) Plans for the Southern Sudan urban redesign project suggest a mammoth nationwide undertaking in celebration of its anticipated independence next year. The government intends to reor ... more
Calls to tackle rising oil imports BEIJING - China, which is set to import more than 55 percent of its oil needs this year, should seek greater diversification of oil imports, build more stockpiles an ... more
This is a guest post by Steve Andrews and John Theobald. Sally Odland and Randy Udall also contributed. Andrews and Udall are retired co-founders of ASPO-USA. Odland and Theobald are formerly assoc ... more
There is no question is my mind that nearly all corporate and individual email accounts will soon be managed in the cloud, a model that is referred to as cloud mail. This will be a major change for ma ... more
Selling 2 year delays in childbirth. SATARA, India Β Sunita Laxman Jadhav is a door-to-door saleswoman who sells waiting. She sweeps along muddy village lanes in her nurseΒs white sari, calling on n ... more
Analysts warn of threat to oil price stability The deteriorating global economic outlook and weakening OPEC discipline could force oil prices as low as US$50 per barrel within the next year, analysts ... more
This is a guest post by George Mobus. George is an Associate Professor of Computing and Software Systems at the University of Washington, Tacoma. His blog is Question Everything. Solving the Unemploym ... more
Government action to address climate change has been very varied and industries in the developed world, especially those that which are energy intensive, are increasingly concerned about the potential ... more
On Friday, the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission reopened waters that had been closed to recreational fishing. Some of those areas had been closed since April 30. Now, after more than 100 da ... more
(TrendHunter.com) I'm salivating over the Embassy Pen. As a writer, tools such as these ignite a light in my eyes and put a skip in my step. I may be strange, but there's something out there that doe ... more
The last Presidential election here in the U.S. was run on a platform of change. But, as usual, most of that change has happened far beyond the political arena. Meanwhile, here in the small business c ... more
Crude Oil Declines to Six-Week Low Amid Signs U.S. Recovery Is Faltering Crude oil declined to six-week low as rising U.S. jobless claims and a contraction in manufacturing added to concern growth in ... more
This Small Business Trends roundup is all about getting down to business. Small business owners and entrepreneurs know that after all the planning its time to make things happen. But to do so, small b ... more
Summary: #0160; Could we bring our nation s health care bill down from 17% of GDP to 12%? An intriguing study from Milliman, the independent consulting and actuarial firm, says yes. Looking at ... more
Telehealth, which can shrink the distance between patients and specialists and cut costs while improving patient outcomes, got a big boost when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger launched what will ... more
Bangladesh shuts gas filling stations for Ramadan DHAKA (AFP) Energy-starved Bangladesh has shut natural gas filling stations in Dhaka for six hours a day to ensure enough household fuel for the M ... more
This is a guest post by David Fridley, known on The Oil Drum as Spraxis. See end of post for more information. The scramble for alternatives is on. High oil prices, growing concerns over energy securi ... more
A leaky product development pipeline is hampering the country's ability to ensure a steady output of new medical countermeasures, such as medications, vaccines, equipment and supplies needed for healt ... more
Infectious tropical diseases such as river blindness and trachoma can be compelling targets around which to rally government and community campaigns to combat these scourges . But are these progra ... more
For most of my business life, and probably most of yours, there has been one constant: inflation. Things always cost more tomorrow than today, more next year than last year. Because of this, wages and ... more
Cuba plans 7 Gulf of Mexico oil test wells - U.S. group HAVANA (Reuters) Cuba plans to drill seven exploratory oil wells in its Gulf of Mexico waters over the next two years, according to a U.S. o ... more
(TrendHunter.com) The proposed Czech Embassy in the US is a completely eco-friendly building with low environmental impact. Designed by 'Your Building Here,' the proposed building was for the Embassy ... more
Peak oil theory has peaked and there is no apocalypse now Simmons predicted a collapse of 30 or 40 per cent of [Saudi] production ¦ sometime in the next three to five years but it could even ... more
Summary: #0160; Some optimistic liberals have begun to suggest that if conservatives manage to block the Affordable Care Act (ACA) , this #0160; could open the door to better reform legislation.Why th ... more
Crude prices likely to rise on firm global demand Peak Oil is the time when petroleum-extraction activity in the world reaches an optimal level. Thereafter, the rate of oil production enters a termina ... more
More testing by BP is underway, and we continue to wait until the tests are reviewed and analyzed. The relief well can be drilled at earliest next week end. The decision to go ahead may come as early ... more
As China Expands in Latin America, Tensions Fester at Its Mining Venture in Peru SAN JUAN DE MARCONA, Peru In its worldwide quest for commodities, China has scoured South America for everything fr ... more
Update by Gail, Sunday am: BP has been told to keep working on its relief well. On Saturday, Admiral Allen said he wanted additional testing before BP was given orders to proceed with the relief well, ... more
Our list this week has some really good opportunities to learn and network, whether you get our there to one of the big conferences or log in from your desktop. This list of small business webinars, ... more
Efficiency in the service section is a significant issue in the global trade. The increase of the influence of the service industry on the economy causes more and more firms to be sensitised to servic ... more
The study provides the historical context of the Russian aviation industry reflecting the periods of its growth and decline. It reveals the competitive advantage strategies that have been implemented ... more
Besides BP's massive offshore oil spill, we have been reading about Enbridge's much smaller oil spill in Michigan. The amount of the Michigan oil spill is estimated to be 19,500 barrels, which is well ... more
Oil industry's deep well of fear There is an open secret in the oil industry that dare not speak its name: peak oil. Well, two did speak its name and gained no acclaim for it. One, M. King Hubbert, d ... more
Much of the focus of recent efforts at the Deepwater Horizon well site have been focussed on getting the relief well down to do a bottom kill of the well. However, in recent remarks the possibility h ... more
Washington (PRESS RELEASE #8211; August 10, 2010) #8211; The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation have agreed to work together to str ... more
After the House voted this week to approve a $26 billion aid package to states $16 billion of which will go toward helping keep strained Medicaid programs limping along Rep. Joe Barton, of Texas, ... more
A Chicago-area cardiologist was sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing $13 million from Medicare and more than 30 other public and private healthcare insurance programs over the course ... more
Tom Whipple: A Gathering in Louisville Every year the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) holds a conference where legislators from all over the U.S. gather for updates on major policy co ... more
This is a guest post by David Fridley, Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). David posts under the name Sparaxis. Everyone knows that it takes energy to produce anything. The ... more
IEA Raises Forecast for Global Oil Consumption Even as 2011 Growth Slows Global demand for oil will exceed the International Energy Agency s earlier estimates, even as the adviser predicts the econo ... more
Contractors hired as private eyes to combat Medicare fraud have let cases go cold, Associated Press reports. Although $835 million in questionable Medicare payments were identified by private contract ... more
Atlantic Hotter Than Before Katrina, Boosting Storm Forecasts William Gray, who pioneered seasonal hurricane forecasting at Colorado State University 26 years ago, rings a bell each Aug. 20 and tells ... more
Global warming heats up a nuclear energy renaissance: Global warming and the BP oil spill have helped rehabilitate nuclear energy in the eyes of the public and some environmentalists. Public and p ... more
One of the questions I was asked earlier in the spill was, "Do you expect other countries to stop drilling in deepwater locations, because of the oil spill?" My response was, "Maybe a bit, in a few lo ... more
Not So Easy The writers and editors at Nature this past week boldly proclaimed, with some carefully qualified caveats, that producing enough food for the world s population in 2050 will be easy. M ... more
Transferring technology from government-funded research centres to technological partners can generate both opportunities and losses for research and development investment. Formulating an appropriate ... more
China says to maintain trade cooperation with Iran (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang told the visiting Iranian oil minister on Friday that Beijing would maintain cooperation with Tehran on e ... more
Below the fold is a post I wrote a little over two years ago--in May 2008--about the deplorable state of the US electrical transmission system. The situation may have improved somewhat since then, ina ... more
Health Wonk Review offers a summary of some of the most provocative health care posts of the preceding two weeks. The newest edition went up today, and it s hosted by the Disease Management Care ... more
> After Jerry Douthett of Rockford, Ill. passed out drunk and his dog chewed part of his big toe off, he learned he had diabetes. The dog, Kiko, was probably drawn to the sweet smell of decaying flesh ... more
Who produces most diamonds?AMID much media interest, Naomi Campbell, a model, gave evidence on Thursday August 5th at the special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. Charles Taylor, the former dictat ... more
Oil glut in Middle East as crude sales falter The Gulf region, which supplies 40 per cent of the world s oil, is glutted with crude that producers cannot immediately sell, even as US and European oi ... more
In a ruling against the Obama administration, a federal judge in Virginia issued a procedural decision to allow a suit filed by Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cucinelli against the Affordable Care ... more
Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) as a strategy helps improve the performance of a manufacturing firm by integrating various areas of manufacturing, both in terms of materials and information fl ... more
The recession withstanding, government-backed small business loans account for billions of dollars in lending (valued at $711.3 billion in May 2009, the last time an SBA study was conducted). Yet many ... more
Ingenix, the health information technology branch of UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH), announced that it will acquire Executive Health Resources, a Newtown Square, Pa. company that provides medical nece ... more
Hospital leaders, take note. Your older, male physicians pose greater malpractice risks than your younger or female doctors, according to a report released yesterday by the American Medical Associatio ... more
In a mostly symbolic swipe at the Obama administration's healthcare reform law, Missouri voters overwhelmingly opposed the provision that requires people to buy health insurance, the New York Times re ... more
EU Seeks Caspian Gas Accord to Cut Russian Dependence The European Union is seeking an agreement on a natural-gas pipeline between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan as the 27-nation bloc aims to import Casp ... more
This post was published in June 2009 under the name The Fifth Problem: Peak Capital. The five main elements of the world model developed in "The Limits to Growth" study according to Magne Myrtve ... more
Researchers will soon be testing the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL) system on human subjects, using a brain-controlled interface. Scientists and engineers developed the underlying technology under an a ... more
Editor's Note: Students from Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering are working in Tanzania to help improve sanitation and energy technologies in local villages. The student-led group, known as H ... more
In a ruling against the Obama administration, a federal judge in Virginia issued a procedural decision to allow a suit filed by Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Cucinelli against the Affordable Care ... more
Predictions of Coal, CO2 Production Flawed, Says Latest Research AUSTIN, Texas The CO2 emission estimates used for government policy decisions assume unlimited coal and fossil fuel production for ... more
If you stop and think about it, you might think it a bit odd that everybody is still talking about the Great Recession when the economy has been growing for a full calendar year. Except, of course, th ... more
Clinical trials to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of new drugs are expensive investments for pharmaceutical companies and other funding organizations--and failures can mean scrapping years of ... more
The creative industries label is gaining increasing currency throughout academia and government circles. It is a tag that represents a conflation of cultural and economic qualities for the purposes of ... more
This paper dwells with the negative and positive impact of an ongoing economical recession on small and medium scale industries in the state of Punjab. It not only explores the post-independence indus ... more
JPMorgan Cuts Forecasts on 2010, 2011 New York Oil Prices as Demand Slows JPMorgan Chase Co. lowered by 5.5 percent its forecast for New York oil prices this year on speculation a slowdown in global ... more
This post was up yesterday, but the discussion may have gotten confusing, because it was part of an open thread. I am putting the post back up, to facilitate discussion in a more organized manner. - ... more
Renewable resources becoming a real alternative Abu Dhabi s first major solar power project, a field of panels at the edge of the capital, cost US$50 million (Dh183.6m) to build in late 2008. If the ... more
Buying gas to fuel Gulf oil sales Maximising oil exports from the GCC will hinge on the region importing more gas, the Scottish consultancy Wood Mackenzie says. Wood Mackenzie has belatedly realised ... more
Friday evening, the US House of Representatives passed legislation that would remove the $75 million liability cap on economic damages incurred by offshore drilling activities by oil companies. The U ... more
In Bad Medicine the Cato Institute white paper exploring The Real Costs and Consequences of the New Health Care Law, Cato senior fellow Michael Tanner declares the individual mandate, ... more
ANALYSIS - Iran sanctions could add to gasoline glut (Reuters) - The impact of disrupted Iranian fuel supplies following tough new sanctions is likely to hit gasoline markets after the peak summer sea ... more
Friday evening, the US House of Representatives passed legislation that would remove the $75 million liability cap on economic damages incurred by offshore drilling activities by oil companies. The U ... more
Summary: As regular readers know, not long ago Cato Institute senior fellow Michael Tanner published a 52-page critique of the new health care legislation titled Bad Medicine, and I decided to write ... more
The aim of this study is to identify the factors that encourage citizens to adopt e-government in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), specifically in Dubai. The UAE is considered one of the leading countr ... more
The concept of website quality is consisting of many criteria: quality of service perspective, a user perspective, a content perspective or indeed a usability perspective. This research conducts some ... more
Renewable resources becoming a real alternative Abu Dhabi s first major solar power project, a field of panels at the edge of the capital, cost US$50 million (Dh183.6m) to build in late 2008. If the ... more
This week #8217;s list has some excellent opportunities for growing companies to learn and network over the next few months. This list of small business webinars, events and conferences is brought t ... more
This post was up yesterday, but the discussion may have gotten confusing, because it was part of an open thread. I am putting the post back up, to facilitate discussion in a more organized manner. - ... more
JPMorgan Cuts Forecasts on 2010, 2011 New York Oil Prices as Demand Slows JPMorgan Chase Co. lowered by 5.5 percent its forecast for New York oil prices this year on speculation a slowdown in global ... more
Starting a business need not be scary and you don #8217;t need to be a seasoned entrepreneur to get on the right road to success. In fact, for the most successful entrepreneurs, the key has been simpl ... more
Elective abortions will not be covered by the temporary high-risk health insurance pool program, according to an interim final rule released by the Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday. ... more
Is your small business insured? Are you carrying the right kind of insurance to protect you, your company, your employees and your customers? These are the questions we faced as we were working to lau ... more
A Florida judge knocked a GOP-backed healthcare amendment off the November ballot, calling its wording "manifestly misleading," the Associated Press reports. The proposed constitutional amendment woul ... more
Fossil Fuel Subsidies Are 12 Times Support for Renewables, Study Shows Global subsidies for fossil fuels dwarf support given to renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power and biofuels, Bloo ... more
Author's Note: Art Berman (aeberman) is an Oil Drum staff member and geological consultant whose specialties are subsurface petroleum geology, seismic interpretation, and database design and manageme ... more
We need you, small business owners and entrepreneurs. To start new businesses and create new jobs. To drag us out of this long recession and into new prosperity with new ideas and new vision. In fact, ... more
Without modern sanitation , life would be nightmarish--human and animal wastes would fester on the streets along with garbage and food scraps, producing a stench so foul that you'd want to keep your ... more
Iran s top oil customer buys less China s imports of Iranian crude oil fell by almost a third in the first half of the year, new figures showed this week. Volumes have decreased just as new US an ... more
Matt Simmons, author of Twilight in the Desert, has long been one of the most famous and influential voices on the subject of peak oil. After the release of his book, Simmons rose to fame as Saudi Ara ... more
As government and private payers look to pay-for-performance (P4P)--also called value-based purchasing--as the payment model that will push providers to produce higher-quality patient care at a lower ... more
Mitsui Says Oil Tanker Possibly Attacked Near Hormuz Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd., operator of the world s second-largest oil-tanker fleet, said one of its ships may have been attacked near the Strait o ... more
Australia: Food security plan essential for the national interest While people discuss the threat of obesity in the suburbs and in the seat of power, nobody talks about the threat of global food scarc ... more
U.S. Says 27% of Gulf of Mexico Oil Production, 10% of Gas Idled by Storm About 27 percent of crude-oil production in the Gulf of Mexico and 10 percent of natural-gas output is still idle because of T ... more
A California-wide survey of 118 nonprofit hospitals showed that base salary for CEOs averaged $514,000, according to Payers Providers, a healthcare business publication. Add bonuses, retirement mone ... more
The healthcare overhaul law, which was supposed to increase access to healthcare, may have exactly the opposite effect for some children.Later this year, the law requires insurers to accept all childr ... more
South Florida continues to distinguish itself as a hotbed of Medicare fraud. A husband and wife team pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Miami for participating in a $13.7 million HIV infu ... more
Suppose President Obama is considering different alternatives to stimulate job creation. One focuses on the largest businesses, the other on medium-sized firms, and the third on the smallest companie ... more
Nuclear experts seek to advance fusion project MARSEILLE, France (AFP) An explosion in costs has cast a cloud over a multi-billion-dollar nuclear fusion project aiming to make the power that fuels ... more
Anita Campbell recently blogged in this space that the government #8217;s efforts to spur small business lending have largely fallen flat. Last year I blogged here about how big banks including Wells ... more
Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing crisis Global electricity demand is growing again after a lull last year related to the economic slowdown. The result is more countries face electricity s ... more
Worsening electricity shortages fuel growing crisis Global electricity demand is growing again after a lull last year related to the economic slowdown. The result is more countries face electricity s ... more
Three of every four oil and gas lobbyists worked for federal government Three out of every four lobbyists who represent oil and gas companies previously worked in the federal government, a proportion ... more
Scientists: Oil plumes definitely from BP's well TAMPA, Fla. -- Researchers in Florida say they have the first scientific proof that two plumes of oil beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico came fr ... more
E.P.A. Considers Risks of Gas Extraction CANONSBURG, Pa. The streams of people came to the public meeting here armed with stories of yellowed and foul-smelling well water, deformed livestock, pois ... more
This post is long, but summarizes a lot of interesting results with respect to biofuels. Some readers may not have had a chance to read it during the week, so I thought I would put it back up. - Gail ... more
E.P.A. Considers Risks of Gas Extraction CANONSBURG, Pa. The streams of people came to the public meeting here armed with stories of yellowed and foul-smelling well water, deformed livestock, pois ... more
Most of you probably know that Congress, aided and abetted by the Government Accountability Office, came down on consumer genomics companies like a ton of bricks yesterday. I am still sifting through ... more
In New York state, some 900 medical malpractice cases are pending. And there's a good chance not all will go to trial, because come fall, a pilot program will take a different path to judge-directed n ... more
Several major major women #8217;s business organizations have announced a comprehensive action plan to achieve exponential revenue growth and job creation among women #8217;s businesses over the next ... more
A comparison of the current state of the healthcare system in the UK and the new system proposed under legislation pushed through by Barack Obama s government, shows some surprising results. ... more
A Big Oil Field in Central Asia Isn't Earning What Chevron Planned On ATYRAU, KAZAKHSTAN A single oil field here in Central Asia stands ready to produce nearly as many barrels each day as the enti ... more
Summary: Not long ago the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac) came out with a data book on Medicare spending. The information is condensed into tables and charts. #0160; As I looked at the c ... more
US court halts Arctic oil drilling for review WASHINGTON (AFP) A US judge ordered a halt to offshore oil and gas drilling off the north coast of Alaska for a new environmental review. Federal Jud ... more
Below the fold is the 3rd in a series of posts providing analysis (and follow up) on the difficulties of maintain our current energy paradigm with renewable energy (generally, 'the fake fire brigade') ... more
Who #8217;s in your small business corner? If your small business has no one to turn to, how can you work to improve your company #8217;s opportunities on your own? Unfortunately much promised help fo ... more
The Cato Institute s Michael Cannon has replied to Part 1 of my response to Cato s report on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) .You ll find his reply here. Unfortunately, the ... more
Government scientists are reporting that eight of the most commonly used oil dispersants used to fight oil spills, such as the massive episode in the Gulf of Mexico, appear unlikely to act as endocrin ... more
FACTBOX - Oil reserves: declining - but how fast? (Reuters) - A declaration by Venezuela last week that it hopes soon to overtake Saudi Arabia as the country with the biggest oil reserves has stoked d ... more
This is a guest post on my request from DoDo, contributing editor at European Tribune, who works in the railway sector. In technical English (and many other languages), electricity generation is commo ... more
Planning for Earth Peter H. Gleick rsquo;s ldquo; Freshwater Use rdquo; [Solutions to Environmental Threats] neglected to mention one obvious water-conservation measure: meter all freshwater and c ... more
Who says summer is a slow time? Not for small business events #8211; Don #8217;t miss these great events, conferences and webinars for growing companies this summer and fall. This list of small busin ... more
Disturbing news for entrepreneurs: A study from Syracuse University #8217;s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC), reported in Forbes, reveals that in the last five years, the number of ho ... more
The federal government s attempts to improve small business access to credit have largely proved ineffective so far, says a report by the Congressional Oversight Panel. Although the Troubled Asset ... more
State boards and agencies around the country failed to alert the federal government of health professionals they disciplined, leaving huge gaps in the federal database that hospitals use to weed out d ... more
Caribbean System Has a 40% Chance of Developing Into Cyclone, Center Says An area of thunderstorms and clouds is becoming more likely to develop into a tropical cyclone in the next two days, the U.S. ... more
This is a guest post by Rod Adams, author of Atomic Insights Blog. Pick up almost any book about nuclear energy and you will find that the prevailing wisdom is that nuclear plants must be very large ... more
Because of the number of comments, this is a third copy of this post. The previous post can be found at http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6752. The White House says the well is leaking at the top and a s ... more
Because of the number of comments, this is a second copy of this post. The previous post can be found at http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6749. At the end of last week, BP began the testing of the Deep ... more
At the end of last week, BP began the testing of the Deepwater well cap, closing all the valves and stopping the flow of oil and natural gas into the Gulf waters. With this cut-off in flow, the volum ... more
Does Middle East Oil Get a Carbon Subsidy? The federal government s position on ethanol fuel is that it must contribute less to global warming than gasoline does, or why bother promoting it. Yet by ... more
This is the second copy of this thread. The previous one can be found at http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6746. Update: 9:00PM EDT Sunday: Admiral Allen has sent a letter to BP about seeps which have b ... more
AP has released this story (link here), entitled "(Anonymous) Official: Seep found near BP's blown out oil well." The last open thread where this was being discussed (all throughout, but especially to ... more
Rethinking the Measure of Growth Andy Xie, a private economist in Shanghai, has long argued that the 1.3 billion people in China cannot realistically hope to live like Americans. That statement is ... more