Given the monopolistic and powerful positions adopted by the oil companies since the beginning of the modern oil age in the nineteenth century, it is almost inevitable that their entry into the renewable arena will not be without problems. — ScienceBlog.com

The scenario above is a characterization of a recent paper by economist John “Jack” Reardon. Reardon fears that if oil companies enter the renewable industry, the latter could potentially be transformed along a hierarchical and centralized structure, which runs counter to a key feature of the widely dispersed and readily available nature of renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar. He suggests that now is the time to “map a democratic and equitable transition.”

In related news BP announced today that it was withdrawing from a coalition of companies pushing for climate legislation in the United States, because it does not do enough for natural gas companies. BP and ConocoPhillips claim that the bill before the Senate gives unfair advantage to coal and foreign producers.

Finally, here’s a little piece about a Coloradan company working on a hybrid method of liquid fuel production, which uses solar power to convert organic wastes into syngas which can be reformed into plastics or liquid fuels.