The fossil fuel sector – oil, gas and coal – appears under pressure from all directions. “Ethical” investing is all the rage, “woke” hedge fund managers extol green energy companies, world economic leaders sneer that fossil fuel assets will become worthless, and climate-obsessed politicians intone their mantra of an “energy transition” to an all-electric nirvana. Why, then, are world crude oil and natural gas prices zooming? Why is there a bull market in traditional energy stocks? Why do credible forecasting agencies predict fossil fuels will remain key to global energy security until at least 2100? And what might this portend for the fossil fuel divestment movement? William McNally pithily explores these questions.

Twenty-odd months ago, much of the Canadian public entered a kind of “just make it go away” mindset towards Covid-19, becoming willing to follow just about any rules and restrictions so long as they could glimpse a path back to normality. Today, with even the magic jab having failed to deliver us, the hunt for scapegoats and saboteurs is on. The unvaccinated! Blast their tender sensibilities; we must be stern and uncompromising in our march to universal inoculation. “Covid-Zero” might be chimerical, but “Shot 100” can be achieved – whatever the cost in wrecked lives and stolen liberties. With public support seemingly rising for denying the unvaccinated not only their freedom and their jobs, but their health care and even organ transplants, William McNally coolly assesses the arguments for vaccine mandates and finds them severely wanting.