Category:Blog posts

Five days of petroleum reserves may be all that separates civilization from savagery
Anyone doubting the importance of liquid transport fuel to the health of the prevailing economic system – and therefore to maintaining social cohesion and political stability – need only recall what happened in the UK in September 2000. Truckers and farmers protesting the relatively high pump price of diesel staged blockades of refineries and fuel terminals. Diesel and petrol supplies slowed to a trickle as the public queued at forecourts to top up their tanks “just in case”. Within a few days, 90% of filling stations were bone dry, just-in-time supply chains unraveled and people were fighting over loaves of bread among bare supermarket shelves. The UK had staged a compelling if entirely accidental social experiment.

With oil prices now in the $1.20+ region and expected to go higher, Gary Kendall poses the question, "Are We Starting to ‘Get’ the Oil Question?" in his blog at Sustainability 12 Apr 2011. (see more...)