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Oil Wars: A Thing of the Past?

New Iran-Saudi tension fails to halt the oil price slide, a new battery that could aid solar energy storage, and how El Nino will bring storms but won't end California's drought.

We look at the new era of cheap oil worldwide - could it be threatened by rising tensions in the Middle East? To what extent are conflicts in that region being influenced by global oil prices? We hear from two experts - Richard Mallinson of Energy Aspects in London, and from Geneva, international geo-political expert, Torek Farhadi.

Also, we hear from Australian entrepreneur Stuart Smith, CEO of Redflow, who reckons he has developed the perfect battery for Africa. He says it will leapfrog the grid and help people in poor, hot countries to extend their solar power supply through the night.

And finally, we look at the likely El Nino effect on California. The 大象传媒's Regan Morris says forecasters anticipate heavy rains in the coming months, but that it won't be enough to reverse years of drought.

(Photo: An oil tanker cruises towards the Strait of Hormuz. Credit: Marwan Naamani/AFP/Getty Images)

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18 minutes

Last on

Tue 5 Jan 2016 15:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 5 Jan 2016 08:32GMT
  • Tue 5 Jan 2016 15:06GMT

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