Out of gas

As the “peak” of global petroleum production rapidly approaches, EcoDensity may not be enough to save our oil-dependent society

Gazing out his kitchen window in Kitsilano, Richard Balfour can see a clear picture of the future. We are running out of oil, says the founder of the Vancouver Peak Oil Executive, a group of local planners and community organizers concerned about this dilemma and looming crisis that will have a major impact on Vancouver in the near future.

“We are in for a very hard landing,” says Balfour, an architect, recently retired member of the Vancouver City Planning Commission and co-founder of the newly formed volunteer organization Metro Vancouver Planning Coalition. “Anything to do with oil will rise sharply in price, and so much of what we consume is dependent upon oil. We can expect imported food prices to jump as aviation and maritime fuel costs increase, and anyone driving a vehicle that’s a gas guzzler is in for a painful adjustment… There are lots of people who tell you this won’t happen, but these deniers said oil would never go past $100 a barrel.


“I have been planning for the future most of my career, and it’s always the same old story. You have to convince everyone, including the last crazy person left standing, that global warming is actually occurring, and that it’s caused by our heavy use of oil, and that there will be much less oil in the future, and–more importantly–whatever is left is bound to cost much more. Well, that faraway future has suddenly arrived, but there are still many deniers out there who want to convince us there’s still a lot of oil left and so there is nothing to worry about. What if they are wrong?”

By definition, “peak oil” is that point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum production is reached, after which the rate enters terminal decline. If global consumption is not mitigated before the peak, a world energy crisis may develop because the availability will drop and prices will rise, perhaps dramatically.

Vancouver Courier