Energy Headlines – June 1, 2005

June ASPO Newsletter /
Kunstler – a stopped clock? /
A picture of depletion /
As resources fail /
Two things of note /
Economic theory and oil market realities /
Dirty money: coal /
Nicaragua state of emergency /
New scramble for Africa /
Iran proposes “Great Islamic Initiative”/
China’s Manifest Destiny /
Oil shale deposits generate buzz /
Monitoring threats of environmental changes /
Energy Self Sufficiency Newsletter /
World Environment Day (UN conference) /
World mayors seeing green /
Earth summit places global responsibility in local hands (series) /
The clean and green challenge /
Building living cities /
Let’s get rolling with bikes /
Diet for a sustainable planet (“locavores”) /
Die die SUVs please die

Peak oil solutions: Is simpler better?

There are many reasons to believe that contemporary civilization has reached the point of diminishing returns from complexity. Proposals that rely purely on technical fixes for our energy problems tend to increase complexity. Thus, new technologies may fail to deliver their promised results.

Energy Headlines – May 30, 2005

Kunstler: Pipeline-istan /
Infiltrating Bilderberg 2005 /
Philly paper starts oil series /
Peak Oil Part 2 from Wash. Monthly /
Classic peak oil article from 70s (in a fishing magazine!) /
Energy conference in Cleveland /
There’s democracy, and there’s an oil pipeline /
Road cuts deep into Brazil’s Amazon /
Bolivia’s gas reserves prove a mixed blessing /
Greenpeace row over un-PC prizes /
Wisconsin power plant called a setback for environment /
US heating oil projected to increase by 30% next year /
Plastic food containers linked with breast cancer /
Postcards from the global food system (analysis) /
Grass-burning power station on the way in UK /
Washington state turning to clean energy

China exploring ways to use forex reserves to buy oil – report

China is exploring ways to use some of its huge foreign exchange reserves to buy imported oil, the Shanghai Securities News reported, citing an unidentified source.

The newspaper said the plan, which was first proposed as early as 2000, would reach the twin objectives of making better use of the nation’s foreign exchange and ensuring vital oil supplies.

Our Petroleum Predicament

This article about M. King Hubbert reprinted from a 1970s fishing magazine (of all places) reminds us that after Hubbert there were many forecasts that greatly overestimated the US total recoverable oil resources, including the major institutions making similar global preditions today.

Energy Headlines – May 28, 2005

Kunstler vs Lovins / Globe and Mail slideshow on energy crunch / Saudi geologists’ papers spell lower output (Simmons) / Price dollars in oil, not oil in dollars / US told to face up to climate change / Leaked G8 draft on climate change angers green groups – “A mush of warm words” / Zimbabwe suffers from fuel crisis / Why Europe will run the 21st century

Energy Headlines – May 29, 2005

Cleveland paper starts series on oil crisis /
San Diego discovers Peak Oil /
Report from ASPO conference in Portugal /
Leaving the Stone Age/

Still more oil stories from Globe and Mail /
Saudis look to change of direction from King Fahd’s successor /
Saudi’s crude calculations don’t add up /
Exxon CEO won’t use spending spree to boost production /
Nuclear not a solution to reducing CO2 /
UK gas-guzzlers to be hit by 5-fold tax increase /
UK Greenpeace in rift with US branch over air flights /

Ex-oilman: Putting the wind in our sales /
The mad genius from the bottom of the sea /
Man of the Trees, Richard St. Barbe Baker

Experts: Petroleum May Be Nearing a Peak

About 200 news sites published this summary of Peak Oil this weekend. The list includes Forbes, Newsday (NY), NY Times, SF Chronicle, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, LA Times, ABC News, CBS News — all the biggies. This is a major development in getting the Peak Oil story out.