Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
Not only are high levels of growth an undesirable goal and an utterly insufficient rubric for assessing the ‘common wealth’, it is also simply not possible to return to the annualized GDP growth of the post-war ‘golden age’.
The Post Carbon Institute animation 300 Years of Fossil Fuels in 300 Minutes with Russian subtitles.
Whenever North Americans fill up their vehicles with gasoline these days they should reflect on their ongoing contribution to the dysfunctional status of petro states and the Islamic Republic of Iran in particular.
About a month ago, when Iranian officials started venting the idea of closing the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic, Western media was prompt in reviewing the events of 1981. At that time, Iranian forces mined the Strait and engaged commercial vessels with rubber speedboats in what was largely seen as a pathetic attempt to control the area. The media seems to think that Iranian officials are talking about using similar tactics today. In reality, the military technology deployed by Iran in the region is completely different today, creating a strategic scenario totally different from that of 30 years ago.
Personal powerdown within Transition brings a subtle force into everything you do that is hard to quantify. It means that when you talk of energy descent action plans for your community, you know what it takes on the physical and emotional levels, because you have done that descent yourself. You did not “change your behaviour” because you wanted to salve your conscience, or increase your well-being. You made those radical moves because one day you woke up and realised the storm was coming.
For four decades, Amory Lovins has been a leading proponent of a renewable power revolution that would wean the U.S. off fossil fuels and usher in an era of energy independence. In an interview with Yale Environment 360, he talks about his latest book, which describes his vision of how the world can attain a green energy future by 2050.
– NYT: Obama Warns Against ‘Loose Talk of War’ With Iran
– Heinberg: $5 Gas, Iranian Poker, and the Peak of ‘Peak Oil’ Denial
– Glenn Grenwald: Iran, Threats and the UN Charter
– 2600 years of history in one object
– Chomsky: What Are Iran’s Intentions?
– Telegraph: Plateau Oil meets 125m Chinese cars
– Globe & Mail: All the signs point to a falling oil price – except supply
– WSJ: Oil Gives Economy Both Barrels
– WSJ: For Europe, Costly Oil Could Be ‘the New Greece’
– Rolling Stone: Why Obama Is Wrong About Natural Gas
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-The Iranian confrontation
-Gasoline and election 2012
-A New EIA Report on East Coast Refining
-Gas: Climate Panacea or Industry Propaganda?
-Estimates Clash for How Much Natural Gas in the United States
-The Big Fracking Bubble: The Scam Behind the Gas Boom
-Poland May Cut Shale Gas Estimates After Data From Wells
-China claims world’s biggest shale gas reserves
It’s one thing to create a literal portrayal of civilization-destroying natural disasters on film. It’s quite another to depict a character’s inner psychological journey as the world moves closer and closer to cataclysm. Two recent films do just that and do it remarkably well.
– Science: Is the World Tottering on the Precipice of Peak Gold?
– Heinberg: End of growth not end of the line
– Rapier: Bill O’Reilly is Misinforming Americans About Oil Supplies
– Those who argue that there will never be a final “oil crisis” fail to recognize resource limits
