Oil

Common myths of the population debate

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In any debate there are particular key arguments that are used to undermine the opponent. A debate as heated as that over the importance, or not, of population growth is sure to feature these. It should be clear to readers of my essay published last week that I regard population growth as the core issue in any discussion on sustainability. Many of the arguments used by those who wish to dismiss or lessen the importance of population growth are false, misleading or simply mental tricks allowing their advocates the comfort of self-deception.

My Foreword to ‘The Transition Timeline’

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Shaun Chamberlin’s masterwork, ‘The Transition Timeline’, is now complete and available for order. As someone who has been intimately involved in its conception and its production, I don’t think that a review from me would be of much use. It is of course brilliant, I love it.

Laying down tools

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I am a directional driller, one of those fellows who steers a drill bit into petroleum targets thousands of feet beneath the surface of the earth. … Regardless of how we as individuals in the oil and gas industry cope with this downturn, all of us, as well as our society, will in time face the consequences of having lost this rig and the hundreds more now lying in the grass. I believe that within 2 to 4 years we will be facing a serious shortage of natural gas and the roughnecks will be asked to “come back, please!” Some will walk away and never look back. As for me, I hope that finally the United States is serious about alternative energy, because our very survival is at stake.

The economic crisis impacts on public health

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Today I report on a study with public health officials from across the nation… The questions are not about peak oil per se; that topic would make for a short interview, indeed. I’m inquiring about the current fiscal and economic crisis… (transcript of talk for the “After Peak Oil” Conference, Johns-Hopkins University, March 12)