Climate Change & Energy
The oft ignored — other side of the Global Climate Change Coin is — Peak Oil.
Business leaders, scientists, researchers, experts and visionary thinkers from around the world posit that great challenges lie ahead for humanity as the pressures of climate change, resource depletion (peak oil) and population growth all simultaneously converge on the social structure of civilization. Click here for Bibliography Peak Oil is here for all of us to deal with.
“Imagine pushing your car for 20 miles. You can use rope and pulleys, but no motors, no electricity. That’s the hard work that we pay $3 a gallon for.“ ~ Richard Heinberg
Core Assumptions regarding Peak Oil:
The Global economy “runs on oil”, oil “fuels our economy”
We measure our material welfare (income) by the economy
Simply stated: our income is based on oil consumption
The Economy grows when oil consumption increases
The Economy shrinks when oil consumption decreases Major societal change is inherently implied when demand exceeds oil supply
Oil prices will rise rapidly but shortages will still occur
Could have long-term recessions
Executive Summary Excerpts from US DOE Report
“Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation & Risk Management”
Dr. Robert Hirsch, February 2005
As peaking is approached…the economic, social, and political costs will be unprecedented.
…peaking will be extremely complex, involve literally trillions of dollars and require many years of intense effort.
Peaking…will cause protracted economic hardship in the United States and the world.
…the problem of the peaking of world conventional oil production is unlike any yet faced by modern industrial society.
Excerpts from US GAO Report
CRUDE OIL: Uncertainty about Future Oil Supply Makes It
Important to Develop a Strategy for Addressing a Peak and
Decline in Oil Production,
February 2007
“Key alternative technologies currently supply the equivalent of only about 1% of US consumption…”
“…the DOE projects that, even under optimistic scenarios, by 2015 these technologies could displace only the equivalent of about 4% of projected US annual consumption.” (34% by 2030)
“The human economic system and the biophysical ecological system of the earth are inextricably linked…the economic system will fail if the ecological system is not carefully managed. The inverse, which is also true, is that a failed economic system creates desperate people who will destroy the ecological system.” –You Can’t Eat GNP
It is imperative that our communities begin to grasp the facts of Peak Oil and learn what can be done to prepare for living in a post oil world. DGM encourages visiting the following websites for additional information:
http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org/theprotocol | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirsch_report | http://www.aspo-usa.com | http://www.odac-info.org
Deep Green Machine is responsible for creating, developing, promoting and implementing a corporate vision with respect to our environment and sustainability – looking toward: planet, people, products, processes and profit.
DGM to Implement the Oil Depletion Protocol http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org/theprotocol