Tom Whipple

The Peak Oil Crisis: Copenhagen – Prelude to extinction?

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Although world oil production is likely to start declining in the next few years, followed by world coal production in another 20 or so years, neither of these are likely to reduce emissions enough for many decades to have much of an impact on increasing carbon emissions. The decline in world oil production and much higher prices are likely to have a major impact on economic growth however.

Health Care in an Energy-Constrained Environment: Options for Re-evaluating Care Resources

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As an unstable economy and reduced resources persist and worsen, more and more people will experience the exigencies of decline. In terms of health care, much can be done to mitigate the effects through evolved expectations and planning for the change. This article reviews adaptations in transportation, facilities, and models of care needed to meet coming challenges.

A book review of Harry MacCormack’s “The Transition Document: Toward a Biologically Resilient Agriculture”

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The recently published and expanded fourth edition of The Transition Document: Toward a Biological Resilient Agriculture by Harry MacCormack is arguably his most important work in a long and winding career of poetry, politics, farming, writing, and spiritual discovery.

The Human Ecology of Collapse, Part One: Failure is the Only Option

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As world leaders meet at Copenhagen to avoid taking action about climate change, it’s crucial to recognize that the industrial world’s repeated failure to confront the limits to growth is woven into the foundations of our collective life. In this first part of three, the Archdruid explores the political barriers that make a failure to meet the challenge of climate change the only option on the table.

Sasha and Barack Debate the Merits of Peak Oil Preparation

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Industrial civilization is rapidly running out of net fossil-fuel energy — and alternative energy sources won’t be able to make up the difference. Obama knows this, but is unable to say it publicly. But if we don’t start making some basic preparations for our non-optional, lower-energy future right now, we’ll likely end up with a much lower standard of living than if we did prepare…– Heck, even an intelligent child could do a better job planning for energy descent than we’re doing now! Sasha in 2012!

Local-food activist makes the farm-bike-sailboat connection

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Jan Lundberg moved to Portland a year ago because it seemed like the best place to pursue his intersecting passions for food security, peak oil, bicycles, and sailing. These passions will be coming to fruition later this month when the oil analyst’s brainchild, the Sail Transport Network, will launch into its first major, ongoing local venture.

Was Volatility in the Price of Oil a Cause of the 2008 Financial Crisis?

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A cause for the financial crisis of 2008 is described that differs from conventional wisdom. It is proposed that in the early 2000s, an increase in the volatility of oil took place…The oil shock of 2008, when price doubled over less than a year (peaking at ~ $140 a barrel), is shown not to be an isolated event. Instead, the oil shock of 2008 is the largest in a series of 7 prominent spikes in oil price variance that began some 7-8 years ago.