About one-quarter of U.S. oil production and nearly 10 percent of natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico has been shut-in due to Hurricane Alex, the first June hurricane to develop in the Atlantic region since 1995.

The federal government reported yesterday that 28 production platforms and three rigs had been evacuated as operators moved personnel to safety. The storm is expected to make landfall on Wednesday near the Texas-Mexico border.

As oil workers wait to return to their offshore jobs, thousands of others are wondering about whether they will have jobs under the administration's deepwater drilling moratorium.

According to an Oil Daily report, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) estimates Louisiana alone could lose up to 38,000 jobs. MidSouth Bank President Rusty Cloutier told Oil Daily t... more »

Members of the U.S. Senate met with President Obama at the White House Tuesday to discuss next steps for energy and climate legislation. In a statement, the White House called the meeting "constructive" and released information about the president's comments:

"The President told the Senators that he still believes the best way for us to transition to a clean energy economy is with a bill that makes clean energy the profitable kind of energy for America's businesses by putting a price on pollution - because when companies pollute, they should be responsible for the costs to the environment and their contribution to climate change."

Notice that the stated strategy is to make clean energy profitable. This statement acknowledges that "clean energy" isn't profitable now. The fact is that so... more »

In today's episode, I interview Rich Trzupek, a principal consultant at Mostardi Platt Environmental, about the myths and regulations surrounding air quality in the United States and how both affect the economy.

Use the audio player below to listen to information about the article and follow along with the show notes. I hope you find the podcast informative.

00:17 Today we're going to address an urban myth--one of those old saws we hear rather frequently and never question. This myth involves the quality of the air we breathe everyday, and to give us the facts we've invited Rich Trzupek to join us on the telephone. Rich is a principal consultant at Mostardi Platt Environmental, which is a consulting firm, located in Oak Brook, Ill., and a blogger who specializes in science and the... more »

The U.S. Coast Guard and BP sent oil skimming boats back to port this morning as Tropical Storm Alex gained strength and threatened to become the first Gulf hurricane of 2010.

Although it remains south of the oil spill and is heading toward the Texas-Mexico border, it could cause high waves and force BP to delay its installation of a third oil containment unit. Officials say they need a few days of calm seas to connect the new unit to the well.

On Monday, several oil company executives and API met with U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar about the deepwater drilling moratorium and other spill-related issues. As we reported yesterday, the administration is asking a federal court to keep the ban in place by delaying a lower court... more »

One of my colleagues snapped a photo of this sign at a BP service station this weekend.

At a time when Americans are angry and want to make a point, this sign reminds everyone that the BP boycott can have unintended consequences.

Although protesters aim their vitriol at BP, they actually can hurt members of their own communities--the independent businessmen and women who own and operate BP-branded service stations under franchise agreements. These businesspeople provide jobs, pay their taxes and provide essential services.

Read more information about the boycott and who gets hurt.