Tom Murphy: The Fossil Fuel Joyride Is Over

Tom Murphy, associate physics professor at the University of California San Diego, projects energy needs for future enerations to argue that current ways of living are unsustainable. Disputing the argument that technology can save humanity from a peak oil crisis, Murphy states, “the fossil fuel joyride that we have experienced has clouded our judgment.” —– […]

Rare metals supply a low-carbon question

BRUSSELS, Nov. 10 (UPI) — A world shortage of rare earth metals could hamper deployment of low-carbon energy technologies, a European Commission report says. Many metals essential for manufacturing low-carbon technologies show a high risk of shortage, scientists at the Commission’s Joint Research Center said, because of Europe’s dependency on imports, increasing global demand, supply […]

Industry Urges U.S. to Rebuild Rare Earth Supply Chain

For economic and strategic reasons, the U.S. must rebuild its rare earth minerals supply chain, Senate staffers were told by the United States Magnetic Materials Association. Representing distinct segments of the rare earth magnetics supply chain, participating members in the workshops included Ed Richardson, President USMMA/Vice President, Thomas & Skinner; Jack Lifton, Technology Metals Research; […]

Oil Riches Pile on China Doorstep as Clashes Delay Drilling

Nov. 11 (Bloomberg) — To China, the world’s biggest energy consumer, another Saudi Arabia of oil may lie beneath the ocean to its south. Escalating regional tensions mean large-scale drilling may be slipping further into the future. The South China Sea may hold 213 billion barrels of oil, or 80 percent of Saudi Arabia’s reserves, […]

Seoul and Hanoi eye a glowing partnership

The image of South Korea’s highly conservative, arch-capitalist President Lee Myung-bak waving happily in a sea of little paper flags featuring a gold star in a red field was just another ceremonial photo for the Seoul media. The picture, Lee smiling as he and Vietnam’s President Truong Tan Sang and wife Mai Thi Hanh clasped […]

Philippines roils South China Sea

MANILA – Tensions are rising again as China and the Philippines bump boats and trade diplomatic barbs over the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. Adding fuel to the fire were recent “war games” staged by 3,000 American and Filipino marines near the hotly disputed maritime territory. The latest row was sparked by […]

Ugo Bardi: Peak oil narratives

In examining the debate on global warming and on peak oil, I came to the conclusion that the elementary unit of communication in the public discussion is always a story – a narrative of some kind. In other words, we tend to interpret reality in narrative terms, as you can understand by just a glance […]

Deepwater GOM: Reserves versus Production – Part 2: Atlantis, Mad Dog & Eugene Island

In the deepwater GOM, BP (in red) has the highest number of discoveries, as shown in this graph from PFC (R.West 2011), particularly with Atlantis and Mad Dog. Shell (in blue) is the second discoverer by number. The cumulative oil and gas discovery displays a typical S curve, but where is the asymptote? Figure 29: […]

India was the first in the world to initiate family planning

With its population crossing seven billion people, the world just got more crowded – as did India. Babatunde Osotimehin , director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), spoke with Monobina Gupta about the challenges a growing population presents – and the advantages it can offer: How should policymakers and communities meet the complex and […]

How Africa Can Get the Energy It Needs Without Adding to Climate Change

Sub-Saharan Africa has massive potential to generate clean energy that could help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty without exacerbating climate change, a new Christian Aid report says today. At present, sub-Saharan Africa countries (719 million people) have severely limited access to energy, consuming between them if South Africa is discounted less […]

U.S. Government Confirms Link Between Earthquakes and Hydraulic Fracturing

On 5 November an earthquake measuring 5.6 rattled Oklahoma and was felt as far away as Illinois. Until two years ago Oklahoma typically had about 50 earthquakes a year, but in 2010, 1,047 quakes shook the state. Why? In Lincoln County, where most of this past weekend’s seismic incidents were centered, there are 181 injection […]

Crack This Code: EROEI

“I just want to stop and make sure we’re not on fire,” Brad said as we pulled over. My friend Brad Farquhar is the co-founder and vice president of Assiniboia Capital, which invests in farmland. We had just driven through a canola farm some 50 miles outside of Regina, Saskatchewan. And apparently, the canola crop […]

The New Land Grab in Africa – An Alarming Scramble for the Continent Is On

Multinational corporations are buying enormous tracts of land in Africa to the detriment of local communities. Agazit Abate warns that the land grab puts countries on the path to increased food insecurity, environmental degradation, increased reliance on aid and marginalisation of farming and pastoralist communities. The recent phenomenon of land grab, as outlined in the […]

Solar bankruptcies mark industry coming of age

(Reuters) – Solar companies will continue to go bust as a natural part of the industry’s coming of age that will make it ever more competitive relative to fossil fuels, a senior official at Dow Corning said in an interview. Stiff competition from China and subsidy cuts have increased the strain on solar companies and […]

Believers in massive renewable energy expansion are ‘smoking dope’: energy agency exec

OTTAWA — Environmentalists who believe a massive global investment in renewable energy is the answer to future demands are “smoking dope,” says the deputy executive director of the International Energy Agency. Richard Jones was responding to Greenpeace Canada accusations that the IEA was taking an “intellectually and morally inconsistent” stand by supporting pipelines and the […]

Energy Costs to Rise ‘Viciously’ Without Nuclear, IEA Says

Nov. 9 (Bloomberg) — Energy will become “viciously more expensive” and polluting if governments don’t promote renewable and nuclear power in the next two decades instead of burning coal, the International Energy Agency said. Global demand for energy is set to increase 40 percent by 2035, the Paris-based agency said today in its annual World […]

Majority of Non-Chinese Rare Earth Projects Will Fail: TMR’s Jack Lifton

Rare earths consultancy Technology Metals Research (TMR), no stranger to controversy, has stirred up debate again after founder Jack Lifton told Reuters on November 1 that “the vast majority of non-Chinese rare earth metal ventures will fail.” Lifton stated that of the 244 companies in the rare earths sector outside of China, less than 4 […]

Doubling Demand for Rare Earths Seen Pushing Prices Up in 2012

The various and extensive use of permanent magnets in electronic gadgets, radars, hybrid cars, energy efficient solar panels and wind turbines will continuously push the demand and price for rare earths in 2012. Workers wearing face masks load discarded piles of sacks onto a truck at a rare earth smelting plant located on the outskirts […]

South Sudan’s oil production slumps since independence

Oil production in South Sudan has fallen by a quarter since independence four months ago, Unity State’s environment minister has told the BBC. Since the split from the north there has been a shortage of skilled workers, the minister, William Garjang, said. The rainy season was also making it difficult to repair faulty machinery and […]

Oil prices are in ‘danger zone’, warns the IEA

Oil could hit $150 a barrel soon if investment in the Middle East and North Africa fails to rise with demand, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. Prices have remained high throughout 2011, partly due to Libyan unrest. “We are in the danger zone for the global economy at current levels,” said IEA economist Fatih […]

China faces hurdles to developing shale gas

Energy-hungry China is tapping its vast shale gas reserves to reduce its reliance on dirty coal and imports, but experts warn its lack of technical expertise and scarce water supplies pose challenges. China, which has substantial reserves of the hard-to-reach gas — trapped in formations of shale, or sedimentary rock — has started drilling to […]

Heinberg: The great disruption

Growth as we’ve known it is over, Paul Gilding and Richard Heinberg told a Climate One audience in San Francisco on November 7. Confronted by resource constraints and crippling debt, nations must instead focus on growth that respects nature’s limits. “The idea that we can keep on growing the economy up against the physical limits of the […]

Yergin: How Shale Gas Is Like Walmart

The breakthrough energy innovation of the 21st century is not thin-film solar, sophisticated wind turbines, advanced biofuels or small-scale nukes. It’s shale gas. So says Daniel Yergin, the energy guru and author of The Quest: Energy, Security and the Remaking of the Modern World (Penguin, $35), who was interviewed today (Nov. by Walter Isaacson at […]

IEA: Time running out to limit earth’s warming

The International Energy Agency warned Wednesday that the world is hurtling toward irreversible climate change and will lose the chance to limit warming if it doesn’t take bold action in the next five years. In its annual World Energy Outlook, the agency spelled out the consequences if those steps aren’t taken and what needs to […]

The return of Libyan oil

Platts’ monthly survey of OPEC output in October revealed the first significant jump in Libyan output since the fall of the Qaddafy regime. It also showed a surprising decline out of Saudi Arabia. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ (OPEC) crude oil output rose by 50,000 barrels per day (b/d) in October to 30.05 […]

Oil demand shows signs of easing

GLOBAL oil demand is expected to peak before 2020 as a ”perfect storm” of regulation promotes energy efficiency, new technology and biofuel use across the world, a study suggests. The report, by industrial consultancy group Ricardo, challenges the widespread view that ”peak oil” will come as soaring demand from emerging markets causes oil supplies to […]

Oil discovery boosts Argentina’s potential

A huge oil discovery by the Spanish company Repsol has sharply boosted Argentina’s potential to cash in on energy and could eventually attract an infusion of investment to exploit the shale oil. Experts said Tuesday that the find is very promising, but it is unclear how much time and investment may be needed to capitalize […]

More sanctions on Iran likely, but not on oil or gas

The United States may impose more sanctions on Iran, possibly on commercial banks or front companies, but is unlikely to go after its oil and gas sector or its central bank for now, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. The official spoke after the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, completed a new […]

Oil at $300 or $500 per Barrel If Israel Attacks Iran

Brent crude futures are up $1.17 a barrel to $115.73 on continued word that Israel may go it alone and bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. It is their highest level in nearly two months. But it would be nothing compared to the cost if Israel attacks. In 2006, as Israel and the U.S. began to rattle […]

IAEA: Iran Worked to Miniaturize Nuclear Weapon

Iran sought to miniaturize a Pakistani nuclear weapon design to fit on its ballistic missiles and continued working to raise the potential power of the weapons at least until 2010, United Nations inspectors reported today, citing “credible” intelligence from more than 10 countries. Iran carried out “work on the development of an indigenous design of […]

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