one.point.zero - Colin O'Brien's weblog
November 25 2007
Peak Oil in the Wall Street Journal, probably not a good sign, coming from that camp.
October 22 2007
The reports keep coming in on upcoming energy shortages and water scarcity but the world seems to happily truck on in complete denial.
June 14 2007
Jeremy Leggert on peak oil“It reminds me of the way no one would listen for years to scientists warning about global warming”
May 30 2007
The Association for the Study of Peak Oil has a Belgian branch (a French-speaking one anyway).
April 15 2007
Thought-provoking article on a post-peak oil future and the cyclical patterns of descent that will follow.
April 02 2007
A collection of audio and video covering Peak Oil, some of it on mainstream media such as CNBC, that you should go and check out right now.
February 22 2007
Abu Dhabi is going to build a large-scale 500 megawatt solar power plant. If even people in the world’s biggest oil exporting territory are acting now, you know the signs are here.
February 10 2007
A sobering if not downright alarming view from Dmitry Orlov of the possible future that awaits us in a world of resource depletion and global warming
January 09 2007
A small decrease in oil prices doesn’t mean oil is suddenly plentiful again.
January 07 2007
More mainstream media on peak oil“Last year, half of the world's 44 main oil-producing nations produced less oil than they did the year before. The chain of peaks is beginning to take on Himalayan proportions”
January 05 2007
Peak Oil gets mainstream and hits the pages of Nature magazine.
December 22 2006
From the latest OPEC news bulletin“However, all in all, most would appear to agree that peak oil output is not very far away for all of us.”
December 08 2006
The trailer for Escape from Suburbia, the sequel to the documentary The End Of Suburbia is now online.
December 02 2006
Another depressing hint at the future for Saudi oil production
October 31 2006
Are today’s suburbs destined to become the slums of the future? Watch the end of suburbia, a very interesting documentary on peak oil which is now viewable for free online.
October 24 2006
The city of Oakland, California aims to be oil independent by 2020. I have difficulty imagining a Belgian city making a bold move like that.
September 17 2006
An interesting post on peak oil and how everyone sees a mirror of sorts in it, with their post-peak vision basically being a form of wishful thinking based on their personal worldview.
September 07 2006
The BBC is running a great radio series concerning oil politics called Driven By Oil. The first episode talks about peak oil. Well worth a listen.
September 05 2006
The Empty Tank (Jeremy Leggett)
Jeremy Leggett is a geologist who worked inside the big oil companies for years before jumping ship to Greenpeace and finally setting up his own renewable energy company. In this book, he lays out his arguments for an early peak in oil production combined with the ongoing climate crisis and their implications on our way of life. He doesn't paint a pretty picture but the facts are there and his insider knowledge tends to confirm the well-held beliefs that changes will not come from above. He sees future energy prices and lack of forward-thinking pushing us back into exploiting coal and other dirty fuels, thus accelerating climate and economic instability. It's not all gloom though, he sees renewable energy setting us back on track but only after crossing a very depressive post-cheap-oil era. Basically: we'll fall right down before we can stand up again. Worth the read if only for the insider oil stories. Note: this book is also sold under the title 'half gone'. [link]
September 04 2006
Rob Hopkins on peak oil survivalists“I deeply question the morality of responding to a crisis by running in the opposite direction and leaving everyone else to stew.”
September 01 2006
This guy tells it exactly how it is: Honey, We Killed the Planet
August 13 2006
A retired senior energy expert from the National Iranian Oil Co. says no more business as usual, peak oil is here now but politicians ignore bad news and the media ignore it for reasons of income.
August 04 2006
Looks like the oil production plateau is upon us. And with the Cantarell field presenting signs of decline, the first symptoms may be showing…
July 30 2006
Following oil from the pump back to its origins and the crisis it involves.
waiting for the lights to go out“By some estimates, 5 billion of the world's 6½ billion population would never have been able to live without the blessed effects of fossil fuels, and oil in particular”
July 16 2006
An Open Letter to Greg Palast on Peak Oil
July 11 2006
A former National Iranian Oil Company executive says the global oil production peak has been reached.
July 10 2006
Al Gore in Rolling Stone“We have more than enough oil, not to mention coal, to completely destroy the habitability of the planet. The real constraint on oil and coal is not supply, but global warming.”
July 09 2006
Have we already reached peak oil? Some experts believe the oil crisis is only 3 years away.
June 18 2006
French oil company Total Fina is warning we’ll hit peak oil in 2020. With the big guys now talking about oil production limits, hopefully more people will take their head out of the sand.
June 03 2006
An absolute must-see performance: comedian Robert Newman on the history of oil. A fantastic blend of history, politics and stand-up comedy that will open your eyes.
Dr. Millar on replacing oil with other fuels“The answer appears to be a clear no. Not by a long shot.”