Latest news with #Whitehouse
Bangkok Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Bangkok Post
US senator warns of fossil fuel coup, economic reckoning
WASHINGTON - One of the US Senate's leading climate advocates says President Donald Trump's administration no longer governs -- it "occupies" the nation on behalf of Big Oil. In an interview, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island blamed the sweeping rollback of environmental protections on a flood of unlimited, anonymous corporate political spending, and said exposing the scale of this "fraud" is key to breaking its grip. His remarks came as the death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas linked by scientists to climate change threatened to surge further. "This isn't even government any longer," the 69-year-old told a small group of reporters ahead of an address to Congress Wednesday -- his 300th so-called "Time to Wake Up" speech, delivered as activists reel from Trump's actions. "This is an occupying force from the fossil fuel industry that has injected itself into the key positions of responsibility," said the lawmaker. "It has the appearance of being government -- they ride around in the black cars... they have the offices, they have the titles," he said. But in reality, "they're fossil fuel flunkies... and they care not a whit for public opinion or public safety." Big Oil spent at least $445 million to help elect Trump, according to a recent analysis by Climate Power, which said its figure was likely a vast underestimate because of undisclosed donations. - Dark money takeover - In his second term, Republican Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, gutted science agencies, fired researchers and forecasters, scrapped his predecessor Joe Biden's clean energy tax cuts and rolled back powerplant and vehicle efficiency standards. Whitehouse calls it the oil, coal and gas industry's "most sordid dreams come true" and says the stage was set by the 2010 Supreme Court "Citizens United" ruling, which unleashed an era of unchecked corporate political spending. A former state attorney general who battled corporate polluters, he recalled that when he first joined the Senate, climate bipartisanship flourished: John McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, had "a perfectly respectable climate platform," while Republican senators proposed bills. "These weren't little tiddlywinks, nibble-at-the-edges bills," he recalled, but would have genuinely changed the trajectory of climate emissions. Citizens United reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and opened the floodgates to dark money. "They were able to come into the Republican Party and say, 'We will give you unlimited amounts of money. You will have more money in your elections than you've ever seen before.'" - The way forward - Despite the bleak landscape, Whitehouse still sees a narrow path to climate safety — and points to several potential game changers. First, he cites the possible emergence of a global carbon pricing effort, spearheaded by the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which taxes importers based on their climate footprint. Countries like the UK, Canada, Mexico and Australia could join this movement, creating a de facto global price on carbon, enforced through trade -- without US legislation. Second, he says, Democrats can and must expose fossil fuel's stranglehold on the Republican party, a phenomenon he calls one of the "most grave incidents of political corruption and fraud that the country has ever seen," and pass a bill forcing donor transparency. Third, what was once framed as a crisis for polar bears -- and later as an opportunity for green jobs -- is today directly hitting Americans where it hurts most: their wallets. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has warned that climate change will shrink mortgage availability across swaths of the United States in the coming years as banks and insurers retreat from fire- and flood-prone regions. Risks could cascade from an insurance crunch into a broader mortgage collapse -- potentially triggering a 2008-style crash. Whitehouse predicts the fossil fuel industry's hold on Republicans won't last forever. "When it becomes clear what has been done here, then there's going to be a dramatic reset," he said. "A reckoning will come for this. There's no doubt about it -- it's just the nature of human affairs." Trump himself, he added, was merely swept along by the dominant current of the post-2010 Republican Party, with no ideological stake in the issue. As recently as 2009, he co-signed a full-page advertisement in the New York Times demanding stronger climate action from then president Barack Obama.
Spectator
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Whatever happened to Caroline Lane? A Margate mystery
Should you search for someone who has disappeared seemingly of their own volition? David Whitehouse, the author of novels that scooped the Betty Trask and Jerwood prizes and were shortlisted for the Gordon Burn and CWA Golden Dagger awards, happened upon a real-life mystery. Having his hair cut in Margate, he was told about a woman who had lived in the neighbourhood and vanished. The story came from a resident of the same block as the missing Caroline Lane. Whitehouse's interest was piqued. This is the background to Saltwater Mansions, the name of the apartment block from which Lane, a feisty (even grumpy) middle-aged woman had seemingly evaporated with no explanation. She had moved there in 2005 and made her presence well known to the residents' committee organising communal repairs. Although only one person remained in the block who had actually met Lane, Whitehouse does not skimp, and seeks out a man who had sat on the committee and been driven to distraction by Lane's refusal to comply with plans agreed by other residents. Whitehouse's probing would be a credit to any police force. He is fascinated by the fact that it was only her neighbours who noticed that Lane had disappeared. They reported her as a missing person, but the mystery was never solved. Whitehouse makes it his mission to find out what happened to Lane. But this is not just an investigation of a disappearance. Along the way, he questions the morality of delving into another person's private life. Isn't it their prerogative to leave town – or the world – if they wish? Is his interest prurient? At the same time he is haunted by the fact that when Lane's neighbours finally gained access to her flat to look for clues they found a vast pile of unopened mail and very little else. Why would this woman have carried on paying her direct debits for 13 years? Why would she have abandoned a flat she owned? And what was the legal situation for her neighbours, who were owed money for repairs, a sum that had swollen with each year? Whitehouse is interested in people, and his curiosity and ability to listen mean that he finds out the stories of others, many of them complex and coloured by past experiences. He even looks for the reason why his father is as he is, avoiding deep analysis of his emotions or searching conversations. Paradoxically, his long-standing disquiet about his father's inability to open up acknowledges the man's extreme altruism. A vivid portrait of Lane emerges from those who knew her. During one excruciating committee meeting, when she refused to agree with the other tenants and insisted on piling additional expenses on them by demanding an independent third-party audit, Mr Peake, the long-suffering secretary, 'had squeezed his mini pain au chocolat so tightly it was now roadkill in his palm'. The small touches can make one shiver. 'Caroline may have disappeared, but it didn't feel like something had happened so much as something hadn't. It was as though they heard an echo when there had never been a sound.' 'Outside Caroline's kitchen window, streaks of rust appeared on the fire escape's metal banisters, a copper red trail glittering in the midday sun.' Margate, too, is brought alive – downtrodden at first, then discovered by yuppies and gentrified. The rolling sea keeps time in the background like a metronome, its eternal nature testament to the fact that not all mysteries can be solved. Whitehouse realises that he has always associated the sea with an ending, invoking its presence at the close of his novels. His similes are poetic: 'I watched the tide edge out like someone trying not to wake a sleeping lover.' It would be a spoiler to hint at how the story ends. But the reader is left with the understanding that everyone has their tale to tell, and that the reasons behind events are often mysterious.
Int'l Business Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
US Senator Warns Of Fossil Fuel Coup, Economic Reckoning
One of the US Senate's leading climate advocates says President Donald Trump's administration no longer governs -- it "occupies" the nation on behalf of Big Oil. In an interview, Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island blamed the sweeping rollback of environmental protections on a flood of unlimited, anonymous corporate political spending, and said exposing the scale of this "fraud" is key to breaking its grip. His remarks came as the death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas linked by scientists to climate change threatened to surge further. "This isn't even government any longer," the 69-year-old told a small group of reporters ahead of an address to Congress Wednesday -- his 300th so-called "Time to Wake Up" speech, delivered as activists reel from Trump's actions. "This is an occupying force from the fossil fuel industry that has injected itself into the key positions of responsibility," said the lawmaker. "It has the appearance of being government -- they ride around in the black cars... they have the offices, they have the titles," he said. But in reality, "they're fossil fuel flunkies... and they care not a whit for public opinion or public safety." Big Oil spent at least $445 million to help elect Trump, according to a recent analysis by Climate Power, which said its figure was likely a vast underestimate because of undisclosed donations. In his second term, Republican Trump has pulled the United States out of the Paris climate accord, gutted science agencies, fired researchers and forecasters, scrapped his predecessor Joe Biden's clean energy tax cuts and rolled back powerplant and vehicle efficiency standards. Whitehouse calls it the oil, coal and gas industry's "most sordid dreams come true" and says the stage was set by the 2010 Supreme Court "Citizens United" ruling, which unleashed an era of unchecked corporate political spending. A former state attorney general who battled corporate polluters, he recalled that when he first joined the Senate, climate bipartisanship flourished: John McCain, the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, had "a perfectly respectable climate platform," while Republican senators proposed bills. "These weren't little tiddlywinks, nibble-at-the-edges bills," he recalled, but would have genuinely changed the trajectory of climate emissions. Citizens United reversed century-old campaign finance restrictions and opened the floodgates to dark money. "They were able to come into the Republican Party and say, 'We will give you unlimited amounts of money. You will have more money in your elections than you've ever seen before.'" Despite the bleak landscape, Whitehouse still sees a narrow path to climate safety -- and points to several potential game changers. First, he cites the possible emergence of a global carbon pricing effort, spearheaded by the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, which taxes importers based on their climate footprint. Countries like the UK, Canada, Mexico and Australia could join this movement, creating a de facto global price on carbon, enforced through trade -- without US legislation. Second, he says, Democrats can and must expose fossil fuel's stranglehold on the Republican party, a phenomenon he calls one of the "most grave incidents of political corruption and fraud that the country has ever seen," and pass a bill forcing donor transparency. Third, what was once framed as a crisis for polar bears -- and later as an opportunity for green jobs -- is today directly hitting Americans where it hurts most: their wallets. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has warned that climate change will shrink mortgage availability across swaths of the United States in the coming years as banks and insurers retreat from fire- and flood-prone regions. Risks could cascade from an insurance crunch into a broader mortgage collapse -- potentially triggering a 2008-style crash. Whitehouse predicts the fossil fuel industry's hold on Republicans won't last forever. "When it becomes clear what has been done here, then there's going to be a dramatic reset," he said. "A reckoning will come for this. There's no doubt about it -- it's just the nature of human affairs." Trump himself, he added, was merely swept along by the dominant current of the post-2010 Republican Party, with no ideological stake in the issue. As recently as 2009, he co-signed a full-page advertisement in the New York Times demanding stronger climate action from then president Barack Obama. US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, Democrat from Rhode Island, speaks during an interview on Capitol Hill on July 8, 2025 in Washington, DC AFP
The Herald Scotland
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Oil price volatility concern as North Sea job losses mount
'I think it is true when the Prime Minister says energy security is national security,' he said, adding: 'Over 40% of our energy demand was imported last year and I think in an uncertain world, you know that's the wrong place to be.' The reliance on imports leaves the UK vulnerable to a disruption to supplies, reckons Mr Whitehouse. He claims the country is depriving itself of huge amounts of economic value that are enjoyed instead by countries it buys oil and gas from. Imports may result in an increase in emissions compared to UK sources when related production and transport operations are taken into account. 'If we do it here in the UK that protects jobs, puts real value into our economy and we deliver that with a lower carbon footprint so I think the case for having home-grown oil and gas is compelling,' said Mr Whitehouse. READ MORE: As Chevron closes Aberdeen office, what now for North Sea jobs? Scale of SNP Government climate change failings underlined by experts Israeli-owned firm takes control of UK's biggest gas field The oil and gas industry veteran noted that an expert report for OEUK published in June found that up to 7.5 billion barrels of oil and gas could still be produced from UK waters. The figure is around 3.2 bn barrels higher than current government estimates. OEUK has highlighted the fact that the Climate Change Committee, which advises the Government, has forecast that in a scenario where the UK meets all its climate targets on time homes and businesses will still use between 13 and 15 billion barrels of oil and gas. The potential additional 3bn barrels production that OEUK thinks is possible could be worth £165 billion to the UK economy in total and support thousands of jobs. Under Mr Whitehouse's leadership OEUK will focus much of its effort on campaigning for cuts in oil and gas taxes as the Government prepares to publish the results of a review of the fiscal regime. North Sea firms complain the tax burden has increased significantly since the windfall tax was introduced by the former Conservative Government in 2022. The rate of the energy profits levy has been increased since then, most recently by the Labour Government in the Budget in October. While the tax was imposed after oil and gas firms posted bumper profits, Mr Whitehouse claimed it has caused lots of damage. He said one way of highlighting that would be that fact that in 2019 the former Oil and Gas Authority predicted that over 6bn barrels of oil and gas would be produced from the UK North Sea between 2025 and 2050, with over 10bn possible. That compares with the successor North Sea Transition Authority's forecast of around 3.5bn. 'The underlying geology in the North Sea hasn't changed but the environment and the uncertainty has and the windfall tax has played an important role in that, it is deterring investment' claimed Mr Whitehouse. 'As we look forward to the second half of the year we are seeing a rapid drop off in terms of rig activity in the North Sea.' OEUK chief executive David Whitehouse claims oil and gas firms can play a key role in the development of renewables assets off Scotland (Image: OEUK) The Government has come under pressure to bring forward the date for the ending of the windfall tax to 2026 from 2030. Chancellor Rachel Reeves gave no ground when she published the results of the key Comprehensive Spending Review in June. However, Mr Whitehouse hopes that OEUK could still win concessions. 'The Treasury has some very thoughtful mechanisms which mean that in the event that prices spike the tax on the sector would increase,' he observed. There are details to be considered but OEUK wants the successor regime to be implemented in 2026. Mr Whitehouse is confident that the resulting boost to activity would allow the Government to recover more revenue than it lost as a result of easing the tax burden. He noted: 'In a regime where you're paying high tax that is causing investment not to happen … that does reduce your economic growth actually, it also ultimately reduces your tax receipts.' OEUK welcomed the results of the review of the field development consenting process the Government published this month – although energy minister Ed Miliband's plans to stop issuing exploration licences for new areas is a cause for concern. The consenting review was launched after a Scottish court ruled the Conservative Government was wrong to approve plans for the controversial Rosebank development off Shetland - because the assessment process failed to take into account the emissions that would result from use of the oil concerned. Under the Government's plans firms will be required to submit environmental impact assessments in respect of proposed field developments that do consider such emissions. 'We welcome that the guidance has come out, it is an important step to projects moving forward,' said Mr Whitehouse. The regulatory change could have positive implications for the planned Rosebank, Jackdaw and Cambo developments, all of which are opposed by environmentalists. READ MORE: North Sea jobs cull looms after blockbuster oil and gas deals Mr Whitehouse hammered home claims that the UK needs to ensure that it has a strong oil and gas supply chain if it is to make the most of the potential of low carbon energy generation and carbon capture and storage technology to support the net zero drive. Oil and gas firms have the expertise required to develop offshore facilities such as windfarms and some have shown they are willing to invest directly in developments. OEUK's membership includes firms that are active in renewable energy generation, hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage. It evolved out of the former Oil and Gas UK. 'If we manage the opportunity right and in a pragmatic way, which is support for oil and gas while we still use it then we see significant opportunities, particularly floating wind, carbon capture,' Mr Whitehouse said. 'I think there's huge opportunities for Scotland the wider UK … not just storing emissions from UK industry but storing them from Europe.' In June the UK Government confirmed it would provide £200m funding for the Acorn carbon capture and storage project, which will involve capturing industrial emissions and transporting them for storage in depleted North Sea reservoirs. It also announced £500m funding for UK hydrogen projects and a £1bn offshore wind supply chain initiative. Mr Whitehouse said OEUK very much welcomed the announcements concerned, which should help to generate momentum in the low carbon sector. However, noting that the number of jobs created in the sector so far has remained lower than expected, he cautioned: 'It is good to have ambition. It is good to set targets. But for those targets we need to make sure that they become real, that … people can feel that there are genuine delivery plans that sit underneath them.' The prize could be huge if politicians and industry play their parts effectively. That will require people to recognise that the UK will need oil and gas and the related supply chain for years as it builds out the low carbon generating systems it is hoped will eventually meet its energy requirements. Noting that 90,000 jobs are supported by the oil and gas sector, Mr Whitehouse appeared optimistic about the future despite the concern about the geopolitical outlook. 'I think over the coming decades, I would like to see that integrated energy sector significantly increasing the number of highly skilled, well-paid jobs,' he said. However, the prediction came with the caveat that 'it's that integration that I think is going to be the path to success'.
Scotsman
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Scotsman
North Sea boss warns 'polarised' oil and gas debate putting jobs at risk and makes Rosebank prediction
Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The head of the organisation that represents the North Sea energy industry has warned the 'polarised debate' over the future of oil and gas is risking efforts to tackle the climate crisis and putting jobs on the line. David Whitehouse, the chief executive of Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), told The Scotsman that he and his colleagues in North Sea industries 'care as much about dealing with climate change as anybody'. The assertion came as he revealed some optimism about a 'pathway' emerging for the controversial Rosebank oil field and Jackdaw gas field developments to be approved and drilling to begin. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Campaigners take part in a Stop Rosebank emergency protest outside the UK government building in Edinburgh. PIC: Jane Barlow/PA Wire Speaking at the OEUK conference in Aberdeen, Mr Whitehouse, a former production engineer for Shell, is a prime example of fossil fuels transitioning to renewable energy - as he is studying for a masters in renewable energy. With the debate around the role oil and gas will play in the energy transition remaining as toxic as carbon emissions, Mr Whitehouse has insisted the heat is coming from extremists on both sides of the argument - with the majority wanting a measured approach to net zero that will boost the economy. READ MORE: Rosebank and other North Sea oil and gas fields could be given green light under new guidelines The UK government and experts have stressed oil and gas will be needed until net zero is reached. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Time for majority to 'speak up' on industry support Asked about the polarised debate, Mr Whitehouse said it was "simply not the case' that 'it's one versus the other, renewables versus oil and gas'. He added: 'I do think a polarised debate is what will stop us being truly successful dealing with climate change and dealing with it in a way that supports jobs and value in our economy. 'I think removing the polarisation from the discussion is really important.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Whitehouse warned 'sometimes it feels like we're having a polarised debate', but the majority want to see climate change tackled 'in a way that supports existing businesses and industries' and 'see that role for oil and gas - domestic, home-grown oil and gas supporting communities around the country'. David Whitehouse, chief executive of OEUK | Michal Wachucik He said: 'So what you actually find is this isn't a polarised debate within the public - it's just at the extremes. Those loud voices on the extremes are what we are hearing. 'Now more so than ever, that 70 per cent who sit in the middle who want to deal with this in a pragmatic way, who recognise we need it all. Now is the time for us to speak up.' Mr Whitehouse stressed the industry was facing 'an uncertain time'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: GB Energy to take Scandinavian inspiration to become power company amid renewable slowdown alarm He said: 'We see the announcement of job losses at Harbour Energy. We are concerned that we are seeing record-low levels of rig activity. That has real-world consequences.' Concern over renewables slowdown The UK and Scottish governments have insisted the renewables boom will be ramped up at such a pace that it will keep investment flowing into offshore industries. But Mr Whitehouse has warned the pace of both the decline of the oil and gas sector and the expected expansion of renewable energy were concerning. He said: 'We have seen policy decisions over the last [few] years that I think have accelerated the decline in oil and gas. It does not have to be that way. We can reverse that and produce more of the oil and gas that the UK will need. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think there's been real momentum behind the build out of renewables, which is something that we welcome. But there are some issues to be dealt with - in terms of planning and consent, access to grid and financing those projects. 'There is a concern we are seeing a quicker decline of one significant industry, and I think we can reverse that. And we need to accelerate the build out of renewables.' The UK Labour government has vowed to ban new oil and gas licences and is consulting on ending a long-held policy for Britain to seek 'maximum economic recovery' - essentially drain all of the oil and gas from the North Sea. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad UK Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband | PA Mr Whitehouse said: 'The Climate Change Committee said that on our journey to net zero, we are going to require something like 15 billion barrels of oil and gas. We're on track to produce about a third of that. 'With supportive policy, I think we can produce at least half and that creates real value in our economy and supports our jobs.' He added: 'What we really need, also, is there are opportunities around our existing hubs, around those assets like mini towns in the middle of the North Sea. We need the opportunity to bring in some of those other opportunities in those hubs to extend their life.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Lifeline for Rosebank The Rosebank and Jackdaw projects have been instructed to reapply for environmental consent after the Supreme Court ruled their permission was unlawful and will have to set out the environmental impact of burning the oil and gas contained in the developments. A map showing the location of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil fields | Kimberley Mogg/NationalWorld Updated guidance published by the UK government last week, suggested environmental consent could be granted to the two projects and an estimated 13 others, if the economic benefits can be proven to outweigh the climate harm. Mr Whitehouse said the new guidance 'provides a pathway to the projects'. He said: 'Now we've got some critical decisions that lie ahead of us and we just need to get these right. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I wouldn't say this is the last chance, but I think it is critical that we do get this right. We are seeing an accelerated decline in our oil and gas production in a world where I think we need that. 'We need to be really clear. This is not a debate about oil and gas versus renewables. It's not a debate actually about dealing with climate change versus economic growth. I think if we get this right, we can deliver both. But it is an argument about whether we support our home-grown industries over imports.
