World Oil Crisis Looms.

[Buff-horns]

Scientist urges world to get serious about oil crisis

30 November 2005

The world's politicians should act decisively to help reduce the wasteful use of oil, as a growing gap looms between demand and supply, Swedish physicist Kjell Aleklett says.

Speaking yesterday at the trans-Tasman Solar 2005 energy conference hosted by the University of Otago, Professor Aleklett of Upssala University, Sweden, who is president of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas, warned that big problems would result from the peaking of world oil production .

A combination of declining supply from existing oil fields, and rising global demand for oil meant there was already a potential shortfall of about five billion barrels of oil a year.

Beyond 2008, a growing gap between supply and demand was likely to be felt, he said.

Many nations faced a "democratic dilemma" over dwindling oil supplies.

What was now needed was for politicians to warn about potential problems, and to advise that things might be even worse unless necessary changes were made.

Improved telecommunications meant people could now communicate electronically rather than always travelling to distant locations for face-to-face meetings, he said.

Working more collaboratively with other nations would also be important in future, given that most of the remaining large oil and gas resources were in Islamic countries.

Prof Aleklett will address a commission considering peak oil matters at the US House of Representatives in Washington DC on December 7.

About 120 people - including Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons - are attending the three-day solar energy conference, which ends today.

stuff.co.nz

[Buff-horns]

News Released: November 26, 2005

UK citizens fear the terminal decline in global oil supply

(PRLEAP.COM) A series of events in the UK in December aimed at raising awareness of the imminent peak and decline of global oil supply looks to press ‘Peak Oil’ onto the national consciousness, culminating in a large conference at the London School of Economics on December 14th.

We have already seen the end of ‘cheap’ oil as supply has struggled to meet demand. ‘Peak Oil’ means demand will have to be destroyed as it is the point of maximum global oil supply, followed by a terminal decline which will present significant challenges for the oil-based way of living, and according to an increasing number of analysts, we can expect it very soon. With no combination of alternatives able to make up for the shortfall, everything from trade and agriculture to plastics and healthcare will be affected.

[pal78]

News Released: November 26, 2005

UK citizens fear the terminal decline in global oil supply

(PRLEAP.COM) A series of events in the UK in December aimed at raising awareness of the imminent peak and decline of global oil supply looks to press ‘Peak Oil’ onto the national consciousness, culminating in a large conference at the London School of Economics on December 14th.

We have already seen the end of ‘cheap’ oil as supply has struggled to meet demand. ‘Peak Oil’ means demand will have to be destroyed as it is the point of maximum global oil supply, followed by a terminal decline which will present significant challenges for the oil-based way of living, and according to an increasing number of analysts, we can expect it very soon. With no combination of alternatives able to make up for the shortfall, everything from trade and agriculture to plastics and healthcare will be affected.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that might happen soon... might even cause countries to go to war to take control of oil because demand is higher than supply. The UK might start considering refocusing on Nuclear power plants as a solution to the power problem. Every time there is a hurricane the price of oil will shoot up because supplies fall due to very low reserves.

Oh, they have, they are, it does?... hmmm... maybe it's already happening and we're just in denial?

[britmaveric]

[Thaiboxer]

According to an article last year in National Geographic, we're not that close to running out of oil but we do need to look at our consumption and try to cut down. My professor at the university said that we would run out in about 120 years based on current consumption rates...this was before China's economy started booming. I'm not sure what the predictions are now.

[otherstuff1957]

I started my college career as an Economics major, but ended up getting my degree in Geology. Even then - 25 years ago - we were talking a lot about exhausible resources, particularly the fossil fuels. While we have anywhere from 50 to 200 years worth of oil and coal reserves, there is a vast difference between having sufficient fuel and having sufficient affordable fuel!

We won't "run out" of fuel anytime soon, but we will see periodic spikes in oil prices and a general increase in the cost of oil and other fossil fuels. When you combine more expensive energy with an increasingly unstable climate, continued population growth and scarcer supplies of fresh water, well, the world should be an interesting place to live in for the next 50 years or so.

[Thaiboxer]

Exaustible oil supplies? Better not Bush hear that one; we would be looking at another Gulf War

[Buff-horns]

sure there is plenty in the ground but it takes 15years to get it on stream ,needs tons of cash to doit and it maybe is in politically unstable regions where oil companies wont take the risk . North sea oil will be gone in around another 4years time. then the UK will need to import all its fuel supplies . and then theres the nuclear power stations coiming to end of life in coming years. and Undersea supplies are in deaper and deaper water .

[tom yum goong]

i think the point may be that a lot of people have been claiming that we have reached, or are about to reach very soon, the global peak oil output.

this would spell an end to the era of cheap oil as demand begins to outstrip supply. so while we might not run out for a while yet, we may see the price of oil rise drastically and more global conflicts as countries fight for control of the world's oil. Many developing countries may no longer be able to afford oil to fuel their development. international travel may decline as fuel surcharges become prohibitively expensive etc etc etc.

not sure how accurate this is, but u only have to look to the fact that Blair is considering building more nuclear power plants to meet energy demands.

interesting times and all that...

[Buff-horns]

GREENPEACE WARNS

Growing demand for coal in Asia will fuel global warming

First posted 01:55am (Mla time) Dec 02, 2005

Associated Press

BANGKOK, Thailand -- Greenpeace on Thursday accused industrialized nations, international lenders and power companies of fueling spending on coal plants in Asia that is contributing to global warming.

The environmental activist group also said Asia's potential for using renewable energy sources is disappearing because some of those same players offer governments in the region hundred of billions of dollars in massive subsidies for fossil fuels and nuclear power.

"Why are governments, financial institutions and power corporations continuing to push people down the pathway of unsustainable development?" Greenpeace asked in a report titled, "Burning Our Future: Coal, Climate Change and Renewable Energy in Asia."

The accused industrialized countries, global lenders and power companies of working together "to ensure a growing market for polluting power sources."

"Corporations lobby governments and financial institutions to ensure that business as usual continues," the report

said.

The report singled out Australia, noting that 80 percent of its coal exports went to Asia.

A spokesman for the Australian government did not return calls.

It also accused the Asian Development Bank, the Japanese Bank for International for International Cooperation and the World Bank of providing billions of dollars (euros) of financial assistance for fossil fuel projects while largely ignoring renewable energy.

For example, it found that only one out of eight energy projects financed by the ADB in 2003 were aimed at developing renewable energy sources, while the World Bank in 2003 financed fossil fuel projects over renewable energy at a ratio 17 to 1.

"Although the World Bank's stated mission is to promote sustainable private sector development in developing countries, this does not happen," the report said.

A World Bank spokeswoman in Bangkok referred questions to her Washington office, which could not be immediately reached for comment.

The ADB reiterated early statements that it "is committed to looking at new ways of promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency among member countries and that several developing countries are already diversifying their energy sources in an effort to avert possible climate change."

An ADB spokesman also said it has initiated a comprehensive review of its energy policy, noting that it earlier invited local and international nongovernmental organizations, including Greenpeace, to participate in the discussions.

Emissions of carbon dioxide and five other heat-trapping gases are believed to be behind rising global temperatures that many scientists say are disrupting weather patterns. Environmental groups including Greenpeace allege that coal-fired power plants are among the big contributes to climate change.

Average global temperatures rose about 1 degree in the 20th century, and scientists say that has contributed to the thawing of permafrost, rising ocean levels and extreme weather conditions.

The United States and Australia are the only two industrialized nations that have refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, saying it would harm their economies by raising energy prices, and cost five million jobs in the US alone. The United States accounts for one-quarter of the world's greenhouse gases.

[snoophound]

Sooner the better.

Once real pressure is felt you always get lots of technology breakthroughs.

Isnt it true that both world wars produced significant technology breakthroughs.

Lets hope for some more signficant advances in fuel cell and other new technologies.

News Released: November 26, 2005

UK citizens fear the terminal decline in global oil supply

(PRLEAP.COM) A series of events in the UK in December aimed at raising awareness of the imminent peak and decline of global oil supply looks to press ‘Peak Oil’ onto the national consciousness, culminating in a large conference at the London School of Economics on December 14th.

We have already seen the end of ‘cheap’ oil as supply has struggled to meet demand. ‘Peak Oil’ means demand will have to be destroyed as it is the point of maximum global oil supply, followed by a terminal decline which will present significant challenges for the oil-based way of living, and according to an increasing number of analysts, we can expect it very soon. With no combination of alternatives able to make up for the shortfall, everything from trade and agriculture to plastics and healthcare will be affected.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that might happen soon... might even cause countries to go to war to take control of oil because demand is higher than supply. The UK might start considering refocusing on Nuclear power plants as a solution to the power problem. Every time there is a hurricane the price of oil will shoot up because supplies fall due to very low reserves.

Oh, they have, they are, it does?... hmmm... maybe it's already happening and we're just in denial?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Thaiboxer]

Hopefully people will look more towards hybrid cars, solar power, etc instead of nuclear energy. Many of the nuclear power plants in the US are not in good condition. The equipment is outdated and many pipes are corroded, etc. The risks associated with radiation are not worth it. If somebody discovered cold fusion, that would be great but for now we should be looking at other energy sources. What buffhorns said is true; many of the methods for extracting oil that we have at our disposal are not very cost effective.