About Peak Oil

VV group: Energy

Projects: FEED-AP (Food EnErgy Descent Action Plan), Solar Roof and all relocalisation and community self reliance projects

Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. But Peak Oil is not really the issue. It's the consequence of Peak Oil... The End of Cheap Oil... that is the issue that will affect us all.

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), world crude oil production peaked in 2006 and will taper off from now on. Only a narrow minority of experts see unconventional oil--e.g. Alberta tar sands, deep oil drilling--even just replacing what is lost from depleted wells.  Meanwhile, China and India--accounting for almost a third of the world's population--are doubling their use of oil every 15 years, with China expected to surpass European consumption within 8 years.

Regardless of the projection, the fact is that we need to start readying ourselves NOW for the impacts of peak oil, because the changes required will take time and likely more time than we have left.  Canadians use more oil per capita than Americans!

Peak Oil, combined with Climate Change and Global Economic Instability are the threats that Transition Towns was formed to mitigate.

Just to weave the climate change and peak oil situations together...

• Climate change makes this carbon reduction transition essential
• Peak oil makes it inevitable
• Transition initiatives make it feasible, viable and attractive to change our course

Transition Towns help us navigate this inevitable shift to a post-carbon world, in a way that's effective, collaborative, and proactive.

For some simple Peak Oil introduction videos watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEFpRQj0nbE&feature (2 min)
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwNgNyiXPLk&feature (18 min)

Or read this 2011 university commencement address by Richard Heinberg, as reported in Yes Magazine.