Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
A university near where I live plans to add a short unit on “Petroleum and Peak Oil” to their Science 1101 course for freshman who are not science majors. The university asked me to prepare materials for the unit. (Draft)
Peak oil activist in the Wall Street Journal
Shell: Fuel crisis looms by 2015
US petroleum supply, ethanol, and state of the industry
Scientific American: A solar grand plan
Ethanol fuel is not so green
Are ‘green’ fuels really good for the earth?
Vinod Khosla: Biomass I, II and III
Der Spiegel: Critique mounts against biofuels
More bad news for ethanol – UC researchers say it could be twice as bad as gasoline in terms of emissions
Biofuel production may worsen water, food problems in Asia : study
Lester Brown: Ethanol production will drive food prices higher
Congress expects cellulosic ethanol to fulfill the renewable fuels requirement. Catering to an uninformed public, our politicians have laid out a road map for failure. Cellulosic ethanol is not a silver bullet that solves America’s oil dependency.
It was fascinating to see the enthusiasm among the farmers for a more localised approach to farming. Perhaps the National Farmer’s Union should be figuring out how it can best support their wish to create and sustain local markets rather than continuing to focus on an approach whose benefits to the climate are questionable at best, and which at worst, would continue the erosion of soil, resilience and the local economies we will become increasingly dependent upon.
Is cellulosic ethanol the dream fuel or a pipe dream?
UK MPs’ warning on biofuels angers Brussels
Appearing as a hologram, Prince Charles hails new money for alternative energy
Debate over biofuels continues
Jamaica: Debate heats up as food prices rise
Biofuels, at what cost?
Biofuels: an alternative to U.S. Air Force petroleum fuel dependency
NY Times: Global oil quandary: costly fuel means costly calories
Is this the end of cheap food?
WorldChanging on high food prices
West Africa: food prices climbing, crisis feared
India: Situation on food front alarming
Pakistan: Food riots feared due to shortage of quality wheat
Over 1 million Afghans face food shortage
An executive summary of weekly news from a peak oil perspective, featuring:
– Production and Prices
– Peak Oil — Pro and Con
– Kashagan
– Food versus Fuel Again
– Energy Briefs
Australian grain farmer: “Cellulosic ethanol will stretch fertilizer resources and drive farmers even further away from sustainability.”
