Peak oil notes – March 31
A midweek peak oil roundup, including:
-Developments this week
-America’s new oil policy
Consumption & Demand
Latest ‘Zeitgeist’ film mixes sound critique and goofy futurism
‘Zeitgeist: Moving Forward,’ makes a strong critique of party politics, market economics and overshoot. The film even explores peak oil. But its solution is an unconvincing techno-utopian fantasy straight out of science fiction complete with pod-cities of the future. Why would such a schizophrenic film boast so many rabid fans?
Energy efficiency to the rescue
At the same time, it’s important to have a realistic understanding of efficiency’s limits. Boosting energy efficiency requires investment, and investments in energy efficiency eventually reach a point of diminishing returns. Just as there are limits to resources, there are also limits to efficiency. Efficiency can save money and lead to the development of new businesses and industries. But the potential for both savings and economic development is finite.
Biofuels vs. animal feed
I think it’s this sudden growth of biofuels that is the main shock to the global food system that has led to a reversal of the decades long fall in prices, and in fact price spikes in the last five years.
Peak oil review – March 28
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-Conflict in the Middle East
-Japan
-Quote of the week
-Briefs
Commentary: Restrictions on world oil production
Based on geology, many analysts have forecast the onset of the decline of world oil production in the next 2-5 years. Legitimate national interests, mismanagement, and political upheaval can only hasten that onset.
How many zeroes are there in a trillion? On economics, neoliberalism and economic justice
These are despairing times for ever increasing numbers of people around the globe who are fighting for jobs, food and shelter. The fundamental questions of economic justice are violently propelled back on the world’s agenda after a lost decade of ubiquitous security and terrorism concerns.
Peak oil notes – March 24
A midweekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Developments this week
-Falklands
Won’t Innovation, Substitution, and Efficiency Keep Us Growing?
While efficiency, substitution are key to our efforts to adapt to resource limits, they are incapable of removing those limits, and are themselves subject to the law of diminishing returns>
Peak oil review – March 21
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-Conflict in the Middle East
-The global oil balance
-Quote of the week
-Briefs
Peak oil experts assess Japan crisis
The earthquake and subsequent tsunami disaster in Japan have prompted speculation about the world’s nuclear future, the pressures on oil, and issues around economic collapse. Here’s our round-up from some of the top thinkers in the peak oil movement.
ODAC Newsletter – March 18
The earthquake and tsunami which ripped apart the northern half of Honshu in Japan on Friday has caused a massive humanitarian disaster and a nuclear emergency which may still develop into a major catastrophe. The wider knock on effects could be a backlash against nuclear power, and further global economic instability as a result of damage to what is the world’s 3rd largest economy. Meanwhile in Libya the civil war raged on, and in Bahrain protests became bloody as the government turned to military force and outside help to retain power.
