Energy Headlines, 14 May 2005

May 13, 2005

Click on the headline (link) for the full text.

Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage


Peak Oil


Today’s Prophetic Noahs and Paul Reveres Sound Alarms

Shepherd Bliss/ CommonDreams.org
The prophet Noah talked to people about changing their ways. They ignored him. Noah built an ark, gathered his family and hosted animals to join them. They survived and rebuilt civilization after the flood. Those who ignored Noah’s warning and continued their destruction perished. We live in mythic times. …
A civilization-destroying flood or the British Empire no longer threaten us, but other dangers abound. According to four recent books, America and those on its industrial highway may be heading into contraction, turbulence, chaos, or even collapse.
(11 May, 2005)


Oil Doomsday is Nigh, Tar Sands Not a Substitute

Tim Woods/ ResourceInvestor.com
Investment oriented article that talks to M.Simmons about the initial suspicions, methods and conclusions of his Saudi Arabian reserve studies, highlights the poor energy-quality of tar sands and includes more calls for reserve trasperancy: “It would take 30 analysts 30 days to sort out what the real proven reserves are,” said Simmons.
(May 11 2005)


Energy-related News


Qatar to revolutionise diesel market

Al Jazeera
Qatar is all set to revolutionaise the energy world with a new process that will use cobalt to turn natural gas into powerful, clean-burning diesel fuel, petroleum experts have said. … Qatar will produce 300,000 barrels of liquid fuel by 2011.
By next year, Qatar hopes that gas-to-liquids (GTL) reactors, currently under construction, will bring in billions of dollars while, also clearing big city smog belched by trucks and buses.
(11 May 2005)


So stupid, it’s painful

Molly Ivins/Working For Change
Who on earth is writing this country’s energy policy? When the history of this administration is written, I suspect the largest black mark against it will be wasting time. The energy bill just passed by the House is a classic example of frittering away precious time and resources by doing exactly nothing that needs to be done about energy. The bill gives $8.1 billion in new tax breaks to the oil companies, which are already swimming in cash.
ExxonMobil’s profits are up 44 percent, Royal Dutch/Shell up 42 percent, etc. According to the business pages, the biggest problem oil executives face is what to do with all their cash. So why give more tax breaks to the oil companies? Makes as much sense as anything else in this energy bill. Nothing about conservation, higher fuel efficiency standards or putting money into renewable energy sources. It’s so stupid, it’s painful.
(6 May 2005)