Col. Drake and the Age of Oil
What created the modern petroleum industry was a confluence of circumstances, and certainly of events. Col. Drake’s innovation in driving a hole into the earth was just one of many things along a long chain of events.
Whither cellulosic ethanol?
We are … biotechnologists, as well as chemical engineers and have successful processes going today… Our carefully considered view, for which we will be happy to provide abundant evidence is that severe barriers remain to ethanol from lignocellulose. The barriers look as daunting as they did 30 years ago.
(The latest salvo in the Khosla-TOD debate about biofuels.)
Water – Aug 16
Billions face water shortages, crisis looms: agency /
Cost of water shortage: civil unrest, mass migration and economic collapse / Rich countries like poor face water crisis
Chris Skrebowski on OPEC trends and CERA’s new report
POR caught up with Chris Skrebowski for a quick Q&A just as he was preparing to depart for the airport, bound for Australia. He had time to provide quick observations about OPEC’s production trends and CERA’s new report.
Opposition leader: free Finland of oil dependency
If the proposal is passed, Finland would follow in the footsteps of Sweden – the first country in the world to establish guidelines for replacing oil as a main energy source.
Oil industry – Aug 15
IEA leaves 06 world oil demand outlook unchanged at 84.8M B/D / The life of an oil reservoir / Oil’s dirty laundry (state oil companies) / BP nearly halving diameter of Prudhoe Bay pipeline? / Revised plan fails to lift clouds over Prudhoe Bay or BP
Renewables – Aug 15
Prof. Paul Alivisatos on nanotechnology and renewable energy / Boatload of biodiesel shipping today / San Francisco’s clean energy revolution is here
Food, heatlh & agriculture – Aug 15
Overweight ‘top world’s hungry’ / Living ourselves to death / Eat, memory: family heirloom (Masumoto in NYT) / Meat eaters without the guilt / Texas 2006 ag losses worst single-year total ever / Rice prices may double by 2008
Transport – Aug 15
Australia: Petrol, polls and politicians / Two-wheeled remedy for urban headaches / American vehicles are piling on the pounds
Housing & urban design – Aug 15
Could rising gas prices kill the suburbs? / Sick cities: fast life, slow death / It’s getting easier to be green (building green in NYC) /
I think that I shall never see
A greenhouse gas reduction strategy as lovely as a tree
Peak oil and relocalization in Ohio
What would you think if someone told you that we could simultaneously create strong, safe, sustainable, and vibrant communities while also solving the most urgent problems of our times?
Peak oil – Aug 14
ASPO 5 – The two distinct paradigms within the peak oil movement /
Saudi oil production revisited /
Kuwait’s reserves queried again / Oil price spike to end, you can bet on it / Pipeline cowboys: rustling for oil
