Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
The words “holy crap” were pretty much the first ones to my lips this morning, when several people sent me George Monbiot’s latest column…After being so flattered I could die, I suffered the irresistable desire to argue back, and I’m going to…
Unlike the other post-oil novels published so far, Ill Wind isn’t about peak oil. In those other novels, oil has gradually dribbled away while we’ve steadfastly ignored the warning signs. But in Ill Wind, the world’s oil vanishes suddenly after some bizarre, experimental oil-eating microbe is unleashed on a massive tanker spill, and then runs amok. What Ill Wind and those other novels do have in common, however, is that they imagine a future world without oil.
Green-basher Boris relaunches himself as an eco-warrior
King coal wins battle of Smalley
Power in the desert: solar towers will harness sunshine of southern Spain
“Fuel”: A persuasive argument for kicking our addiction to oil
Using Energy Like Pigs
Brazil’s biofuel industry dries up
When electricity becomes too expensive, unreliable, or rationed, many people will very likely turn to wood to meet their heating and cooking needs. This strategy is valid and sensible for many reasons, and probably necessary in some parts of the country, but I think we should also examine the downside of using wood as a primary fuel source, and examine ways to mitigate the problems associated with burning wood.
The key question is whether we have the time for said gradual energy transition. … Should the analogy be the American entry into World War II which led to a command economy directed by the federal government with the aim of winning the war? One could certainly argue that the United States did not make optimal use of its resources during World War II. But, it did win.
A digest of news and commentary from a UK peak oil perspective
The Last Viridian Note
Finite Resources Explain the Financial Crisis
Moore’s Curse and the Great Energy Delusion
U.S. intel office adds warming to warnings
Director of National Intelligence: Conflicts over resources (PDF)
Germany’s Courting of Oil-Rich Turkmenistan Prompts Criticism
Europe joins international contest for Arctic’s resources
World Willing to Pay More for Green Energy
Britain’s water mills given role in clean energy generation
New System Proposed To Optimize Combined Energy Use
Right to eat comes before fuel, Swiss minister says
South Korean company takes over part of Madagascar to grow biofuels
Cutting Emissions in Rural China
The last few months have seen a significant stalling in plans and proposals to build new wind-based power generation. These delays and cancellations have significant implications for two important components of American energy.
