Shell’s CEO, Jeroen van der Veer has three hard truths in his op-ed in Times OnLine.
High hopes and hard truths dictate future
1. The first hard truth is that demand is accelerating. Energy use in 2050 may be twice as high as it is today, or higher still.
2. The second hard truth is that the growth rate of supplies of “easy oil”, conventional oil and natural gas that are relatively easy to extract, will struggle to keep up with accelerating demand.
3. The third hard truth is that increased coal use will cause higher CO2 emissions, possibly to levels we deem unacceptable.
“That is why energy efficiency is so important.
…
What’s the point of producing ever more energy if we continue to waste most of it? Instead, we should aim to become twice as efficient in our use of energy by the middle of the century. That is entirely feasible, provided that the will is there.
…
The world’s energy system is entering a turbulent phase, and the only question is: how turbulent? A cooperative world will respond more effectively than a fragmented one. Provided governments create the right rules and incentives, and don’t throw up barriers, the global market will direct money and brainpower to the best solutions. The alternative is a global market failure, and future generations would pay the price.The author is chief executive of Royal Dutch Shell”
Go read the whole thing and
About Sharon Wilson
Sharon Wilson is considered a leading citizen expert on the impacts of shale oil and gas extraction. She is the go-to person whether it’s top EPA officials from D.C., national and international news networks, or residents facing the shock of eminent domain and the devastating environmental effects of natural gas development in their backyards.
- Web |
- More Posts(5121)
just back from Goliad where TCEQ is considering application from UEC to mine uranium out of the county’s drinking water aquifer. It’s called in-situ leach mining and Colorado is trying to ban it before it started up there.
Several hundred objecting at the 3.5-hour meeting. Of two that spoke in favor, the sales line tugged on our duty as Americans to secure energy independence from the Middle East. Fortunately, we know this can be done without nuclear.
Check out solar prescription at Scientific American:
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan&print=true
Massive efficiency efforts coupled with truly renewable energy sources is well and plenty enough and would put our country at the forefront of the new energy economy. Don’t let the major utilities sidetrack us with decades of new nukes. Dirty from ‘cradle to grave’ and far from carbon neutral (construction, energy-intensive fuel production, disposal), nukes deserve to be phased out now.