Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
“Steady state economy” – it’s got a nice ring, doesn’t it? In a world of financial meltdowns, climate change, resource wars, banker bailouts, endangered species, BP, etc., the ring gets nicer by the day, no? With unpredictability and insecurity eating away at the collective peace of mind, “steady state economy” exudes stability, security, and sustainability. It’s a phrase for which the time has come!
The death of the climate bill yesterday struck the Climateers like a wet, oil-soaked dead dolphin to the face. Their wails of despair and cries for retribution swamped my Twitter stream, as carbon cap champions learned the Democratic leadership had given up on mustering the 60 Senate votes needed to pass the bill. The political realities of Washington had stymied them once again. Nothing had changed.
A weekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Oil and the global economy
-the Deepwater Horizon saga
-Energy bill on hold
-Quote of the week
-Briefs
-Tony Hayward’s departure follows that of his mentor
-Researchers Confirm Subsea Gulf Oil Plumes Are From BP Well
-Proceed with caution on shale gas
-Siemens warns growth could fall 7.5pc if energy prices rise
-Is Matt Simmons Credible?
-Permaculture in Malaysia
-Biomass Britain: do fields of energy crops spell an end to grazing livestock?
-A More Feminine Food System: Farmer Jane (a Book Review)
-Filming Haiti’s Food Crisis and Grassroots Movement for Sustainable Agriculture (VIDEO)
-Is the Next Global Food Crisis Now in the Making?
As dozens of ships at the BP spill site are forced to head for harbour by the approach of Tropical Storm Bonnie, work to plug the well permanently could be delayed by up to two weeks. But eight days on the temporary cap is still holding, and officials are now ‘encouraged’ by the results. Earlier this week they were concerned that seepage near the well might be evidence of damage from the disaster that could lead to a further leak…
-BP testimony: Officials knew of key safety problem on rig
-EPA Whistleblower Accuses Agency of Covering Up Effects of Dispersant in BP Oil Spill Cleanup
-Workers on Doomed Rig Voiced Concern About Safety
The economic crisis in the United States has had a profound impact on the lives of millions of its citizens. Among the most damaging is the experience of unemployment. In a country where notions of work, self-reliance, and self-improvement are fundamental to its identity, the insecurities and hardships associated with forced idleness are hard indeed to cope with.
And so we have it. At noon today (PST), we saw the predictable collapse of Democrat resolve to address the most serious crisis of our times…We can point fingers at Washington, DC, but we should be pointing them at ourselves.
A midweekly roundup of peak oil news, including:
-Prices and production
-Deepwater Horizon
In many resource discussions, biomass emerges as a solution that allows us to continue many activities currently powered by fossil fuels: First, to move cars, trucks, machinery and planes when oil runs out or becomes too expensive. Second, to provide flexibility in electric power generation, i.e. when other sources are stochastic and inflexible, biomass would provide the necessary gap-filling power. Third, to heat our homes, after natural gas production declines. There are many estimates of future uses for biomass, and many new technologies that are making their first baby-steps, quite a few of them promising and worth trying.
For more than 100 years the coal-producing counties of eastern Kentucky have been dependent on the coal industry, which has dominated them politically and, submitting only to the limits of technology, has come near to ruining them. The legacy of the coal economy in the Kentucky mountains will be immense and lasting damage to the land and to the people. Much of the damage to the land and the streams, and to water quality downstream, will be irreparable within historical time. The lastingness of the damage to the people will, to a considerable extent, be determined by the people.
