Plentiful and cheap oil has enabled Europe to become one of the world’s wealthiest modern econo-

mies. But today, this has also become Europe’s main weak point. Sectors essential to people’s way of

life have become completely dependent on this non-renewable resource. Millions of Europeans work in

industries to manufacture aircraft, cars, plastics and all kinds of appliances that only exist thanks to oil.

Millions more nourish themselves on fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products which are grown

with fertilisers and biocides derived from the petrochemical industry, and which are transported mainly

by road. Millions of people require medicines whose composition includes petrochemical products, go

to work every day by car, or warm their homes with heating-oil boilers. Soon the European Union will be

importing its entire requirement of this form of energy and, unless it radically reorganises and converts

many sectors of its economy, it will be completely subjected to the new constraints that govern the

global energy market since the beginning of the century.

2 Comments on "MEP’s new report ‘Europe Facing Peak Oil’"

BillT on Thu, 14th Mar 2013 3:06 am 



Could also be said of the Us. The Fraking craze will become too expensive and there will be no more stupid ‘investors’ left with any money. The dollar is on the edge of the cliff. The world economy is contracting in real numbers. Techies are trying to find a magic energy source that ignores the laws of the universe … with no chance of success.

Kenz300 on Thu, 14th Mar 2013 11:59 pm 



Second generation biofuels and chemicals can now be made from algae, cellulose and waste. This can be used for fuels for vehicles and for producing chemicals.

Every landfill can not be converted to produce biofuels, energy and recycled raw materials for new products.
That is more sustainable and less wasteful than burying the trash.

Every community can produce their own fuels from trash or waste and sell recycled materials.

We have been too wasteful a society for too long.

It is time to get back to basics and reduce our waste, reuse old products and recycle waste into new products.