Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
The parallels between China’s precarious social and economic future based solely on exports and our own societies entirely dependent on fossil fuel as a driver for growth are striking. China now needs to focus on what’s beyond expanding its economy through exports and manufacturing, while all of us need to focus on what’s beyond growth in a crude oil based economy. Peak oil is occurring now; the economic repercussions are a symptom.
The subject of Iraqi oil is one which has fascinated me for a number of years, so in this post I’ll outline why I believe that Iraq probably has the world’s largest oil reserves – or, as Daniel Yergin once said of the middle east, it is “the greatest single prize in all history” (echoing a similar statement by George Kennan at the end of world war 2).
The Global Response to a Terror-Generated Energy Crisis
The SWISH Report (advice to al-Qaida about Obama’s presidency)
Russia to deploy missiles on EU border
IEA documents online
The Oil Drum’s first look at the IEA report (new)
International Energy Agency warns of future oil ‘supply crunch’
Greenpeace: IEA falls short of an Energy Revolution needed to avert catastrophic climate change
IEA doesn’t see peak oil by 2030
Peak oil: Get ready for the oil-supply crunch, IEA says
The downside of cap-and-trade
W.Va. Democrats explore green politics (coal)
Environmentalists look to Obama to limit drilling
Obama expected to tighten coal regulations
Taking On King Coal
Should Big Oil give up tax breaks — or get cuts?
Robert Rapier on Obama’s Energy Policy: Listening When We Disagree
Why It’s Time for a ‘Green New Deal’
The National Academies Summit on America’s Energy Future (online book)
Wiley Rein’s Weinberg says Obama win marks resurgence of aggressive regulation (11/11/2008) (video and transcript)
After the credit crunch, the oil crunch: watchdog warns over falling supplies (IEA report)
World needs four new Saudi Arabias, warns IEA
Jérôme a Paris: Betting on Yergin
Daniel Yergin: What lower oil prices mean for the world
We believe that no other challenge we currently face will be adequately addressed unless we are successful in tackling our energy challenges. Based on recognition of the fundamental change that has taken place in global energy markets, critical elements of a new approach to energy policy are set out below.
Jeremy Leggett discusses the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security
Total sees nuclear energy for growth after peak oil
On theoretical, scientific or ideological grounds
Weekly review including:
– Prices and consumption
– Production cuts
– Investment continues to fall
– The forthcoming IEA report
– Detroit
– Briefs
The talk you are about to hear is the result of a lengthy process on my part. My specialty is in thinking about and, unfortunately, predicting collapse. My method is based on comparison: I watched the Soviet Union collapse, and, since I am also familiar with the details of the situation in the United States, I can make comparisons between these two failed superpowers.
I was born and grew up in Russia, and I traveled back to Russia repeatedly between the late 80s and mid-90s. This allowed me to gain a solid understanding of the dynamics of the collapse process as it unfolded there.
Throughout the Peak Oil and collapse of civilization milieu, much speculation abounds regarding the speed with which collapse might occur. Some theorists insist or imply that the descent will be rapid and dramatic while others argue for a more “slow burn” scenario, less dramatic and more stair-step-like in progression. The tone of proponents of acute collapse reverberates with urgency while the tone of authors who perceive collapse as occurring in a more protracted fashion is notable for its moderation and skepticism of the rapid descent theory.
