Energy – April 1
– The Empty Ritual of Energy Speeches
– Reheated proposals
– Stuart Staniford: Reducing US Oil Imports By a Third
– Ex-premier slams Manitoba over ‘peak oil’
– Dr. Michio Kaku says three raging meltdowns under way at Fukushima
Energy Policy
ODAC newsletter – Apr 1
The oil price firmed to around $117 this week as evidence emerged of the impact of the Libyan crisis on the oil supply. Bloomberg reported that OPEC oil output dropped in March as Saudi Arabia failed to make up the loss in production from Libya. Reuters reported that Saudi has unexpectedly called on oil companies to expand its drill count by 30%. It is not clear whether this is in an attempt to add further spare capacity, or whether the kingdom is struggling to raise production.
Fukushima and the future of nuclear power
While nuclear power does return net energy and while it may be true that public opposition to nuclear power will fall, it probably won’t matter – because no society in an energy decline, with declining fossil fuel resources, can afford to front-load a decade or two decades of energy in fossil fuels into a plant.
What President Obama should have said regarding energy policy
“I am afraid we have not been entirely open and honest about the situation in the past, but I want to make a change, and talk about the real energy situation, and start making plans for a lower-energy world. In the not too distant future–probably within the next 20 to 50 years, but perhaps as soon as the next 10 years, we will need to go back to using just the energy resources that we receive each day to sustain this world. This will require a very different type of society than we have today.”
Peak oil notes – March 31
A midweek peak oil roundup, including:
-Developments this week
-America’s new oil policy
Prescription for survival
A debate on the future of nuclear energy between anti-coal advocate George Monbiot and anti-nuclear activist Dr. Helen Caldicott.
Obama’s non-plan for reducing oil dependence
Where is the discussion of meaningful conservation? Where is the discussion of a push to use more mass transit and accelerate the electrification of transportation overall? Hell, where is the attempt to educate the public about the breadth, depth, and nature of the problems we’re facing on the sustainability front?
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.
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.
Nuclear crisis in Japan – March 27
– Nuclear Rules in Japan Relied on Old Science
– Countering Radiation Fears With Just the Facts
– Nukes and Quakes (prescient 1996 article)
– Permaculture Research Institute: What To Do With Nuclear Boy?
Nuclear options going forward
The question is whether we can continue to ramp up electrical production by 2% or more a year if the contribution from nuclear is declining. If nuclear production needs to be scaled back, we may need a major downshift in our expectations regarding future electricity consumption.
