Roman Sidortsov

Left out in the cold: energy justice and Arctic energy research

This commentary advocates for a wider proliferation of the energy justice concept in Arctic energy research. It maintains that the concept provides a novel, human-centric approach to evaluating issues stemming from energy exploration, development, production, and use. The commentary opens with a brief survey of the human dimensions of the changing Arctic before linking them to energy activities in the region. It then proposes energy justice as a conceptual and contextual tool, intending to inform policy and practice.

Creating Arctic Carbon Lock-In: Case Study of New Oil Development in the South Kara Sea

The overarching goal of this paper is to highlight the importance of considering the climate change implications of oil development in the Arctic. The current global climate change regime lacks universal emissions controls, thereby creating an opportunity for “carbon leakage.” Fossil fuels, no matter where extracted, find their way to countries that are not subject to mandatory emissions reductions. The recent rush to explore vast hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic may significantly contribute to the existing carbon lock-in. To illustrate the dangers of the Arctic carbon lock-in, this paper explores the development of new oil production capacity in the South Kara Sea in Russia.

State-Market Interrelations in the US Onshore and Offshore Oil and Gas Sectors

On 9 September 2012, Noble Discoverer, a Royal Dutch Shell’s drill ship, began drilling in the Chukchi Sea 70 miles off the Alaska coast, signifying the return of active offshore exploration in the US Arctic (Broder, 2012a). Another Shell drill vessel, Kulluk, commenced drilling in the Beaufort Sea on 3 October 2012 (Shell, 2013). Yet Shell’s foray into the US Arctic offshore was brief — the exploratory drilling in the Chukchi Sea lasted just over a week and in the Beaufort Sea for three weeks (Krauss, 2012). Shell’s 2012 US Arctic campaign was also unproductive. After spending over US

Sustainable Charter Cities: The Development Solution to Environmental Problems

4.5 billion, Shell had only two top holes to show for it at the end of the season.1 The main reason why Shell was not allowed to drill into the hydrocarbon-bearing reservoir is because it was not authorized to do so by the US government. The drilling permits issued by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE)2 were limited to drilling top holes because Shell failed to deploy the Arctic Containment System fully tested by BSEE before commencing drilling activities (DOI, 2013, p. 16).

Energy Security, Equality, and Justice

This paper intends to extend the application of Paul Romer’s charter cities theory to resolving environmental and social problems in the developing world. To achieve this goal, I examine the extent to which the concepts of rule of law, development, and environment can work together within the framework of a charter city. I also draw a sketch of sustainable charter cities by merging the form of Romer’s theory with the substance of sustainable development.