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Page added on December 29, 2010
New peak oil book: “Peak of the Devil”
What happens when oil wells start producing less oil? And they will. This is a question being asked at the highest levels of government all over the world every day. The oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico propelled global concern for the topic. It may not be headline news anymore, but gas prices surely are, and if you live in the Northeast and heat with oil, your oil bill is probably looking quite a bit different than it did this time last year.
Some people who previously had little interest or knowledge about the state of oil are now clamoring for details, not only regarding the economic and environmental impact, but the future of oil drilling, how much oil we have, what comes next and what can be done.
Author and environmental guru Chip Haynes sheds critical light on this subject by answering the most significant questions in his new book, Peak of the Devil: 100 Questions (and Answers) About Peak Oil. For a topic rarely discussed until now, the concept of peak oil is very simple.
Recently named one of the Top 10 books of 2010 on the subject, Peak of the Devil is “designed for those who have either never heard about peak oil, or have just been introduced to the topic. The easy to skim Q&A format plus a liberal use of (clean) humor help make an intimidating subject accessible,”
Haynes addresses 100 of the most pressing questions with an educated and quirky sense of humor, making a harsh, unpleasant subject a little easier to understand, especially in light of the situation we now face. Haynes not only uncovers the realities of peak oil, but offers critical guidance on what individuals, families and the nation can do to improve the current and future state of affairs.
Peak of the Devil answers such key questions as:
• What is peak oil?
• Who should we blame?
• Why should I care now?
• Why can’t we just drill for more oil?
• Are we going to run out of oil?
• How bad is it going to get?
• What can I do to make it better?
• Is any place going to be better than here?
• What can we do as a nation?
• What can my family do?
• How will I know what’s really happening?
• It’s going to end up alright, isn’t it?
For many readers wondering “What is Peak Oil” and “Why Should I Care Now”, Haynes breaks the complex topic down: at some point the world’s oil supply will peak, and after that we will be moving more quickly than ever toward a world with extremely limited supplies. In fact, Haynes suggests, we may have already reached and passed this peak, burning through 80 million barrels across the globe daily.
“Peak of the Devil should be in every public library and recreation centre,” says Matthew Wild in an article in Energy Bulletin. “It’s a great introduction to the topic.”
Readers learn how deeply connected oil is to virtually everything they buy and/or use and how the looming scarcity will dramatically change how they live. While the most obvious impact is gas prices, Haynes reveals how it will have an equal effect on the price (and availability) of food, clothing, shelter and travel. The less obvious impacts include those on the education system, commerce and the world of finance from top to bottom, with the emphasis on the bottom.
Haynes not only uncovers the harsh realities of peak oil, but more importantly, empowers readers with critical guidance on what they can do to improve the current and future state of affairs. Simple tips Haynes lays out for getting started include reducing motor vehicle usage by increasing walking and biking, cutting back on home energy consumption and taking an additional step to get co-workers to cut back around at the office (teasing it “might cure that pesky problem of getting invited to too many parties during the holidays”). Haynes also dispels common misunderstandings such as electric cars being a worthy alternative, noting the energy required to power these cars is fueled by oil.
Peak of the Devil is available from Amazon and other online retailers, or directly from the publisher (Satya House) at http://www.satyahouse.com. It is also available in e-book format for Kindle, Nook, and iPad.
About the Author: Chip Haynes is a writer, speaker, artist, juggler and cyclist living in Clearwater, Florida, right on the Gulf of Mexico. After studying the global oil situation for over a dozen years, Haynes and his wife live in a modest home in suburbia, using far less resources than the average home, and recycling much of what they use. Haynes rides his bicycle to work, and they both walk to the store. He has written over 1,200 articles on bicycling and global resources including two works on global oil, Ghawar is Dying and 60 Days Next Year, which was also produced as a radio program for the State of Maine Public Radio. Haynes has also authored The Practical Cyclist: Bicycling for Real People and Wearing Smaller Shoes: Living Light on the Big Blue Marble. He is also the author of a blog at http://peakofthedevil.blogspot.com.
3 Comments on "New peak oil book: “Peak of the Devil”"
Kenz300 on Wed, 29th Dec 2010 11:30 pm
Peak oil and the resulting higher prices for energy will cause each of us to make choices in how much and when we use energy in our lives.
Will there be a boom in bicycle sales?
Revi on Thu, 30th Dec 2010 5:14 am
I really liked this book. It is the book to give to anyone who could understand the problem but doesn’t want to look at a bunch of graphs. Chip explains peak oil in a way that won’t scare people too much. Highly reccommended!
Chip Haynes on Sat, 1st Jan 2011 1:27 am
Wow, thanks for all of the kind words! And yes, Kenz300, I AM hoping for a big spike in bike sales, even though The Lovely JoAnn and I already own 37 of them!