Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
EIA: US oil demand growth has picked up /
Upward trend for electricity use /
Summer brings air conditioner wars /
Utility chairmen asks how to ensure power / Metropolitan Dubai and the rise of architectural fantasy /
What’s up at Pemex? /
It’s the oil, stupid
Will FERC force LNG terminals on unwilling communities? /
Michael Bagley on the energy bill /
Salon: The porking of the energy bill /
Big Brother at work by Michael Klare
Why, after being so implacably opposed for so long to the Kyoto protocol, did the US perform a U-turn yesterday? To the complete surprise of even its closest allies, it announced a new pact with five Asian-Pacific states to cut greenhouse gases. Together the six states – Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea plus the US – account for over 40% of the six global warming gases that are already changing our climate.
As the world seeks new sources of power, renewable energy, such as solar, wind and biofuel, is being tapped to a greater degree than ever. They are called renewable because they replenish themselves.
Summary of the major forms of renewable energy, and how they are being implemented locally in Ohio.
The US House and Senate have finally passed the long-awaited energy bill. The response from several US newspapers: “We’re underwhelmed.” Also, the EPA held back a report on fuel efficiency until after the bill was passed.
A few days ago Roger Pielke Jr. pointed to a paper (PDF) by Tim Dyson of the London School of Economics called “On development, demography and climate change: The end of the world as we know it?” Pielke called it “refreshingly clear thinking on climate change.” That’s true, if by “refreshingly clear” he means “weep-silently-aplogize-to-your-children-and- throw-yourself-out-a-window depressing.”
What is the third date in the great Peak Oil saga? It is the year in which alternate energy sources finally offset the equivalent decline in crude oil production. Prior to that date, oil production will in general keep falling but the energy equivalent delivered by solar, wind, nuclear, etc. will always be less.
Without the energy-saving advances of the past 30 years – more efficient homes, appliances and cars – we would be using 40 percent more energy today… But over the years, the country has squandered opportunities to cut even deeper into consumption…
Wildcat drillers in China are battling Beijing after the State resumed rights over their oil wells.
Peak Oil is coming soon, no doubt about it in my mind. But like religious groups who set the date for the Second Coming only to end up looking like fools, some caution is advised. If Peak Oil is postponed for a few more years due to a recession, the number of peak oil books and websites will also decline. If that happens, the actual peak in oil production may arrive with more of a whimper than a bang…
At present, world conventional light crude oil production is barely keeping up with rising demand. At some point, conventional light crude oil production will peak, and then decline – a phenomenon commonly known as “Peak Oil”. This will lead to a sharp, sustained rise in world oil prices, at which point the world will have entered the post-cheap-oil age. …
Because the implications of Peak Oil are so serious for New Zealand, SEF recommends that the Government, and individuals, start planning for “the Peak Oil crisis” now.
