Peak Oil- Peak Empire

[sintax]

Peak Oil- Peak Empire

Community Solutions
As Peak Oil approaches, tensions are already building in the world. China appears to be a threat to our “national security” since they are consuming more and more energy. Japan speaks of taking more of a leadership role in Asia even if it means rearming. Russia is accused of backing off from the free market economy. India says a pipeline from Iran is necessary for its “national security.” Donald Rumsfield says we will be in Iraq another 12 years.

Wars are supposedly based on issues of freedom and goodness, but in reality they are mostly based on the desire for more land and resources. “Oil wars,” when they occur, are different only because occupation of land is not as relevant as actual control of the resources.

Inequity is increasing via the modern form of colonialism we call “globalization.” When Peak Oil occurs, wars of national energy liberation are highly likely unless we allocate the remaining fuels based on a concept of fair trade rather than free trade. This requires a fundamental change in American values. Unless the tremendous inequity in fossil fuel usage (which in today’s world equates to wealth) is addressed, conflict is inevitable.
(July 2005 issue)
Latest newsletter from Community Solutions gives a history of world empires, showing the connection to Peak Oil. The newsletter is 12 pages long, and the PDF is 341 KB. For one solution to the dilemma, see How to avoid oil wars, terrorism, and economic collapse by Richard Heinberg.
To download PDF go here:
http://www.energybulletin.net/8022.html

or here Newsletter #6:

http://www.communitysolution.org/

[whistle]

1. The projection of 50 year supply of crude oil may be off by....

...20% to 40% meaning there may be only 30 to 40 years of the stuff left. The world is running out of crude oil much quicker than anyone but those directly involved has been led to believe.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/11/02/markets/peak_oil/

[wli]

2. some people (with hard numbers) say oil has already peaked n/t

[Raster]

3. So we've already dumped 350 billion in Iraq. Just think what we could

have done with those funds to help us on our way to alternative fuels. Of course exxon wouldn't be guaranteed their "fair" share.

[Bushwick Bill]

4. I Love This Take

From Kunstler...

May 2, 2005,
In his press conference last week, President Bush was fixated on the year 2041 as the point that social security will come off the rails financially if not reformed soon. He emphasized the year 2041 several times.
I wonder if the president has done the math on world oil supplies. A year ago (2004) just about any authority would tell you that, based on the current rate of use, the world oil supply would last another 37 years. Which would bring us to 2041. What a coincidence. Of the two issues, social security and oil, I have to think that running out of oil would be the more compelling, since social security will not exist unless there is an industrial society to support it. Inasmuch as industrial society runs on oil, and no combination of alternative fuels can take its place, a reasonable person would have to conclude that we face a hell of a problem.
http://www.kunstler.com/mags_diary13.html