http://en.epochtimes.com/news/7-10-13/60652.htmlPeak Oil Calls for Societal Change – US Expert
By Sarah Matheson
Epoch Times Auckland Staff
Oct 13, 2007
Peak oil and climate change, are very real threats to human society and not something we can pass off to the next generation, says one of the world's foremost peak oil experts.
Peak oil educator and Research Fellow of the Carbon Institute of Post Carbon Institute Richard Heinberg was speaking to at a lecture hosted by The Engineers for Social Responsibility, Greens on Campus and the Green Party at New Zealand's Auckland University on Wednesday night.
Mr Heinberg is the author of eight books including The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies, Power Down: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World, and The Oil Depletion Protocol.
He said the United States used to be the world's foremost oil producer but was now dependent on importing oil, as well as consuming all the oil produced domestically.
"This situation is being experienced by country after country around the world. Oil exporting nations are gradually turning in to oil importing countries."
He said oil is the primary source energy for the world, but fossil fuels are by definition nonrenewable.
According to Chevron oil production has declined in 33 of the 48 largest oil-producing countries, yet energy demand is increasing around the globe.
Globally 5.2 billion barrels of oil were discovered from new sources last year, but 30 billion barrels were extracted and used, Mr Heinberg said.
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