American Oil Crisis » Media & persuasion

Canada’s House of Commons must convene inquiry into fossil fuel supply

kristinsponsler — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:08:39 +0000

A recent front-page report by the British newspaper, The Guardian, is the latest reason why Canada needs a top-level analysis of global hydrocarbon supplies. The Guardian’s November 9th story is headlined “Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower.” The story focuses on the world’s top energy monitoring and forecasting body, the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Peak Energy Vs. Climate Change: Stupidest Debate Ever

kristinsponsler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 19:19:48 +0000

The truth is that we have at least two central problems (the economic one is tied to both in the long term), and only people who can get their mind around the combined difficulty will have anything useful to offer. Yes, we need to know how what fossil fuels are in the ground – and we also can’t burn them rapidly. Yes, we need to address climate change – and we need to stop lying and claiming that we can have it all – a happy growth economy based on renewable energy, yada yada.

Peak oil, prices, and supplies – Nov 16

kristinsponsler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:57:48 +0000

-The most recent economic downturn is a peak oil recession
-Oil: future world shortages are being drastically underplayed, say experts
-Oil reflects dollar moves, not market dynamics: Yergin
-Is the world awash in oil?

Oil Production is Reaching its Limit: The Basics of What This Means

kristinsponsler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:58:56 +0000

I decided to write another rather basic level article because there are so many people I meet who have heard a bit about the oil situation, and it is hard to point to one single article to give an overview of some of the current issues. Regular readers will find many repeats of graphs. There are some new ones, as well, from the Denver ASPO-USA conference. Because there is so much to tell, the story gets a little long.

Colin Campbell’s Response to the Guardian IEA Reporting

kristinsponsler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:33:31 +0000

Colin Campbell, one of the worlds preeminent depletion analysts, and co-author of the 1998 Scientific American article, "The End of Cheap Oil", drafted a reply to the Guardian on these issues. Below the fold is Dr. Campbell's letter, which gives some relevant history as to how the oil depletion debate has unfolded over time in the worlds energy agencies.

Gazprom Comes to the U.S.

kristinsponsler — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:22:56 +0000

For several years, Gazprom has had surpassingly bad PR -- worse even than Exxon, which since the 19th century heyday of John D. Rockefeller has almost proudly disdained the opinion of the world at large. The main problem has been Gazprom's intrusion into the lives of its neighbors -- its routine shutoff of gas to Georgia in the 1990s, for example, and its long reluctance to lease pipeline space for the export of natural gas from land-locked Kazakhstan, both actions that happen to coincide with the desire of Moscow to keep a foot on the throat of these former Soviet republics.

Peak oil review – Nov 16

simoneosborn — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:48:10 +0000

A weekly review including:
- The day of the whistleblower
- A New focus for the World Energy Outlook
- Production and prices
- Oil and the recovery
- Quote of the Week
- Briefs

The IEA and World Oil Supply Projections

kristinsponsler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:14:53 +0000

A front page report November 9, 2009 in The Guardian tells us that "Key oil figures were distorted by US pressure, says whistleblower."

The Choice Ahead: Entrenched Fossil Fuel Dependence Or Climate Change Management

kristinsponsler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:09:44 +0000

According to Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard economist Linda Bilmes, the Iraq War cost three trillion dollars. While much of the money used to conduct the war was borrowed (most notably from Chinese institutions), ultimately American taxpayers will be responsible for many years to come for footing the bill, including the high interest payments on the funds loaned.

A New Geopolitical Jevons Paradox? A Look at Non-OECD Oil Demand

kristinsponsler — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:59:13 +0000

This is part 2 of my post on oil demand. This time I look at the Non-OECD demand and how it may impact global oil demand. Based on data from the 2009 BP Statistical Review, the OECD oil consumption in 2008 decreased by -3.2% while demand within emerging economies increased by +3.1%. The report also indicates that oil production from OECD countries has been declining since 1997 and is now below 23% of the world production.