Live Small and Prosper: Will peak oil outgun Copenhagen and the recession?

Many are watching and listening to climate talks in Copenhagen, and hoping world leaders will agree to tackle carbon emissions in a cooperative and truly significant manner.

Some realize that the global carbon emissions have been rising fast in recent years.

But we may see them dip by up to 3% in 2009 because of the recession.

A few may wonder, should we hope the recession is prolonged if no agreement is reached in Copenhagen?


["We're out of fuel? Now what?"]

There may be something else on the horizon, however, that may affect emissions more than an agreement in Copenhagen or a deep recession.

This from The Politics of Oil:

“American geophysicist M. King Hubbert predicted in 1956 that U.S. oil production would peak in the 1970s. At the time, many people laughed at his prediction.

“They aren’t laughing anymore, because U.S. oil production actually did peak in 1971 at 9.5 million barrels per day. In 2002, U.S. oil production was down to just 3.5 million barrels per day.

“Using Hubbert’s analytical methods, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO) predicts the drop off for the world will begin in 2010.”

I think peak oil will outgun Copenhagen and the recession in the coming years and we will be caught - in the main - unprepared.

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What alternative fuels are you saving for a rainy day?

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