What We Read Today 30 September 2014

Econintersect: Every day our editors collect the most interesting things they find from around the internet and present a summary “reading list” which will include very brief summaries (and sometimes longer ones) of why each item has gotten our attention. Suggestions from readers for “reading list” items are gratefully reviewed, although sometimes space limits the number included.

• US poised to become world’s leading liquid petroleum producer (Ed Crooks and Anjli Raval, Financial Times) Sometime in September the U.S. passed Saudi Arabia as the world’s leading liquid petroleum producer. (Or possibly when all the numbers are final it will have happened in October). By the end of this year crude production will be increased 80% over what was pumped in 2008. The U.S. is also a leading producer of biofuels and natural gas (Saudi Arabia is not) – so the U.S. has already surpassed Saudi Arabia in energy production some time ago.

• Science graduates are not that hot at maths – but why? (Kelley E. Matthews, The Conversation) A study of 210 graduating bioscience majors found a distressingly low competency in basic math, proportionality, arithmetic and statistical concepts skills. Four of the questions that got relatively low success rates are available for self-testing. Using the success fractions for each question Econintersect calculates that only one in 20 of the graduating scientists answered all four questions correctly.

• We’re Watching You, Wisconsin Public Service Commission (Josh Voorhees, Slate) Utilities are more and more seeing solar and other distributed renewable energy production as a threat to their central facility production business model. More about solar ‘behind the wall’.

• Recent articles about Independence Votes :

Spain to block referendum, after Catalonia signs decree (EU Observer) Hat tip to Ian R. Campbell, GEI Discussion Group, LinkedIn.

David Cameron: I got it right on Scotland referendum (BBC News)

• Articles about conflicts elsewhere in the world:

Hong Kong protesters defy Beijing with calls for democracy (Reuters)

China’s biggest political challenge since Tiananmen in 1989 (Financial Times)

Economics plays large role in Hong Kong protests (CNBC)

Protests a warning to China of dangers posed by Hong Kong wealth gap (The Conversation)

Ebola outbreak: Liberia’s newest, largest treatment clinic already at capacity (CBC News)

Will Gaza be the global jihadists’ next ‘ground zero’? (Haaretz)

Somalis ‘feeling safer’ in Mogadishu, survey says (BBC News)

Increase in oil output defies political chaos (Libya Herald)

Turkey sends tanks to border as Islamic State closes on Kurdish city (McClatchy)

Poll: 70% of troops say no boots on ground in Iraq (USA Today)

Iran executes man for heresy (The Guardian)

Iran set to execute woman accused of killing attempted rapist (Fox News)

12 killed in worst east Ukraine shelling in a week (Laura Mills, Associated Press, MSN News)

There are 14 articles discussed today ‘behind the wall’.

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