SOCIAL NETWORKS KICK IN OVER WELLYWOOD SIGN

I was not surprised when Mayor Celia Wade-Brown sought the approval of the full council last night to put a new item on the agenda. Celia is very familiar with social networking and an old hand with the technology it uses. She had been watching the opposition to the Wellywood sign grow on Facebook and other sites, and like us all was taken by surprise with the unfolding events surrounding the airport company's attempt at branding.

Social networks are now a political reality that cannot be ignored and the mayor has been quick to acknowledge their influence. It was flattering to hear her mention me as one of the social network players but that is all I was as the people are now exercising their power. They do not need the mainstream media to have a voice and that is a very positive thing indeed.

We will need all the people power we can muster as we contend with the paradigm shift that is now being forced on us with the downward slope of Peak Oil. The International Energy Agency has lately acknowledged Peak Oil in 2006 . We are in for a rough ride without a strong peoples' voice. All power to the social networks.

HAS THE AIRPORT COMPANY LOST THE PLOT?

SAY NO TO WELLYWOOD SIGN
Our brand as the creative centre of New Zealand is in the process of being downgraded. To even have a lengthy public debate is corrosive. Adopting this tacky imitation makes us look deeply shallow and builds a perception that will leave a sense of discomfort for many years to come. We are so much better than this.
Bryan Pepperell
Wellington City Councillor

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Published Nov 10 2010 by Early Warning, Archived Nov 11 2010

IEA acknowledges peak oil

by Stuart Staniford

If you go to the executive summary of the 2009 International Energy Agency World Energy Outlook, and search for "peak oil", your browser will come up empty. The whole subject was so beneath the dignity of a serious energy agency that they didn't even bother mentioning it.

However, yesterday, the 2010 IEA World Energy Outlook became available. And if you repeat the exercise in that executive summary, you will come upon a section titled:

Will peak oil be a guest or the spectre at the feast?

Followed by an explicit discussion of the whole question. The IEA's position is summarized in the graph above - conventional crude oil production has already peaked in 2006! Suddenly, the subject of impending peak has gone from not worthy of discussion to in the past already!

However, all is not lost: in their projections natural gas liquids and unconventional oil production (tar sands, coal-to-liquids, etc) will cause the total liquid production to continue to gradually increase out to 2035.

However, as last year, but with much more emphasis this year, they note that slow growth in total supply, combined with rapid growth in developing countries, means that developed countries will be using less oil in future:

All this is in their "New Policies" central scenario. This assumes, roughly, that governments make some real, if halting, efforts towards the commitments they made at the Copenhagen conference.

Alas, if you rely on the New York Times, you'd still be in the dark. The piece on the report doesn't make a peep about peak oil (being focussed entirely on the China demand growth aspect of the report, which is admittedly interesting and important).

Anyway, the materials on the World Energy Outlook website are well worth reading in full - the IEA definitely seems increasingly reality-based.

Although there is still this:

I'll eat my hat if Saudia Arabia is producing 13 million barrels/day in 2035.

Editorial Notes

Stuart's post was picked up by über-blogger Kevin Drum at Mother Jones, who adds:

So there you have it. Peak (conventional) oil has come and gone — though the IEA does still implausibly think that conventional production will basically plateau for the next 25 years. This is a remarkable coincidence, but I guess it's progress of a sort. At least peak oil is no longer just a mad conspiracy theory.

-BA

OUT WITH WELLYWOOD SIGN

WELLYWOOD SIGN MUST NOT GO UP SAYS BRYAN PEPPERELL- Wellington City Council's rep on the Airport company is Deputy Mayor Ian McKinnon and for his representation on behalf of the ratepayers he receives an extra $40,000. If Cr McKinnon cannot put up a good argument opposing such tasteless negative branding he really should resign from the airport company.