Thursday, March 11, 2010

PEAK OIL

JS-Peak-Oil

Source: Spacecollaborative.com

Peak Oil: This issue is simple. We have reached the peak of oil production and its now downhill all the way. This is corresponding with a rise in demand, particularly in the developing world.

One of the key authors and advocates of this concept in the UK is Jeremy Leggett, someone who I first encountered when he was working at the Royal School of Mines on the issue of nuclear testing and the idea of using satellites to monitor illegal nuclear activity. 

Our next encounter was as a result of the musician Paul Hardcastle who, following the huge success of his chart-topping single '19' was  producing a new single about the threat of nuclear weapons. He had been talking to Jeremy and was shit scared, as I recall.

Next I remember Jeremy at Greenpeace, in the early '90s, attending international conferences of insurance companies talking about climate change.

In other words, Jeremy was always ahead and he is still there. He is now the CEO of one of Britain's leading solar companies, Solar Century, the author of numerous books, a blogger on The Guardian, and an acknowledged spokesman on energy issues. He is never less than challenging, is incredibly well-informed and is on the cutting edge of a number of key debates. You would be  very well advised to pay attention to what he is saying.

So Peak Oil is one of the major issues he is centrally concerned about. What he is saying that we are facing an Energy Crunch, a worse version of the Credit Crunch, and we have scant time to prepare for it.

His critics would say that he would say that. He is running a solar energy company. The oil companies dismiss talk of an oil shortage. Anyway, check out the following and get up to speed.

http://www.jeremyleggett.net/

 

Branson warns that oil crunch is coming within five years

• Virgin chief and fellow business leaders call for action
• Energy crisis threatens to be more serious than credit crunch

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/feb/07/branson-warns-peak-oil-close

Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower

Exclusive: Watchdog's estimates of reserves inflated says top official

The world is much closer to running out of oil than official estimates admit, according to a whistleblower at the International Energy Agency who claims it has been deliberately underplaying a looming shortage for fear of triggering panic buying.

The senior official claims the US has played an influential role in encouraging the watchdog to underplay the rate of decline from existing oil fields while overplaying the chances of finding new reserves.

The allegations raise serious questions about the accuracy of the organisation's latest World Energy Outlook on oil demand and supply

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/nov/09/peak-oil-international-energy-agency

Check out Matt Savinar's site: Life After The Oil Crash

Dear Reader, 

Civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon. This is not the wacky proclamation of a doomsday cult, apocalypse bible prophecy sect, or conspiracy theory society. Rather, it is the scientific conclusion of the best paid, most widely-respected geologists, physicists, bankers, and investors in the world. These are rational, professional, conservative individuals who are absolutely terrified by a phenomenon known as global "Peak Oil."

Peak Oil: A Brief Introduction

Peak oil is not an Internet conspiracy theory or an urban legend or myth. It is fact. If one accepts that oil is a finite resource - that there is a certain amount of it in the earth, and more cannot be produced without millions of years - then it follows that one must also accept that the production of oil will peak at some point. All that is therefore questionable is the date when oil will peak and whether or not alternatives are possible. Oil geologists predict a peak before 2015, possibly sooner; scientists are currently failing to find a viable alternative, or even something close. It is quite possible - given the nature of energy - that an alternative does not exist.

Kuwaiti Scientists Say Peak Oil Will Arrive in 2014

New research out of Kuwait, using a new method of calculating the crude oil production potential of 47 of the world’s largest oil producing countries, has found that peak oil — the period in time when oil production reaches a maximum and then begins to decline — will come much sooner than expected… 2014 to be exact.

http://gas2.org/2010/03/10/kuwaiti-scientists-say-peak-oil-will-arrive-in-2014/

What Is Peak Oil?

http://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-peak-oil-2009-12

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