Peak Oil: Alternatives, Renewables, And Impacts

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In a nutshell!!

http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/2757/81/

This article examines scientific and government studies in order to provide reliable conclusions about Peak Oil and its future impacts. Independent studies indicate that global oil production peaked in 2006 (or will peak within a few years) and will decline until all recoverable oil is depleted within several decades. Because global oil demand is increasing, declining production will soon generate high energy prices, inflation, unemployment, and irreversible economic depression.

Regardless of the time available for mitigating Peak Oil impacts, alternative sources of energy will replace only a small fraction of the gap between declining production and increasing demand. Because oil under girds the world economy, oil depletion will result in global economic collapse and population decline.

As oil exporting nations experience both declining oil production and increased domestic oil consumption, they will reduce oil exports to the U.S. Because the U.S. is highly dependent on imported oil for transportation, food production, industry, and residential heating, the nation will experience the impacts of declining oil supplies sooner and more severely than much of the world. North American natural gas production has peaked, importation of natural gas is limited, and the U.S. faces shortages of natural gas within a few years.

These shortages threaten residential heating supplies, industrial production, electric power generation, and fertilizer production. Because U.S. coal production peaked in 2002 (in terms of energy provided by coal), the U.S. will experience significantly higher coal and electric prices in future years. The U.S. government is unprepared for the multiple consequences of Peak Oil, Peak Natural Gas, and Peak Coal. Multiple crises will cripple the nation in a gridlock of ever-worsening problems. Within a few decades, the U.S. will lack car, truck, air, and rail transportation, as well as mechanized farming, adequate food and water supplies, electric power, sanitation, home heating, hospital care, and government services.

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1. Colorado citizens take notice

this article cites a different article “CERA Ignores Ten Warning Signposts of Peak Oil” by Udall, Gilbert, and Andrews. A little bit of research reveals that Randy Udall is indeed Mark Udall's brother. Peak Oil must be very high on Mark Udall's sensors, or at least I hope so.

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2. More people should take notice

but don't.. Let's face it, most people believe we will find or discover an "alternative" to oil and live happily ever after.. I like this line from the article too:

WHAT DOES PEAK OIL MEAN FOR SOCIETY?

The combination of declining oil production, increasingly more expensive oil production, and increasing world-wide demand for oil will generate enormous price increases in gasoline, diesel, heating oil, transportation, construction, manufactured goods, food, and all products which use oil for their production. Because gasoline and diesel provide 95% of the energy for transportation, all goods will increase in price. Rising inflation, high unemployment, and instability in financial markets will persist and deepen over time. High unemployment will result in mortgage payment defaults and tax delinquencies.

With many homes up for sale, housing prices will plummet. Due to declining tax revenues, governments will lack the resources to provide basic services. Economic, social, and political chaos will result from the inability to address expanding problems.