Norway wonders what to do with its oil wealth | RFI

rope’s poorest countries when oil was discovered off its coast 40 years ago. Now its citizens are considered the wealthiest in the world according to the UN Human Development Index.

Steve Goreham: Wind energy's house of cards

The house of cards is a global industry based entirely on subsidies, price guarantees, and mandates. Wind generation systems are not deployed anywhere in the world without extensive government financial or mandated support.

Global warming's silver lining? Northern countries will thrive and grow, researcher predicts

ScienceDaily (Sep. 5, 2010) — Move over, Sunbelt. The New North is coming through, a UCLA geographer predicts in a new book.
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As worldwide population increases by 40 percent over the next 40 years, sparsely populated Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and the northern United States will become formidable economic powers and migration magnets, Laurence C. Smith writes in "The World in 2050: Four Forces Shaping Civilization's Northern Future" (Dutton Books), scheduled for publication Sept. 23.

While wreaking havoc on the environment, global warming will liberate a treasure trove of oil, gas, water and other natural resources previously locked in the frozen north, enriching residents and attracting newcomers, according to Smith. And these resources will pour from northern rim countries -- or NORCs, as Smith calls them -- precisely at a time when natural resources elsewhere are becoming critically depleted, making them all the more valuable.
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* NORCs will be among the few place on Earth where crop production will likely increase due to climate change.
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According to Smith, in the best-case scenario, climate change can be expected to raise temperatures an average of 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit by century's end, a large number greater than the difference between a record cold and a record hot year in New York. At worst, temperatures will rise twice as much.  [How does Smith, a geographer, know what the Earth will be at least 4.5 degrees F. warmer in 90 years?]