OP ED's by MarEx's Editor-in-Chief

While Tony's on a well deserved vacation we thought we'd share some of his recent OP-ED's with you in case you missed them. Click on the titles to read the full article. Beyond Petroleum.....A Global Impetus for Clean Energy While the U.S. struggles with its oil spill crisis in the Gulf, which will bring about a new series of regulatory mandates on the oil industry, other issues like “cap and trade” and the EPA’s clean-air regulations have gained more traction on Capitol Hill due to the spill. The global economy and especially the U.S. economic engine are still driven by a material that was created in geological processes over millions of years and is now being rapidly depleted in less than two hundred years of consumption. However, there is the dawning of a new worldwide industry—clean energy—which has experienced a 230 percent increase in investment since 2005. A Crude Awaking In the Gulf The BP oil spill has exposed the US’s inability to cease oil production in the Gulf of Mexico even in the face of an unprecedented ecological disaster. Even as the crude soils the coastwise beaches, sensitive wetlands and destroys businesses, the offshore industries are demanding the administration end its six month moratorium on deepwater drilling. On the human level it’s about jobs, but the loss of production is estimated to be 26,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the fourth quarter and 70,000 bpd in 2011, which will have a profound effect on the nation’s economic engine and its ability to emerge from the global economic crisis. Senator McCain LEAVES Washington… To: The Honorable John McCain Dear Senator McCain: With all due respect, it’s time for you to LEAVE Washington because the agricultural lobbyists have persuaded you to dispose of one of the most essential pillars of national security for profits. Even our Founding Fathers acknowledged the national security implications of moving U.S. cargoes on U.S. vessels within U.S. waters. Your bill to repeal the Jones Act, S-325, states: ”Specifically, the Jones Act requires that all goods shipped between waterborne ports of the United States be carried by vessels built in the United States and owned and operated by Americans. This restriction only serves to raise shipping costs, thereby making U.S. farmers less competitive and increasing costs for American consumers.” Farmer Jones & Mable... benefit from the repeal of the Jones Act...but at what cost? The Federalization of Energy “The Times, They Are A Changing………” BP announced it has already spent $2 billion managing the GOM oil spill and compensating its victims ($105 million to 32,000 claimants). Well, in a laissez faire capitalistic environment where a company like BP announces 2009 total profits of $14 billion and $66 million per day in the 1st quarter of 2010, does anybody really give a damn what it costs BP to make this catastrophe right? Not Enough Lifeboats........"2" It's been too many weeks of “top kill,” “junk shot,” controlled burns, dispersants and hi-tech domes and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is still a calamity of immeasurable proportions, which is still continuing to devastate the environment and economies of the Gulf States. For the White House the spill has been yet another test of competence and leadership, and the glaring truth is there are not enough lifeboats for everyone. Tony Munoz is the Editor-in-Chief of the Maritime Executive Magazine and the MarEx Newsletter. He can be reached at [email protected].