Peaking of World Oil Production: Problem, Complexity, Mitigation & Risks

by Robert L. Hirsch A new Hirsch report. This one is different from his previous reports: short and simple, with great graphics. Sort of “Peak Oil for Dummies.” There are two versions, a short one and a longer version. Short version (PDF) Long version (PDF)

India’s bright green idea: compressed biogas for cars

We have been making the case for the use of compressed biogas (CBG) as an automotive fuel for a long time now. A recent EU well-to-wheel study showed that of over 70 different automotive fuels and fuel paths, biogas is by far the most environmentally friendly and yielding considerably more well-to-tank energy than any other […]

Nigerian villagers seize Shell platforms

LAGOS, Nigeria – Angry villagers seized three Shell oil platforms in the volatile Niger Delta on Wednesday, forcing production to be shut down at each, the company said. Royal Dutch Shell PLC officials declined to say how much oil had been cut off after the platforms were attacked. Chevron Corp. said it shut down a […]

Weight gain means lower gas mileage

CHICAGO – Want to spend less at the pump? Lose some weight. That’s the implication of a new study that says Americans are burning nearly 1 billion more gallons of gasoline each year than they did in 1960 because of their expanding waistlines. Simply put, more weight in the car means lower gas mileage. Using […]

The Oil Drum: Koppelaar: Peak Oil, Separating Facts from Fiction

In the discussion about the date of peak oil production there is often a lack of a common framework. This makes it difficult to compare arguments concerning the date of peak oil / liquids production. In this post Rembrandt Koppelaar outlines a set of clear suppositions that, he hopes, will help to understand the issue […]

US Occupation of Iraq: A Reason to be Proud!

Every day now more and more Americans are waking up to the realization of a fact that many of us were aware of, that most of the rest of the world was aware of, as far back as early 2003 – the fact that sending our military into Iraq would be a disastrous mistake, that […]

Nothing to fear from a Bigfoot

It seems that by the year 2050, the human race is going to be a planet short of its resource needs. I know this is true because I heard it yesterday morning on the CBC news. I was still reeling from the previous night’s revelation on The National that the Canadian Prairies are — due […]

A more efficient US? Energy agency prods only a bit.

After a six-year delay, the Energy Department proposes standards so moderate that even some firms complain. Under pressure to find new ways to save energy, the US Department of Energy is speeding adoption of new efficiency standards for devices ranging from pool heaters to microwave ovens. President Bush is apparently on board, too, pushing the […]

Australia plans world’s biggest space-age solar power station

SYDNEY (AFP) – Australia has announced plans to build the world’s biggest space-age solar power station as part of a 500 million dollar (375 million US) radical rethink on climate change. The government said it would contribute 75 million dollars towards the cost of the photovoltaic solar power plant in the first of a series […]

Gore stumps in Berkeley for oil production tax

Former Vice President Al Gore, calling global warming a worldwide crisis that requires immediate attention, urged Californians on Monday to approve Proposition 87, the ballot initiative to tax oil production to fund alternative fuel development. In an energetic speech in Berkeley before hundreds of people at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, Gore likened global […]

If House changes hands, oil drilling threat will recede

Maybe the polls and pundits are right about the Democrats’ chances of regaining one or both chambers of Congress. Of course the Philadelphia Eagles thought they had the football game in hand Sunday when the Bucs lined up for a 62-yard field goal with 4 seconds left on the game clock. But let’s assume the […]

Gas prices are down, but not surcharges

Gasoline prices have headed south, but most fuel surcharges have stayed put. Gasoline prices have swooned in the past three months, falling to $2.20 a gallon nationally after peaking at more than $3. But hop on an airplane, send a package or even ride a SuperShuttle to the airport and you’ll still pay a fuel […]

Russia prolongs Shell project probe, may prosecute

YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, Russia (Reuters) – Russia has prolonged an environmental inspection of Royal Dutch Shell’s $22 billion Sakhalin oil and gas project and may prosecute the scheme, the natural resources minister said on Wednesday. Pressure is building on many foreign operators in Russia, and analysts suspect a Kremlin push for more control of the mutil-billion dollar […]

World’s Third Largest Refinery Damaged by Fire

A fire at India’s largest oil refinery in Gujarat state has been brought under control, Reliance Industries says. The blaze at Jamnagar injured at least one person, said officials at the company, which owns the plant. Fire broke out in an area where crude oil was being cleaned, and several nearby units were closed. The […]

When it comes to global warming, market rule poses a mortal danger

Whose job is it to stop climate change? For a while, it’s seemed like it’s up to us, as individuals, to change our personal behaviour. Witness the BBC news item this week, exposing Britons’ slobby habit of leaving electronic appliances on stand-by, in contrast with the conscientious, energy-efficient Germans. David Cameron’s wind turbine on the […]

Climate change ‘will threaten Britain’s water supply’

Britain’s water supplies, health, ecosystem, planning system and tourist industry are likely to be severely hit by climate change, a government report has warned.One part of yesterday’s research project published by the Department of Environment concluded that by the middle of the century, comparatively dry winters like last year’s will be followed by even drier […]

Ethiopia: Ministries Looking to Alternative Fuel

As the price of fuel increases on the international oil market, Ethiopia has set its sights on ethanol and bio-diesel to guarantee the supply of affordable fuel in the future. According to a troubling study that was done by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MoTI), the increasing international demand for energy sources does not […]

Biofuel Monocultures

Clearly, some environmentalists are beginning to understand how problematic massive development of a global biofuels industry could become. For biofuel to even make a dent in world energy hunger, literally millions of square miles of biofuel plantations would be necessary. It is incredible that groups such as the Global Footprint Network can release stories such […]

Where’s the will to break energy status quo?

In just the past two weeks, several new initiatives have come across my desk. One is called “The Sustainable Energy Blueprint,” a plan endorsed by 145 businesses, environmental organizations and other groups across the U.S. The other is a report titled “American Energy: The Renewable Path to Energy Security,” released by the Center for American […]

Scotland: Marine energy cash made available

Wave and tidal energy developers are being encouraged to apply for cash under the Scottish Executive’s BBC

No more sapping Scotland’s energy

This week sees the start of the Scottish Executive’s new TV campaign. In it, children watch a film about the way we live our lives now, where our energy and resources come from and the way we waste them. “How will we explain to our children”, the ad asks, “that they won’t have access to […]

Global warming a hot topic for personal finances

Global warming is challenging celebrity worship as the latest obsession in worldwide media. Magazines from Newsweek to Scientific American have devoted issues to it and now financial writers are getting in on the act. Reducing your carbon footprint will not only make a difference environmentally, it will also lower your expenses, simplify your lifestyle and […]

Browne warns of tough times as BP reveals disappointing profits

Lord Browne of Madingley, BP’s chief executive, gave warning of a difficult trading environment as he revealed disappointing underlying profits at Britain’s largest company.The BP chief gave a bearish outlook for the oil and gas sector: “Overall, the trading environment is now weaker than it has been for the last five quarters. Of particular note […]

Moscow plays its cards strategically

Part 1 from The Emerging Russian giant, a series by F. William EngdahlThe new Russia is gaining in influence through a series of strategic moves revolving around its geopolitical assets in energy – most notably its oil and natural gas. It’s doing so by shrewdly taking advantage of the strategic follies and major political blunders […]

Russian minister calls for clear deadlines in oil licenses

Russia’s Minister for Natural Resources Tuesday called for amendments to existing oil and gas field development licenses that would bring clear development terms and timeframes for exploration and production. In a meeting with state environmental regulators and prosecutors, Yuri Trutnev called for more coordination in monitoring and enforcing compliance with licensing agreements by oil and […]

Leading utility companies urge action to reverse unsustainable trends

Today, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), along with eight of the world’s leading electric utility companies, released Powering a Sustainable Future( 1.4 MB), a report which contains an “agenda for concerted action” to secure future electricity generation, to bring more power to more people and to decrease the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions. […]

Council

RECOMMENDATIONS to combat climate change have been put forward by a council after a nine-month investigation. Kent County Council (KCC)’s select committee put forward 12 recommendations including an assessment of climate change impacts on its services. thisislocallondon

Royal Dutch looking very bullish on oil

If you think oil prices are going into the toilet, think again. Royal Dutch Shell’s $7.7-billion attempt to take Shell Canada private says the cheap oil scenario — dreaded by investors, cherished by SUV drivers and politicians — will be short-lived or won’t happen. As far as bullish indicators go, this one’s a beaut. theglobeandmail

Carbon-Neutral Oil Sands SCO Possible for an Extra $1.76 to $13.65 a Barrel

In a report released by the Pembina Institute, a detailed cost analysis demonstrates that the oil sands industry could achieve carbon-neutral (no net greenhouse gas emissions) production of synthetic crude oil (SCO) for as little as US$1.76 per barrel or as much as US$13.65 per barrel depending upon the operating scenario and the approach taken. […]

DOE Offers $16 Million for Research In Power Electronics & Motors for PHEVs, HEV

DOE greencarcongress

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