Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Brazil’s Ministry of Agriculture and the Japanese Bank for International Cooperation have signed the first phase of a term of reference for the future implementation of a bilateral biofuel program aimed at exporting ethanol and biodiesel fuel to the Japanese market.
National grid boss Ralph Craven is predicting blackouts if the $500 million upgrading of transmission lines into Auckland is thwarted.
Oil consumers on both sides of the Atlantic on Thursday outlined plans to secure energy supplies and reduce consumption amid growing concern over rising oil prices, potential terrorist threats and surging demand from avoracious China.
Venezuela has hailed the visit of Chinese Vice President Zeng Qinghong as a productive trip that will yield several multi-billion trade deals, mainly in the oil and gas sectors.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) Tuesday warned of a possible renewed oil demand boom in 2005 and is telling oil producers to be on their guard against unexpected events.
A little book with a big title, Dark Age Ahead, published last year, tracked the ebbs and flows of civilisations over centuries. It came to this chilling conclusion: “We show signs of rushing headlong into a Dark Age.” Not slipping towards a Dark Age. Rushing.
The world’s oil production may be about to reach its peak – forever. Such apocalyptic prophecies often surface in the middle of the northern hemisphere winter. What is unusual is that this time the doomsday scenario has gained serious credibility among respected analysts and commentators.
Life on Earth is driven by energy. Autotrophs take it from solar radiation and heterotrophs take it from autotrophs. Energy captured slowly by photosynthesis is stored up, and as denser reservoirs of energy have come into being over the course of Earth’s history, heterotrophs that could use more energy evolved to exploit them, Homo sapiens is such a heterotroph; indeed, the ability to use energy extrasomatically (outside the body) enables human beings to use far more energy than any other heterotroph that has ever evolved.
Long discussion of oil fundamentals, particularly the complexity & dynamics of markets, followed by superficial look at likelihood of production peak and potential of alternatives.
When OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia recently announced a production increase, there was scant mention the increase was mostly in the form of low quality crude rather than sweet.
According to the “World Energy Outlook” report prepared by the International Energy Agency, the world’s energy consumption will increase by 60 percent by 2030. China will rival the US as the biggest consumer and will use 10 million barrels oil per day by 2030.
Watching Barry Bonds connect for a homer is a thrill. We are in awe of the distance he can propel a baseball, but we know the ball will land. Why? Gravity, of course. Barry Bonds lives on Earth, not outer space. If he were in space his homers would travel practically forever. What goes up doesn’t necessarily come down, in space.
