Peak oil – June 18

June 18, 2008

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

Many more articles are available through the Energy Bulletin homepage


Simmons Says Raised Saudi Oil Output Is `Drop in Bucket’:
(video)
Bloomberg
Matthew Simmons, chairman of Simmons & Co., talks with Bloomberg’s Kathleen Hays from Houston about Saudi Arabia’s plans to increase oil production next month and the outlook for oil and gasoline prices. The kingdom will produce 9.7 million barrels of oil a day next month, an increase of 200,000 barrels from June’s level, King Abdullah told United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, according to a UN spokesman.
(16 June 2008)


Oil woes hitting health care system, too: local expert

Ian McDougall, Edmonton Sun
Depleted oil reserves may not only be tough on your gas tank, they may also be hazardous for your health.

Peak oil is a term that will become more and more familiar as the world’s oil stocks become depleted, harder to reach, said Dr. Donald Spady, an associate professor of pediatrics and public health sciences in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Alberta.

“Ultimately we have an absolute shortage of oil which becomes progressively worse over time,” he said today, after giving a lecture to Capital Health’s public health workers.

But his warning was aimed at the effect of an oil shortage will have on health services.

It will be more expensive to run hospitals, which are large energy consumers, ambulances will become more expensive because of the high fuel costs, but that’s not all, he warned.

“Drugs will gradually become much more expensive and perhaps not even available,” he said.
(17 June 2008)


Peak oil – worry now

Daniel O’Neail, London Topic (Canada)
A certain columnist for a newspaper conglomerate recently commented that those of us concerned with climate change are “doomsayers.” He’s wrong.

Doomsayers are those who say there is no point in doing anything, “it’s to late,” or “we can’t help anyway.” The environmentalists are actually the most optimistic people on earth. We believe that we can change things. We believe that the world can be a better place if we actually make an effort, and we are happy to tell anyone who will listen that there is still hope for humanity’s future, we just need to adjust our thinking and actions.

Conservation of resources is preservation of the species.

For example, peak oil.

Most of us understand the results of peak oil. It isn’t when we run out of oil, it’s when demand is higher then production. It’s called Hubbert peak theory and has been around since Mr. Hubbert used it to accurately predict America’s oil production peak between 1965 and 70.

… So if someone asks, “When should I worry about peak oil?” the answer is “Yesterday.”

Daniel O’Neail is a London political figure, environmentalist, and public speaker.

(16 June 2008)
Dan O’Neail bio


Kris Can Speaks with James Howard Kunstler
(video)
Kris Can, website
Four-part interview. See Kunstler at home in shorts.
(8 June 2008)
Other peak oil videos at Kris Can’s site, including:
Is Peak Oil a City Issue?
The Peak Oil Song
Oil Over A 100 Barrel : Terror!
Oil Dependence


Tags: Fossil Fuels, Health, Oil