In This Article
30-Second Summary
Headline Links: The reality of peak oil
Opinion & Analysis: An extreme view of peak oil’s consequences
Background: Oil prices rising with no relief in sight
Reference: The multi-faceted oil problem
Energy Saving Tips
Related Topics: Wood burning stoves and hybrids
Buying Green at the findingDulcinea Store
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With Oil Running Out, Learn to Conserve Now
April 13, 2008 12:15 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Many experts believe that the supply of oil, America’s primary source of energy, is leveling off and may soon begin to drop permanently. Americans must begin to conserve now to avert a drastic shortfall. We suggest 10 practical ways to do so.
30-Second Summary
As many Americans respond to climate change by reducing energy usage, another threat, perhaps more frightening and immediate, looms on the country’s energy horizon.
Oil—our primary source of energy—is a finite resource, and it is going to run out someday.
Some experts project peak oil output may begin as early as 2010–2012, and that thereafter supply will begin to drop well below worldwide demand.
When that happens, oil’s price will skyrocket. Already at record-breaking highs—over $100-a-barrel—some analysts predict the price could reach $200, or even $300 per barrel, causing a dramatic shock to the global economy.
The United States currently consumes 21 million barrels of oil per day, nearly 25% of total worldwide consumption. Thus, if supply of oil does drop, only a drastic reduction in U.S. demand can avert a shortfall.
Taking preventative steps to reduce individual energy consumption is the most sensible response. The following are the 10 practical ways to reduce oil/energy consumption now:
1. Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs. This simple change can save an estimated 75 percent in lighting costs. These energy-saving bulbs have become much less expensive and are widely available online.
2. Unplug electronics such as stereos, televisions, computers and kitchen appliances when they are not in use. Plug several appliances into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power electronics is consumed while they are off.
3. Buy only ENERGY STAR appliances, which use less energy. In a typical home, appliances and home electronics are responsible for about 20 percent of the utility bill. A list of approved appliances is available on the ENERGY STAR site.
4. About 90 percent of energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Wash clothes in cold water, wash and dry full loads, use appropriate settings for smaller loads and consider air-drying clothes instead of using the dryer.
5. Heating and cooling alone can cause 45 percent of most utility bills. Set the thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer, and invest in a programmable thermostat so energy is not wasted when the house is unoccupied.
6. Proper insulation and air sealing techniques can reduce heating and cooling costs by 30 percent. Check for air leaks, or have a professional check, then plug all leaks with caulking or sealant and install proper insulation in the attic, basement walls, floors and crawlspaces.
7. Landscape wisely. Planting trees near your home provides shade and can lower cooling costs in summer months. Shrubs, bushes and vines can also provide insulation. Landscaping for energy efficiency can provide enough energy savings to return the original investment within eight years - sooner if oil prices rise.
8. Keep it slow and steady while driving, and perform regular maintenance on your car. Each five miles per hour you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $.20 per gallon of gas. So drive the speed limit—cruise control can help in this effort. Also, keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent. Many drivers will wait on a long line to save $0.30 per gallon, but properly inflating tires and obeying the speed limit will realize such savings and take less time.
9. Drive less frequently. Walk, bike, use public transportation or telecommute if possible. If daily car use is a must, consider buying a hybrid.
10. Consider alternatives to heating oil, such as natural gas, solar panels, EPA-approved wood-burning stoves or geothermal heat pumps, which use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature.
Some of these steps require upfront investment, which will be paid back through consequent energy savings. The higher oil prices go, the quicker the payback. And the cost of things like hybrid cars, energy efficient appliances, and alternative energy appliances will be much higher because demand will climb and supplies may become severely limited, with long waiting lists.
Oil—our primary source of energy—is a finite resource, and it is going to run out someday.
Some experts project peak oil output may begin as early as 2010–2012, and that thereafter supply will begin to drop well below worldwide demand.
When that happens, oil’s price will skyrocket. Already at record-breaking highs—over $100-a-barrel—some analysts predict the price could reach $200, or even $300 per barrel, causing a dramatic shock to the global economy.
The United States currently consumes 21 million barrels of oil per day, nearly 25% of total worldwide consumption. Thus, if supply of oil does drop, only a drastic reduction in U.S. demand can avert a shortfall.
Taking preventative steps to reduce individual energy consumption is the most sensible response. The following are the 10 practical ways to reduce oil/energy consumption now:
1. Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact florescent light bulbs. This simple change can save an estimated 75 percent in lighting costs. These energy-saving bulbs have become much less expensive and are widely available online.
2. Unplug electronics such as stereos, televisions, computers and kitchen appliances when they are not in use. Plug several appliances into a power strip and turn it off when not in use. In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power electronics is consumed while they are off.
3. Buy only ENERGY STAR appliances, which use less energy. In a typical home, appliances and home electronics are responsible for about 20 percent of the utility bill. A list of approved appliances is available on the ENERGY STAR site.
4. About 90 percent of energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. Wash clothes in cold water, wash and dry full loads, use appropriate settings for smaller loads and consider air-drying clothes instead of using the dryer.
5. Heating and cooling alone can cause 45 percent of most utility bills. Set the thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer, and invest in a programmable thermostat so energy is not wasted when the house is unoccupied.
6. Proper insulation and air sealing techniques can reduce heating and cooling costs by 30 percent. Check for air leaks, or have a professional check, then plug all leaks with caulking or sealant and install proper insulation in the attic, basement walls, floors and crawlspaces.
7. Landscape wisely. Planting trees near your home provides shade and can lower cooling costs in summer months. Shrubs, bushes and vines can also provide insulation. Landscaping for energy efficiency can provide enough energy savings to return the original investment within eight years - sooner if oil prices rise.
8. Keep it slow and steady while driving, and perform regular maintenance on your car. Each five miles per hour you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $.20 per gallon of gas. So drive the speed limit—cruise control can help in this effort. Also, keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage by about 3.3 percent. Many drivers will wait on a long line to save $0.30 per gallon, but properly inflating tires and obeying the speed limit will realize such savings and take less time.
9. Drive less frequently. Walk, bike, use public transportation or telecommute if possible. If daily car use is a must, consider buying a hybrid.
10. Consider alternatives to heating oil, such as natural gas, solar panels, EPA-approved wood-burning stoves or geothermal heat pumps, which use the constant temperature of the earth as the exchange medium instead of the outside air temperature.
Some of these steps require upfront investment, which will be paid back through consequent energy savings. The higher oil prices go, the quicker the payback. And the cost of things like hybrid cars, energy efficient appliances, and alternative energy appliances will be much higher because demand will climb and supplies may become severely limited, with long waiting lists.
Headline Links: The reality of peak oil
Writer Michael Klare talks about what $100-plus barrel oil really means. “What, then, will be the lasting consequences of higher energy costs? For the ordinary American consumer the answer is simple, if grim: A diminished quality of life, as discretionary expenses disappear in the face of higher costs for transportation, home heating, and electricity, not to speak of basics like food (for which, from fertilizers to packaging, oil is a necessity). For the poor and elderly, the implications are dire: In some cases, it will undoubtedly mean choosing among heat in winter, adequate nutrition, and medicine,” Klare writes. Constant conflict in oil producing regions such as Iraq, Nigeria, Venezuela, Iran, Chad, Mexico, Russia and Sudan complicates the problem, he says.
Source: Tomdispatch.org
When oil outputs are officially in decline, $100 a barrel oil prices will be referred to as “the good old days,” says Robert Hirsch, a senior energy analyst at Management Information Services, Inc., a Washington, D.C. research and consulting firm. "If we wait until the problem hits us, we are in for very serious economic problems worldwide for at least 20 years," Hirsch told The Christian Science Monitor. "There is no good news. Nobody is really doing anything."
Source: The Christian Science Monitor
Opinion & Analysis: An extreme view of peak oil’s consequences
The peak oil-related blog “Life After the Oil Crash” begins with the dire warning, “civilization as we know it is coming to an end soon.” Blogger Matt Savinar says this is not a conspiracy theory or biblical tale of apocalypse, but a factual report derived from data from geologists and physicists. “The issue is not one of ‘running out’ so much as it is not having enough to keep our economy running,” Savinar writes.
Source: Life After the Oil Crash
Background: Oil prices rising with no relief in sight
U.S. gas prices have broken records in 2008, but experts believe prices could go significantly higher. Oil, a global commodity, is traded throughout the world in dollars, and the dollar is dropping in value, causing prices to rise in dollar terms.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: The multi-faceted oil problem
According to an Energy Information Administration prediction, world consumption of petroleum and other liquid fuels will grow from 83 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2004 to 97 million in 2015 and 118 million in 2030.
Source: Energy Information Administration
The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzes ways to reduce America’s energy dependence. “Twenty years from now, U.S. consumption will rise to 28.3 million barrels of oil a day, with 70 percent of it imported. This heavy reliance on foreign oil makes America increasingly dependent on some of the least stable, undemocratic countries in the world,” reads the NRDC Web site.
Source: Natural Resource Defense Council
The Association for the study of Peak Oil & Gas (ASPO) is an informal network working to evaluate the oil problem and raise awareness of the serious consequences of disappearing oil reserves. “The peak of oil discovery was passed in the 1960s, and the world started using more than was found in new fields in 1981. The gap between discovery and production has widened since. Many countries, including some important producers, have already passed their peak, suggesting that the world peak of production is now imminent,” writes ASPO Chairman Colin Campbell on the site.
Source: ASPO
Energy Saving Tips
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site includes energy saving tips, statistics and recent energy news.
Source: U. S. Department of Energy
The Home Energy Saver Web site provides a free “ask the expert” feature in which a customer service expert from the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy responds personally to each question. The site also includes complete tips and advice for saving energy in the home, from landscaping to insulating ducts. In addition, there is a Web site for middle school students, their teachers and parents.
Source: Home Energy Saver
The Flex your Power Web site, from California Energy Efficiency and Conservation, features a number of energy saving tips on its main page, including the projected benefits of each. For instance, a 5-degree cooler setting on the thermostat will save about 10 percent in cooling costs.
Source: Flex your Power
The U.S. government provides an online guide to specific fuel economy tips under four broad headlines: “Drive more efficiently,” “Keep your car in shape,” “Plan and combining trips,” and “Choose a more efficient vehicle." According to the site, fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can improve its gas mileage by an average of 4 percent. Fixing a serious maintenance issue, like a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve mileage by 40 percent.
Source: Fueleconomy.gov
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy aimed at helping people save money and protect the environment. Buying ENERGY STAR appliances is an excellent way to promote both goals. A full list of ENERGY STAR-rated products in over 50 categories is available on their Web site.
Source: ENERGY STAR
The U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has a guide to geothermal heat pumps which includes guidelines for selecting and installing a pump.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Related Topics: Wood burning stoves and hybrids
An Environmental Protection Agency-certified wood burning stove is a good heating alternative, although old or poorly installed stoves can result in higher maintenance costs, excessive smoke and pollution. The EPA recommends that a professional install the stove in order to ensure proper clearances between the stove, ventilating system and combustible materials. The EPA includes tips and a list of approved stoves on their Web site.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency
Wood-burning is on the rise because of increasing oil prices. Unfortunately, wood burning causes significant environmental pollution if the burner is not EPA recommended, and properly installed and maintained.
Source: findingDulcinea
Hybrid cars
Many manufacturers now carry hybrid versions of their vehicles, but Toyota has created a whole line of exclusively hybrid cars in the Prius. The 2008 Prius gets over 45 miles per gallon on average and starts at $21,100 MSRP, according to Toyota’s Web site.
Source: Toyota
The 2008 Honda Civic hybrid is also estimated to get an average of 45 miles per gallon and starts at $22,600, according to the Honda Web site.
Source: Honda
Buying Green at the findingDulcinea Store
Compact florescent light bulbs
2-Pk GE 75 watt equivalent Daylight 6500k CFL Compact Fluorescent light bulbs
Source: findingDulcinea’s store
Programmable thermostats
Hunter Fan Company 44360 7-Day Energy Star Programmable Thermostat
Source: findingDulcinea’s store
Honeywell TH6110D1005 FocusPro 6000 5-1-1 programmable digital thermostat for heating / cooling
Source: findingDulcinea’s store
'Energy-Efficient and Environmental Landscaping'
The book, “Energy-Efficient and Environmental Landscaping: Cut Your Utility Bills by Up to 30 percent and Create a Naturally Healthy Yard,” by Anne Simon Moffat, is available at the findingDulcinea bookstore.
Source: findingDulcinea’s bookstore
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
