Monday, February 13, 2006
Energy crisis meets climate change
I used to think that the energy crisis and the climate change crisis were mutually exclusive, because either would tend to curtail the other. But here's a scenario where the two occur together because it is politically unpalatable to deal with either head-on. Professor Michael Klare writes that this scenario would
do more than just cripple the global economy - its political, military, and environmental effects will be equally severe.And Klare observes
To make the energy picture grimmer, "spare" or "surge" capacity seems to be disappearing in the major oil-producing regions. At one time, key producers like Saudi Arabia retained an excess production capacity, allowing them to rapidly boost their output in times of potential energy crisis like the 1990-91 Gulf War. But Saudi Arabia, like the the other big suppliers, is now producing at full tilt and so possesses zero capacity to increase output.and
In addition to this danger, . . . [the U.S.] DoE predicted in July 2005 that worldwide emissions of carbon dioxide (the principal source of the "greenhouse gases" responsible for global warming) will rise by nearly 60% between 2002 and 2025 . . . the world will probably pass the threshold at which it will be possible to avert significant global heating, a substantial rise in sea-levels, and all the resulting environmental damage.Worth reading in entirety.
Technorati Tags: ClimateChange, Energy, Environment, GlobalWarming, HubbertsPeak, Iraq, Oil, War
Comments:
great post.... and coal isn't a good option either ... plus it tends to exaserbate the environmental vector harder than other fossil fuels... because not only is the atmosphere affected, today's coal mining techniques ruin the landscape too... which brought to mind these 2 articles in the NYTimes...
1) HOME ECONOMICS: Personal Accounts;Kentucky's Underground Economy
2) When Moving a Mountain Is No Longer an Act of God
Both articles are about the mountain leveling, coal removal techniques used in Appalachia....
The first article got me wondering when they mentioned flying over the brownscapes of Eastern Kentucky..."could I use Google maps to view the devestation???"
When I zoomed in using satellite mode, it became obvious quickly that (estimating) 3 to 5% of eastern Kentucky is indeed pock market by open pit coal mines. This trend only stands to continue and Kentucky will lose more of it's eastern forests.
Very sad the cost of our energy habbits.
1) HOME ECONOMICS: Personal Accounts;Kentucky's Underground Economy
2) When Moving a Mountain Is No Longer an Act of God
Both articles are about the mountain leveling, coal removal techniques used in Appalachia....
The first article got me wondering when they mentioned flying over the brownscapes of Eastern Kentucky..."could I use Google maps to view the devestation???"
When I zoomed in using satellite mode, it became obvious quickly that (estimating) 3 to 5% of eastern Kentucky is indeed pock market by open pit coal mines. This trend only stands to continue and Kentucky will lose more of it's eastern forests.
Very sad the cost of our energy habbits.
# posted by 
: 2/14/2006 9:23 PM
: 2/14/2006 9:23 PM
jbutz,
You are right about coal. But I think, we might see an increasing interest in coal because Peak Oil looks very imminent. It might be that we are already past sustainable peak.
-Oil Shock
http://www.theviewfromthepeak.com
Post a Comment
You are right about coal. But I think, we might see an increasing interest in coal because Peak Oil looks very imminent. It might be that we are already past sustainable peak.
-Oil Shock
http://www.theviewfromthepeak.com
