Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Few international figures have been as consistent in warning about the threat posed by global warming as economist Fatih Birol, of the International Energy Agency. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Birol explains why the situation is worsening and what needs to be done to significantly slow emissions.
The oil production maximum, “Peak Oil”, is already here or within sight says Uppsala professor Kjell Aleklett in a new book. It is a fundamental and thorough illumination of our oil dependency, according to Kersti Kollberg.
– Dmitry Orlov: Fragility and Collapse: Slowly at first, then all at once
– Policy-makers slow to take peak oil action
– Colin Campbell discusses changes in world energy supplies (video)
– Global debt and oil prices
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
– Oil and the global economy
– Europe at a turning point
– The Iranian nuclear talks
– China faltering?
– Quote of the week
– Briefs
In The End of Growth, published in September 2011, I made the observation that world economic expansion, which has been barreling along for the past few decades, is now stalling. So: how are we doing just nine months later?
My apologies to Ray Stevens, writer of the 1970s hit “Everything Is Beautiful,” the lyrics and title of which I’ve morphed into the title of this piece. But with that I note the perpetual bullishness of the financial industry in the face of what is really an ongoing debt deflation. Every incident, every turn of events is summarized by the industry as a “bullish development.”
At the end of March, when Brent traded at around $125 per barrel, Saudi oil minister Ali al Naimi wrote a sharply worded article in the FT claiming there was no justification for such high oil prices, and Brent has since slumped to $100, which happens to be the Saudi target price. The decline is likely to be temporary, however, and Mr al Naimi soon shown to be as influential as King Canute…
-For first time in years, the world is producing more oil than it needs
-Bill Reinert Describes What the Future of Energy Looks Like to his University of Colorado Audience
-The Saudi Oil Problem
-Citi’s Ed Morse Has A Huge Note Blasting Everyone Who Believes In Peak Oil
-The Oil Bubble Is Popping, But Will It Pop Down To $67?
-Aggregate factors in the price of oil
The military imperative is to prepare. In many ways, it’s leading the way in the development of new energy sources, said Brandon Fureigh, advocacy director for the Truman National Security Project. And with a massive budget and an oversized carbon bootprint, the military is in a good position to drive innovation. “The military has always been a good testing ground for technology in general and one reason is they have a large budget,” he said, noting how ideas sparked by military research trickle into the general business arena. Its budget for clean energy has tripled in the last four years to $1.2 billion.
-Shale energy triggers bean rush in India
-Halliburton blames guar bean shortage for profit warning
-Shale Gas: Fracking great
-Lawmakers air frustration over federal attention to shale
-China’s shale future: not as bright as promised?
-Gas rebranded as green energy by EU
A midweekly roundup of peak oil news, on developments this week
After Part One, this is Part Two of my thoughts on some of the energy related themes of this ASPO conference and where we find ourselves now.
