Dr Clive Thomas

Introduction Today’s column has two broad objectives. The first is to keep the promise I made last week to start today’s column with brief comments on the current situation in regard to global climate action, specifically as manifested in this year’s United Nations Environment Program, UNEP’s,  Production Gap Report.

Introduction As I had noted in last week’s column, there are two major analytical observations that flow from my discussions of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

Introduction Today’s column considers the Buxton Proposal as it relates to the United Nations undertaking to pursue sustainable development via a partnership among its Member Countries.

Introduction Because of its centrality to the query — as to whether projected oil revenues are likely to be large enough and sufficiently stable to finance successfully income transfers of  the magnitude and stability required to alleviate substantially income poverty in Guyana — I need to explore more fully the workings of Government Take under the ruling PSA.

Introduction Today’s column and the next three provide a wrap-up commentary of aspects of the Buxton Proposal, which I believe have been somewhat misconstrued; whether by design or otherwise, in various public and private exchanges.

Introduction I began the discussion on the petroleum metrics and finances of the Buxton Proposal by observing that the only material change to the  data previously utilized was the computation of Government Take by the IDB in their Technical Note back in August 2020, entitled ‘Traversing a Slippery Slope: Guyana’s Oil Opportunity.’

Introduction Today’s column focuses on the finances and petroleum metrics embedded in the Buxton Proposal.

Introduction Today’s column has two primary goals. The first is to provide non-specialist readers, after five successive weekly columns, with a brief re-cap of the distinguishing elements of the Buxton Proposal.

Introduction As indicated in last week’s column,  today’s  begins with the reproduction of the list of ten key references to guide inquiring readers who may need further information on the practice of cash transfers as a poverty policy intervention tool.

Introduction In last week’s column I was able to introduce only four of the 11 reasonings, or what I have labelled as the Whys and Wherefores, which lie behind my singling out of a portion of Guyana’s windfall oil revenues for cash transfers to Guyanese households as a singularly effective policy intervention measure against income poverty.

Introduction Today’s column focuses on the third and fourth broad areas of coverage related to the Buxton  Proposal, as indicated in my first column on this topic two weeks ago.

Introduction Last week’s introductory column dealt principally with the proximate origins of the present effort to re-address the Buxton Proposal.

Part 1 Introduction In this week’s column I start my effort to re-address the Buxton Proposal.

Introduction Today’s column concludes the mini-series discussion of the three texts, which I have indicated has had an immense influence in shaping my understanding of, and providing insights into, the rapidly evolving global energy dynamic.

Introduction In Apocalypse Never, Michael Shellenberger displays great personal courage in admitting to his intellectual dishonesty up till then.

Introduction Today’s column addresses the third and final of the three texts, which I have advised have had the greatest impact on shaping my understanding of the rapidly evolving global energy dynamic.

Introduction This week’s column wraps-up my assessment of Terry Etam’s book, which I began last week.

Introduction Today’s column continues with my presentation of the previously announced series of columns, which introduces three publications that, as I indicated earlier, have had a profound impact on both my understanding of, and insights into today’s highly volatile dynamic in unfolding global energy markets.

Introduction This week’s column wraps up my consideration of the US Energy Information Administration, EIA’s, International Energy Outlook 2019 with projections to 2050.

Introduction To recap, this long-running series of Sunday Stabroek columns focusing on Guyana’s emergent oil and gas sector commenced just four months short of five years ago; on September 4, 2016!