Fossil Fuel Headlines – 1 July, 2005

Staff, Energy Bulletin

Caltech professor outlines energy/climate problem, proposes solar /
Bush condemns Kyoto, dependence on Middle East oil /
PO doesn’t mesh with our picture of the world /
Review: Deffeyes new book is unclear on future /
Oilcast in Spanish /
Shell escapes charges over reserves reporting /
Lundberg: Active citizenry before petrocollapse? /
PO article from 5 years ago /
Discussion on peak natural gas /
US uproar about China’s Unocal bid (video) /
Some experts unconcerned about Unocal /
The Oil Drum IS concerned – is oil still fungible? /
Foreign buyers not new to US oil patch

Fidel Castro warns about energy crisis

Cuban President Fidel Castro warned Caribbean heads of state about an upcoming energy crisis and environmental problems caused by uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources and the “crazy waste” of oil-derived energy… “The crisis is more serious and deeper than imagined”, [he said].

Can Democracy Survive Without Fossil Fuels?

As fossil fuels deplete, especially oil and natural gas, will we be able to maintain the solidarity and consent that make modern democracies so stable? Or will we each fall back on our competitive natures as we struggle for our share of dwindling resources.

Congressman Bartlett discusses peak oil with President Bush

Roscoe Bartlett, the Maryland congressman who has spoken on peak oil on the floor of the House, had an extensive conversation with the president today on the matter and said he was “very happy with the meeting.” While he declined to release any details, the fact that he was happy with the meeting is a hopeful sign.

Fossil Fuel Headlines – 30 June, 2005

Staff, Energy Bulletin

BP: world oil consumption hits record in 2004 /
Don’t lower taxes on oil /
Critic: Kunstler is a ‘reactionary envrionmentalist’ who isn’t nice /
Declaration of Independence from Mid-East oil /
OPEC, investment and efficiency are keys, says IEA /
Coming to terms with oil supply squeeze /
Cost of diesel worries truckers /
Greenpeace: fusion project ‘senseless stupidity’ /
Are LNG terminals safe? /
Spotlight on gasification

Other Energy Headlines – 30 June, 2005

Staff, Energy Bulletin

Chavez’s oil initiative for the Caribbean /
Building roads won’t cure Africa’s poverty /
Saudi ambassador to U.S. resigns /
Dim outlook for energy bill /
U.S. to open energy office in China (s-l-o-w-l-y) /
Bidding war brewing over Unocal /
Mexico to reduce taxes on Pemex /
Mexico: the state, oil and silver /
Clearing smoke may trigger global warming rise /
Clues of climate and the Bible’s seven lean years /
Guardian special report on global warming /
One in six countries facing food shortage /
Los Alamos to Kyoto’s rescue /
China – “society of small peace/comfort/health”

Energy Headlines – June 28, 2005

Staff, Energy Bulletin

Wall St. Journal discovers peak oil /
‘Oil forecasts are glib, futile and damaging’ /
Shell predicts two decades of rising energy prices /
Central banks fear slump as oil soars near $61 /
Treas Secty Snow says oil prices hurting economy /
US Senate passes energy bill /
The art of ‘manufacturing uncertainty’ /
Climate change ‘worries children’ /
The Brits can teach us Yanks how to create livable cities /
France chosen as site for fusion reactor /
Thais plan to cut energy – even early morning TV

Peak Oil: Two Approaches, One Answer

There are two distinct ways to think about and present the phenomenon of peak oil. It’s easy to describe what peak oil actually is, it’s the global peak in extraction rate of petroleum. The difficulty of course is determining the date and associated extraction rate of peak oil. This is where I see the two camps.

Here the geologists method of Hubbert and Campbell is compared to the analysis’s method of Chris Skrebowski with uncanny agreement.

Energy Headlines – June 29, 2005

Staff, Energy Bulletin

The revenge of chicken little /
Can democracy survive without fossil fuels? /
Washington Post coming close to peak oil /
Julia Butterfly Hill is a PO believer /
Impressions of “The Deal” (PO movie) /
Oil spike a reminder of 1990 /
Zimbabwe triples price of petrol /
Is fusion the best way forward? /
Yes, says investment advisor /
No, says Andrew McKillop /
Panel affirms radiation link to cancer, even at low levels /
Cost of nuclear ‘underestimated’ /
Revolution, geopolitics and pipelines /
China on the international oil market /
Venezuela builds oil alliance /
Autonomous grassroots alternatives to the G8 nations /
G8 committed to fossil fuels, turn to carbon storage /
Greenhouse hypocrisy /
Sharing housing and herb gardens in Portland /
Seattle’s a hothouse of green power /
Hydrogen cars will save lives — and the planet (?) /
Living on the Hundred-Mile Diet (good food and shrinking butts)

The Politics of Survival

What we are witnessing is the collapse of the politics of left and right and the replacement of those politics with what I call the politics of survival. Those who come to understand the gravity of our energy situation quickly abandon their previous political views and instead focus pragmatically on how we can make a successful energy transition.