News from December 2009

The 2000s: Selling the Apocalypse, Now

Interestingly, the language of apocalypse has been embraced across the political spectrum. While conservative politicians grumble about immigration, national security, and bankruptcy, their leftist colleagues have been quick to turn the conversation to Inconvenient Truths, peak oil, and the end of American hegemony. In all cases, voters are hit with desperate warnings and worst-case scenarios. [...]

Andrew McKillop: COP15 in Copenhagen … a failure for globalization!

…Fending off the near-term impacts of Peak Oil by slowing energy demand growth, while profiting from the coming global bulge in cheap gas supplies, was yet another, of course never admitted, but appealing strand to forcing the pace on global energy transition. Deep in the Herd Memory of today’s oil importing OECD country leaders, lies [...]

Toyota's hybrid Prius faces US probe over brakes

DETROIT, Michigan The Japanese automaker said it has launched its own investigation. Robert Becker, 39, is one of those filing among at least 20 who have already submitted their concerns to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation. He says he was heading to work on the west side of Manhattan, coming [...]

No Need to Worry

Peak Oil Refuses to Rise to the Occasion …You don’t have to be a global-warming alarmist to wonder just when the world’s oil reserves are finally going to dry up and drive the price of oil through the roof, thereby ushering in a glorious age of energy created by hamsters on exercise wheels or some [...]

Stimulus, Schmimulus – We Need Jobs to Build a Sustainable Economy

…In reality, the U. S. economy will falter for many years unless a government-led reform recognizes new economic and environmental realities and confronts the challenges before us. We can return to full employment by creating jobs that lay the foundation for shared prosperity, or we can wait for the captains of capitalism to rescue us [...]

Five economic reasons why 2010 will be greener

In 2009, the global recession had a greater impact than all the diplomatic efforts that ended in the Copenhagen flop: energy production hadn’t declined on such a scale since 1981, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Here are five economic reasons for the world to become slightly greener in the coming year (just a [...]

The Peak Oil Lie, Petroleum is Plentiful

…I have written about peak oil before in LRC. The most recent piece can be found here. The basic thesis is quite simple: we are not running out of oil. Hubbert is as wrong as wrong can be. The facts backing up this assertion are simple: every year in the past 60 years has had [...]

Lithium-Air Batteries Could Displace Gasoline in Future Cars

In excess of seven million barrels of gasoline are consumed by vehicles in the United States every day. As scientists race to find environmentally sound solutions to fuel the world’s ever-growing transportation needs, battery researchers are exploring the promise of lithium-air battery technology. Li-air batteries use a catalytic air cathode that supplies oxygen, an electrolyte [...]

John Michael Greer: Immodest Proposals

…While at the public library here in Cumberland the other day, I found a book titled The End of Prosperity. This There

EPA questions New York state plan to drill for shale gas

PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has “serious reservations” about allowing shale gas drilling in New York City’s watershed, warning of a threat to the drinking water for 9 million people. An EPA report on the divisive issue is the latest potential roadblock for energy companies seeking to exploit the Marcellus Shale formation, [...]