U.S. Congress Begins Peak Oil Discussion - The Global Energy Future is in Question and Many Fear Economic Collapse
In May, Rep Bartlett (R-MD) presented for a third time on the House floor a speech on Peak Oil which focused on our need to reduce our energy consumption and reliance on fossil fuels. Peak Oil awareness groups appeal to governments to address the looming energy crisis. A petition is started online @ http://www.petitiononline.com/EndofOil/petition.html
(PRWEB) May 13, 2005 -- The growing consensus amongst the World’s leading
petroleum geologists and geophysicists is that the peak of global oil production
will occur at some point within the next 10 years (see the Association for the
Study of Peak Oil & Gas at www.peakoil.net), after which there will be a permanent and
ongoing decline in the global extraction of oil, accompanied by a similar peak
and decline in natural gas production.
Most non-OPEC countries have
already peaked. Thus the percentage of global oil production will be
increasingly concentrated in the Middle East. Production in the Middle East will
also peak soon. Global discovery of oil peaked in 1962 and has been declining
ever since. Continuing this trend, most future discoveries of oil fields will be
too small and/or much more challenging: hence, extraction costs will be
extremely high.
Our current economic and social structure, and indeed our
way of life, is dependent on cheap oil and gas in every way, from transport to
medicine, and from agriculture to plastics - which so many jobs, and thus our
economy, rely.
Technology and the market alone cannot provide a solution
to this problem and leadership must be shown by the Government. The Peak Oil
awareness movement advocates for pre-emptive action and believes leadership from
the Government is needed to soften the impact of declining oil supply, and
therefore call on the Government to:
Prepare a full, honest and major
public awareness campaign on the future economic and lifestyle consequences of
oil depletion.
Establish a set of national targets for clean, renewable
energy self-sufficiency by the year 2025. Create a long-term plan to secure the
well-being of every member of a low-carbon economy and society.
Establish
measures and policies to encourage efficient use of energy throughout the
economy within a framework of reducing total energy consumption, such as DTQs
(www.dtqs.org).
Rethink
and revise climate change policies and targets in the light of oil depletion
data. Any solution to the global decline in oil production must take into
account climate change.
Recognize the fundamental significance of
declining oil and thus prioritize the budget allocation to scientific research,
energy efficiency and other policy measures aimed at commerce, industry and
individuals, designed to manage the transition to a low-carbon society as
speedily and painlessly as possible.
Furthermore, recognize the
importance of oil and gas in agriculture and therefore address how food will be
grown and distributed in the future.
Pro-actively work on international
cooperation on energy resource management and energy solution development - e.g.
sign and follow the ‘Rimini Protocol’ so as to cut imports to match world
depletion rate.
Petition the U.S. Congress to address the Peak Oil issue:
http://www.petitiononline.com/EndofOil/petition.html
For
Further Information:
www.PeakOil.net
www.postcarbon.org
www.localpower.org
www.fromthewilderness.com
www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net
www.endofsuburbia.com
www.PowerSwitch.org.uk
www.odac-info.org
www.depletion-scotland.org.uk
www.drydipstick.com
www.hubbertpeak.com
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/5/prweb239522.htm