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Ryan C. Smith

@rcsmitheco.bsky.social

Author of, "The Real Oil Shock: How Oil Transformed Money, Debt, and Finance". Economic historian & writing at the Spark https://the-spark.ghost.io/ Also published in Liberal Currents, OilPrice.com, and the New Republic.

1660 Posts1032 Follower1059 Folgt
Ryan C. Smith@rcsmitheco.bsky.social · 20h ago

"If the breakdown of the prewar status quo for the Persian Gulf is the geopolitical crisis which guarantees a less stable oil market, then the damage done by war to Persian Gulf and Russian energy infrastructure is the material crisis which will limit future oil production." #EnergySky #EconSky

Oil volatility is here to stay Part 3 - Hazards of war

If the breakdown of the prewar status quo for the Persian Gulf is the geopolitical crisis which guarantees a less stable oil market, then the damage done by war to Persian Gulf and Russian energy infr...

the-spark.ghost.io

Ryan C. Smith@rcsmitheco.bsky.social · 3h ago

Our economy is going to be especially hobbled thanks to Trump increasing our dependence on oil, taking steps to make oil markets permanently more volatile, and then finishing the job by sabotaging green energy projects. We're going to be feeling that economic fallout for decades to come.

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux@bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 4h ago

It seems really clear that by 2028, we're going to have an empty SPR, substantial munitions shortages, greater strategic challenges, a larger national debt and substantially higher bond rates which will massively constrain future administrations.

Ryan C. Smith@rcsmitheco.bsky.social · 20h ago

"If the breakdown of the prewar status quo for the Persian Gulf is the geopolitical crisis which guarantees a less stable oil market, then the damage done by war to Persian Gulf and Russian energy infrastructure is the material crisis which will limit future oil production." #EnergySky #EconSky

Oil volatility is here to stay Part 3 - Hazards of war

If the breakdown of the prewar status quo for the Persian Gulf is the geopolitical crisis which guarantees a less stable oil market, then the damage done by war to Persian Gulf and Russian energy infr...

the-spark.ghost.io

Reuters@reuters.com · yesterday

EXCLUSIVE: US has used 'virtually all' of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say reut.rs/4gc28C0

EXCLUSIVE: US has used 'virtually all' of its long-range precision missiles during Iran war, sources say

The U.S. Army has used up much of its stockpile of highly accurate long-range missiles during its five-month war with Iran, according to three people familiar with the data, raising concerns about the military's ​readiness for future conflicts.

reut.rs

Sarah Taber@sarahtaber.bsky.social · 2d ago

Absolutely unbelievable how solar power has taken off worldwide during the Hormuz oil crisis. You don't have to hand it to him, but Trump may have done more to finally kick off a global civilization of effete librul solar users than anyone else in the West

Chart showing solar panel exports from China (the main solar panel maker by a long shot) growing steadily & mightily from 2018 through 2026, then spiking by almost 2x in March 2026.
John Smillie@johnsmillie42.bsky.social · 2d ago

Modeling suggests 1/3 solar coverage in the semi-arid western Midwest would actually increase soybean yields 6% (decrease by 16% in the wetter eastern midwest). The US has 85M acres of soybeans. Pick the most suitable half and you've got all 15M acres we need. www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Illinois team tests the costs, benefits of agrivoltaics across the Midwest

A new study found that agrivoltaics can increase or reduce yields and profits depending on the crop and where such agrivoltaic systems are deployed.

eurekalert.org

Suw@suw.bsky.social · 3d ago

Crops grown underneath solar panels produce more, require less water and are more resistant to extreme weather, even during a hot, dry summer. We need agrivoltaics to be rolled out asap, for both the electricity and the better growing conditions. microgridmedia.com/solar-panels...

Covering Climate Now@coveringclimatenow.org · 3d ago

The CEO of Morgan Stanley Capital International has issued a warning to CEOs and investors blinded by short-term profit lust: Take climate change into account, or your investment failures will be your own fault. By Alastair Marsh and Ruth David for Bloomberg Green:

MSCI CEO Tells Investors Ignoring Climate Risk, ‘You Only Have Yourself to Blame’

As temperatures continue their relentless rise, most investors are still ignoring the impact of a hotter planet on asset values, according to Henry Fernandez, the chief executive of MSCI Inc.

buff.ly

Kevin J. Kircher@kevinjkircher.com · 4d ago

Increasingly seeing "it's too late, we failed" as an argument against climate action. But: a) While we haven't done nearly enough, we've made a lot of progress relative to the "just let fossil fuels rip" world of pre-2000; b) the more&faster we reduce climate pollution, the less bad things will get;

Ryan C. Smith@rcsmitheco.bsky.social · 5d ago

Any halfway competent authoritarian could've used this as something of a rally around the flag moment. Thankfully, Trump is a stupid, petty, allegedly demented probable narcissist, so of course he biffs it.

Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · 5d ago

Trump: "We heard in Minnesota there was a cyberattack and they blame it on Iran. I don't think so. I blame it on Minnesota because they're grossly incompetent. Iran's got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota."

Michael Burchert@michaelburchert.bsky.social · 5d ago

My favorite product at the moment. An agricultural by-product is transformed in Europe into a high-performance insulation material using a simple mattress sewing machine from China. Fossil, linear economy hates this trick.

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux@bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 6d ago

So I think this is an unlikely (but distressingly possible) outcome, but this is actually true: if the midterms happen and the GOP tries reject new Dem majorities in the House/Senate, all they do is produce Dem super-majorities, because Congress *is* wherever its quorum (50% +1 of each house) is.

Zoomer Antimillenarian@surcomplicated.bsky.social · 6d ago

Good news is you don't need a single Republican vote if they're all off running a fake Senate somewhere because Dear Leader told them to overthrow the election. It's 2/3 of those *physically present* in the room.

Ryan C. Smith@rcsmitheco.bsky.social · 6d ago

This is promising but also requires even greater preparation for thwarting Trump's actions to subvert the upcoming midterms. MAGA is not leaving their present position of power without a fight and how that plays out will likely matter more for how the US winds up than the 2028 elections will.

Greg Sargent@gregsargent.bsky.social · 6d ago

This collapse rivals Nixon during worst of Watergate and LBJ as Vietnam overwhelmed his domestic agenda. Only it might be worse, one expert says: There's also widespread public recognition of his unchecked narcissism and placing himself over the good of the country. newrepublic.com/article/2137...