Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Tom Whipple What is likely the best current thinking on the peak oil situation concludes that world oil production will stop growing at the end of this year; will just balance annual global depletion of 4 million b/d for the next four years or so; and then enter into irreversible decline.
What would happen if the unthinkable would happen? Author Edwin Black’s threatens not with a slow run-of-the-mill peak oil scenario, but rather an acute (perhaps terrorist-induced?) fuel crisis because of reduced global availability of oil by 5-10% for a period of least a month. Black then goes on to propose A Plan for how the U.S. could cope with such a disaster in his book “The Plan: How to rescue society when the oil stops – or the day before” (2008).
-In Bid to Revive Nuclear Power, U.S. Is Backing New Reactors
-The Nuclear Energy Debate
-Obama’s Nuclear Giveaway
As the Four Horsemen of Monumental Change approach the outskirts of our sleepy hamlets, it is vital that we — at the individual and community levels — accelerate the building of resiliency into our lives. I propose a good start would be for us all to purchase and plant open-pollinated veggie seeds and lots of food-crop tree seedlings this spring. So break out the shovels, America – we’re havin’ a resiliency party!
-Controversy mounts in EU over fall-out from biofuel
-British Airways to fly jets on green fuel made from London’s rubbish by 2014
-BA’s biofuels plans mean a lot of garbage: the problem of “peak waste”
-What’s stopping us getting solar power from deserts?
-Norway plans the world’s most powerful wind turbine
-It’s Green Against Green In Mojave Desert Solar Battle
-Michael Pollan: Forget Nutrition Charts, Eat What Grandma Said Is Good for You
-Green Eyes On: Is Bees’ Thirst Leading to Their Demise?
-‘Old environmentalists’ are challenging an obsession with land productivity
-More biofuel waste for cows, plus a California beef packer pulls a Toyota
-Perennial Plants from Seed
-Omaha World-Herald: Kenyan farmers persevere despite cultivation challenges
-How Wrong Is the IPCC?
-Bill Gates: the Most Important Climate Speech of the Year
-Team Finds Subtropical Waters Flushing Through Greenland Fjord
-Oil firms drop group lobbying for US climate bill
If I were to ask 10 random people what they would expect would be a sign of the arrival of “peak oil”, I would expect that all 10 would say “high oil prices”. Let me tell you what I think the symptoms of the arrival of peak oil are
1. Higher default rates on loans
2. Recession
A midweek roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Prices and production
-Iran
-In The Public Interest: What’s Next for High-Speed Rail?
-Mayor: Metro riders come first
-The Bikeway Network
Zone5 Podcast #3 with Dr. Colin Campbell on Peak Oil, the Financial Collapse, Adaptation and What the Future May Hold. Colin Campbell, founder of the Association for the Study of peak Oil and Gas, is officially retired from his career as oil geologist and Peak Oil pundit but kindly agreed to this interview for the zone5 podcast.
