Peak Oil Interview: Misconceptions, Replacing Oil, and False Solutions
Back in June, I gave a presentation on Peak Oil at the Global Footprint Conference in Siena, Italy. (More on the event here). Following my presentation, I was asked to do a pair of interviews. One was for an upcoming documentary called Critical Mass. T...
How to Run an Oil Industry into the Ground
Hugo Chavez is putting on a clinic in Venezuela. The theme is “How to Destroy a Domestic Oil Industry.” I have warned for years that this would be the end result of Chavez’s actions. As I wrote in 2007:
So, can Chavez under-invest in...
Recycling Our Way to Sustainable Waste Management
While my focus is primarily on energy, I am also interested in other sustainability issues. In this post I'd like to talk about some landfill waste recycling issues, and in particular those affecting the waste of Honolulu, Hawaii. I'd also like to expl...
ExxonMobil Says No to Subsidies
Last week I participated in a conference call with ExxonMobil that was hosted by the American Petroleum Institute (API). It is the first API blogger call I have joined in a very long time, but my schedule was open and I was interested in the subject ma...
Charles Maxwell Forecasts Peak Oil in Seven Years
Respected oil analyst and oil industry veteran Charles Maxwell (nicknamed the “Dean of Oil Analysts”) has forecast peak oil by 2017 or 2018:
Bracing For Peak Oil Production By Decade’s End
His prediction is not so remarkable, as is where he m...
German Military Study Warns of Potential Energy Crisis
This week a study on peak oil by a German military think tank was leaked on the Internet. The document shows that the German government is closely studying the issue of peak oil, and is aware of the potential for serious consequences as oil production ...
Ethanol Blend E85 Case Study: Iowa
Iowa - The Saudi Arabia of Ethanol
Iowa is to corn ethanol what Saudi Arabia is to oil. At present Iowa has the capacity to produce 3.5 billion gallons of ethanol per year, which is 26% of the nation’s total (Source). This is of course due to the...
A Critical Examination of Matt Simmons’ Claims on the Deepwater Spill
Matt Simmons, author of Twilight in the Desert, has long been one of the most famous and influential voices on the subject of peak oil. After the release of his book, Simmons rose to fame as Saudi Arabian oil production declined and global oil prices s...
Thoughts on Jon Stewart’s "The Cost of Energy Independence"
I have noted before that every president since Nixon has talked about the need to get the United States off of foreign oil and moving toward energy independence. Jon Stewart recently captured this theme in a very funny, but troubling segment:
An Energy...
The Demise of BP?
It was about six weeks ago that the man I work for walked into my office and asked what was happening in the world of energy. “This oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico”, I told him, “is going to be a monumental disaster.” He hadnR...
Further Implications of the Ethanol Tariff Issue
In Understanding the Ethanol Tariff Issue I discussed the argument that the ethanol tariff is needed in order to prevent U.S. tax dollars from subsidizing imported ethanol. Here I discuss two other issues:
1. The argument that the tariff is warranted because Brazil subsidizes their domestic ethanol.
2. The argument that the tariff is ineffective in...
Understanding the Ethanol Tariff Issue
You probably saw the recent announcement that Brazil has lifted its tariff on imported ethanol until 2012. It's hoping to put pressure on the U.S. to remove or reduce its own import tariffs on the alternative fuel.
In order to better understand the intricacies of the issues involved, I have been engaged in dialogue...
