A cover story on energy? Yes please.

I'm no avid reader of US News & World Report, but I was pleasantly surprised to see its latest cover story. While sitting here in the San Diego airport, waiting for my delayed flight, I noticed a fellow traveller reading the magazine with the cover caption "The Future of Energy." After this weekend's slow trickle of energy-related news coverage, I quickly headed over to the terminal convenience store to take a look.

The verdict? Mixed. The editors of the climate debate section picked the two most sensationalist commentators on either side of the spectrum, Sen. James Inhofe and climate-blogger Joe Romm. As I have said before, I think it is wise to avoid climate science squabbling of any kind. I think it is wiser still to avoid anything these two have to say on the subject.

But any expanded coverage on the energy race is always welcome. From their cover story:

Now there is an energy race. China is the main competitor, spending $9 billion monthly in clean energy projects. There are other competitors: India, Europe, Japan, Brazil. Everyone is angling for the industry that could bring supremacy, jobs, and wealth [emphasis mine].

So nothing new, either factually or analytically. But it is certainly encouraging to find new references to the energy race, the acknowledgement of which is headed toward the arena of conventional wisdom. Let's hope it picks up the pace.