Editor’s picks: September 2010
Articles that we thought were significant this month.
Consumption & Demand
Trends in world oil supply/consumption and net exports/imports
In this post I briefly present the results from my analysis of absolute and relative trends in world oil (all liquids) supply, consumption, net exports and net imports between 1980 and 2009.
Waste: Climate change, peak oil, and the end of waste
We in rich contries have almost lost the ability to supply our own needs through local manufacturing and agriculture–or even to extend the life of products through reuse, repair and repurposing. We rely on others, and on a system lubricated by cheap oil, to meet our needs as well as our wants.
Review: Putting the Bundeswehr report in context
The recent leak of a German military report on peak oil has generated much interest among peak oil analysts. This review examines the Bundeswehr report in the context of other publicly-available military analyses of peak oil and concludes that the new German report is highly significant for several reasons.
Energy Security: an annotated military/security bibliography (2010 update)
The following is a selected list of studies of various aspects of energy security (including peak oil) which have either been conducted by members of the military/security research community, or which raise issues with direct military/security relevance.
The next oil price shock — an update
Having done some analysis, I’ve decided to postpone my projection for the next oil price shock. I have moved the date from 2012 ± 1 year to 2013 ± 1 year. The change reflects my view that there will not be a price spike in 2011.
Deep thought – Sept 26
– Localism vs globalism: two world views collide
– MarketWatch: The economy can’t grow forever
– A case for singletasking
ASPO-USA conference Oct. 7 – 9: agenda now available
ASPO-USA’s 6th Annual Peak Oil Conference will honor its traditional core focus with a full agenda and world-class speakers who understand the global peak oil energy crisis and its complex socioeconomic and geopolitical impacts. (Registration is still open.)
A great future is in store for us when we take the power
Richard Heinberg came to Kalamazoo recently and his talk was the first peak oil discussion I’ve heard that didn’t discourage and depress me. Actually, I felt both inspired and energized to help create the next major era in our world’s history.
Peak oil notes – Sept 23
A midweek roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Developments this week
Bring me the woodburning stove of Alfredo Garcia….
If everyone installs woodburning stoves, might we end up back in the age of smogs? Are we better to explore group solutions, anaerobic digestion for example, which might still be able to supply us with gas (albeit to far more efficient homes than at present) or other large scale renewables, rather than all fracturing down into small off-the-grid bubbles?
The End of the World-as-we-know-it in 10 years? And the rise of the post-carbon era…
We are running out of time. By 2018, converging food, water and energy shortages could magnify the probability of conflict between major powers, civil wars, and cross-border conflicts. After 2020, this could result in political and economic catastrophes that would undermine state control and national infrastructures, potentially leading to social collapse.
