Peak Oil, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable LifeWe are a group of individuals in Denver, Colorado and the surrounding metropolitan area who are concerned about peak oil and sustainable energy.
Here's the latest version of our group's brain-storming ideas on what we can do about peak oil, including essays on car sharing, local currency, and the carbon tax. |
NEWSPrice of Oil
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| Feb. 1 | Mar. 5 | Apr. 2 | |
| 2007 2008 Change from prev. year |
57.30 88.97 +55.3% |
60.07 104.52 +74.0% |
65.94 104.83 59.0% |
Source: Alaska Tax Division
Best single source of peak oil news: ASPO-USA.com -- register for free and download their "Peak Oil News" (daily) or "Peak Oil Weekly" communications
Big news stories in the last few months, based on Peak Oil News and Peak Oil Review and general news sources:
1. Oil prices surged to $109 a barrel. The inflation rate of West Texas Intermediate oil, as of March 12, is 86% compared to March 12 a year ago. (Stephen Leeb, in his book The Oil Factor, recommends investing for a recession once oil inflation hits 80% and continuing until the inflation rate subsides to 20%.)
2. The housing slump in the U. S. continues to deepen, prompting interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve which lower the value of the dollar and thus further increase the dollar cost of oil.
2. MEND, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, continues its campaign targeting oil facilities.
3. Electricity shortages in Central Asia and Iraq continue. Storms in China in late January and early February affected over 100 million people with energy, food, and water shortages.
4. Food prices continue to climb. Here are a few recent quotes from news reports cited in "Peak Oil News": "Rising prices threaten millions with starvation, despite bumper crops," "Record prices for grain from corn to rice have ignited food riots from Jakarta to Rome," "Vulnerable regions of the world face the risk of famine over the next three years." There are comments from some observers that we could see famines in the next 18 to 24 months.
5. CERA (Cambridge Energy Research Associates) continues to dismiss peak oil. ASPO-USA challenges them with a $100,000 bet that their forecast of 112 million barrels per day (mmb/d) of production capacity will not come true. 112 mmb/d of capacity translates to roughly 107 mmb/d of production, up from today's figure of 87 mmb/d. ASPO-USA also challenges them to a debate on peak oil. CERA has not responded.
6. Tensions between Venezuela and U. S. oil companies continue.
7. The Turks invade northern Iraq in February to suppress Kurdish rebels there.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 7 - 9 p. m., at Kate and Keith's house. We will continue our discussion of projects for the coming year. Join us, the more the merrier! For directions or more information: call Keith at 303-300-2368, or send an e-mail to keith [at] DenverEnergyAwareness [dot] org.
Other events --
To see our past events, click here.
Where did all the oil go?
They say we've still got half.
The rest is really hard to get;
Our kids'll get the shaft.
Where did all the oil go?
We blew it on the run.
Algae died and fossilized
So we could have some fun.
Where did all the oil go?
We burned it in the air.
With cars and trucks and SUVs,
We made nice weather rare.
Where did all the oil go?
We built a lot of stuff.
The rest of nature paid the price;
Soon we will have it rough.
Where did all the oil go?
It's all around us now.
We'll eat and breathe and live in it
Until our final bow.
© Copyright 2006 Bradley Jarvis. All rights reserved.
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ABOUT USOur mission: to educate ourselves and the public about "peak oil" and all subjects related to the need to promote a sustainable energy economy. We are now meeting on Wednesdays, usually the third or fourth. We have been meeting since November, 2005. The members of our organizing committee are: Keith Akers Site updated April 2, 2008 |
