Low-Tech Living as a “Demand-Side” Response to Climate Change and Peak Oil

Abstract: Energy is often called the ‘lifeblood’ of civilisation, yet the overconsumption of fossil energy lies at the heart of two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: climate change and peak oil. While transitioning to renewable energy systems is an essential ‘supply side’ strategy in response to climate change and peak oil, the extent of […]

World Natural Gas Shock Model

The views expressed in the post are those of Dennis Coyne and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ron Patterson. The post that follows relies heavily on the work of Paul Pukite (aka Webhubbletelescope), Jean Laherrere, and Steve Mohr. Any mistakes are my responsibility. For World Natural Gas URR Steve Mohr estimates 3 cases, […]

Shale Gas Reality Check

In October 2014, Post Carbon Institute published the results of what likely remains the most thorough independent analysis of U.S. shale gas and tight oil production ever conducted. The process of drilling for shale gas and tight oil is known colloquially as “fracking” and has drawn a great deal of controversy—considered by some as an […]

Michael Lynch: End of Commodities Supercycle?

About a decade ago, Goldman Sachs’ Arjun Murti suggested an oil “superspike” might send prices to $105 a barrel.   There were two primary reactions to this analysis, first, that Goldman was just marketing its commodity indices, and second, that he/they were crazy. The former view probably continues to be held by some, the latter, not […]

New Thinking Needed to Reconcile Food-Water Choke Points

Food and water are tied to one another fundamentally. But in addition to their biophysical relationship, human systems intervene, whether through pricing schemes and trade agreements or shifting patterns in consumption and taste. A recently released report commissioned by the Swedish FAO Committee, which supports the work of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, provides […]

Why Growing Oil Glut May Be a Long-Term Expedient

With periodic OPEC meetings increasingly becoming non-events, due to the waning influence of this once mighty price setter, controlling one-third of the world’s oil supply, market share protection by dominant Saudi Arabia has become the weakened monopoly’s guiding principle. What had driven the post “great financial recession” (2008-10) world prices above the $100 mark, before […]

Iran Starts Negotiations to Export Natural Gas to Europe

Iran is in a good position to meet the growing gas needs of the European Union and has started its talks in this regard, the secretary general of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) said. “Iran and the European Union have already engaged in negotiation that involved several options for the export (of gas) to […]

Great time to be farming

This is a great time to be involved in the agricultural industry for several reasons, including the expanding wealth of many countries. Interesting events occurred in 1970, said Lowell Catlett, regents professor, New Mexico State University. “That was the year the U.S. became the world’s first $1 trillion economy and the whole world produced $4 […]

Can Desalination Counter the Drought?

The waves of the Pacific seem to taunt the thirsty landscape of California. The state has eight hundred and forty miles of coastline adjoining the world’s largest ocean—an oversupply of brine at a time when drought has left fallow more than half a million acres of farmland, claimed some twenty thousand jobs, and cost the economy billions […]

Nine Reasons Why Low Oil Prices May “Morph” Into Something Much Worse

Why are commodity prices, including oil prices, lagging? Ultimately, it comes back to the question, “Why isn’t the world economy making very many of the end products that use these commodities?” If workers were getting rich enough to buy new homes and cars, demand for these products would be raising the prices of commodities used to […]

OPEC sees oil drop as short-term, expects stronger demand

A drop in oil prices this month is likely to be short-term and will not deflect OPEC from its policy of keeping output high to defend market share, delegates from Gulf OPEC members and other nations said. Falling Chinese stock markets and the Greek debt crisis have raised concern about demand, while the Iranian nuclear […]

Can Meat Production Keep Up with 2.4 billion more People?

The United Nations predicted earlier this year that world population, today at 7.2 billion, will increase to 9.6 billion by 2050, with the largest growth projected in developing countries including India and within Africa. Some of those countries are challenged today to provide sufficient food supplies for their citizens. Can the planet sustain 2.4 billion […]

Oil Guru Sees Return to $100 Crude

The oil guru who predicted last year’s rout said $100-a-barrel crude is likely to return within five years as faltering supply fails to meet demand. Gary Ross, the founder of consultants PIRA Energy Group, said oil markets aren’t nearly as oversupplied as many believe and spare capacity is tight since Saudi Arabia is pumping all […]

Cheap Oil Should Fuel Economy at Last

The drop in oil prices was supposed to help the economy, but so far has hurt it instead. Now the benefits should start rolling in. Lower oil prices have proven to be more of a bane than a boon for the U.S. economy. But that is about to change. When the price of crude started […]

China’s Economy Collapsing

Things are not looking for for China. It seems like Beijing has averted a crisis as far as their stock markets are concerned with some heavy-handed intervention. But their corporate debt has already reached $ 16.1 trillion and is still rising. Their corporate debt is currently at 160% of their GDP and that is twice […]

It’s cold in my house and the price of gas is going up – what can I do?

Cold weather has arrived in eastern Australia, to the glee of those who enjoy skiing. But you don’t have to venture onto the slopes for cold to be a danger. With gas prices rising, many in the community are shivering while contemplating how big their next gas bill will be. Eastern Australia’s gas market is […]

U.S. Shifts Away from Coal and Toward Natural Gas

Natural gas overtook coal as the top source of US electric power generation for the first time ever this spring. Natural gas accounted for 31% of electric power generation while coal accounted for 30%, according to a report released by SNL Energy. Nuclear energy came in at third with 20%. This shift is not surprising, […]

Cheap Oil and Amazing Energy: The World According to Dan Yergin

Even six months ago, the question about oil was, How low will it go? Now, with crude prices at $52 a barrel, the question is, How long will low prices last? When it comes to understanding the oil market’s crazy gyrations, it helps to talk with someone like Dan Yergin. I first encountered Yergin’s name […]

Can scientists hack photosynthesis to feed the world as population soars?

The world population, which stood at 2.5 billion in 1950, is predicted to increase to 10.5 billion by 2050. It’s a stunning number since it means the planet’s population has doubled within the lifetimes of many people alive today. At the same time, arable land is shrinking and crop productivity is stagnating. The last time […]

OPEC Sees More Balanced Oil Market In 2016

The global oil market should be more balanced next year as China and the developing world increase oil consumption while supply of shale oil from North America and other regions grows more slowly, OPEC said on Monday. In its monthly report, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said it expected world oil demand to […]

China’s Oil Price Impact Larger Than Iran’s

Chris Gersch, director of strategy at Bell Curve Capital, discusses the potential impact of Iran’s oil supply on the market as the commodity falls for a seventh time in eight sessions and looks at how China and Greece are impacting oil. He speaks on “Market Makers.”

Kunstler: Greek Pudding

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, the old saw goes. This one, alas, is a mélange of several old shit sandwiches bound in a liaison of subterfuge and seasoned with political absurdities. Having been fooled in this bistro before, citizen-patrons leave the table resigned to yet another bout of food poisoning as […]

Gas overtakes coal at US power stations

The US generated more of its electricity from gas than from coal for the first time ever in April — in a sign of how the shale boom is putting mounting pressure on the country’s mining industry. Plunging prices for natural gas, which have fallen alongside oil since last summer, led to it being used […]

Why The Cash Economy In Greece May Be Ending

Many believe we have a teetering world economy, even without Greece as an indicator. Now Greece is looming ever larger as a critical if unknown actor. It is mostly considered a bad one, for the entire European, and even the worldwide, financial system and economy. The Greek economy is approaching an almost unprecedented standstill. For […]

Futureproofing America with a Yardfarming Revolution

Last week, we joined Erik Assadourian, creator of the upcoming reality TV show Yardfarmers and asked him why in the world a sustainability researcher would jump into the baser world of reality TV. Cullen: Erik, quite simply, why would you? Erik: Fair question! And one I’ve asked myself many times as I’ve navigated the world […]

Oil may have further to fall due to oversupply

Massive oversupply is likely to push oil prices down even further, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday, adding that the rebalancing of the market was likely to last well into 2016. The agency, which advises the world’s biggest economies on energy policy, said “something has to give” because the world oil market was […]

What’s the Future of Agriculture?

In a world moving towards vat-grown meats and Soylent, Bryce Oates hopes for a return to the sustainable, diverse, and local: I suppose we all have our favored notion of what’s to come, what’s preferable, how we should move along the path. Mine is more people on the land farming a mix of crops and […]

Yergin: If China loses control, look out oil

The massive selling in Chinese stocks is stoking fears that the government there may be losing control of its carefully managed economy, said Dan Yergin, a leading expert in international politics, energy, and economics—a prospect that’s pressuring oil prices. “We are seeing a panic in China. It goes back to 2008, when it always seemed […]

As Saudis Keep Pumping, Thirst for Domestic Oil Swells

Saudi Arabia is poised to break records for oil production this summer, analysts said, as domestic-energy needs soar during its scorching summer and the holy month of Ramadan and threaten its ability to ramp up exports. Saudi Arabia has said it produced a near-record 10.3 million barrels a day in May, a mark that industry […]

Energy Shock: How Peak Oil Will Change Your Life

Oil, Cheap Oil has defined us, our economy, our nations, and our way of life. Everything centers around Oil! Oil is even required to manufacture and install alternative energy. The U.S. alone has a fleet of about 210 million automobiles and light trucks. Because of cheap oil, more than half of the American population lives […]

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