Peak Oil & Global Security

Last years’ skyrocketing petrol prices were a foretaste of what is expected to become a major global issue within the next decade. While the oil industry still talks about extra investments and inventive extraction, they’re just adding fuel to the fire of an ever-increasing thread due to the depletion of our cheapest and biggest energy resource.

Oil accounts for over one third of all consumed energy worldwide. Out of 48 producing countries, oil production has peaked in 33, with by far the largest reserves remaining in the Persian Gulf, mainly in Saudi-Arabia, Iraq and Iran. Among the major producing countries are a lot of other authoritarian, corrupt and unstable states like Nigeria, Angola, Libya, Venezuela, Bolivia and Kazakhstan.

Today, former rather optimistic institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA) and as well some major private oil companies like BP and Total expect the production of conventional, easy-to-gain crude oil to peak within the next two decades. What rests uncertain is the scenario we’re facing once global Peak Oil is over. But apart from assessing the exact date or rate of decline, most urgently we have to think about strategies on how to leave oil before it leaves us.

Presentation

In this workshop we are first looking at some basic facts about the forthcoming energy crisis and its global impacts on food production, heating, electricity generation and transportation. We are especially focusing on the dependency of industrialised countries from doubtful regimes in several countries, which are already mentioned above, and the risks and dangers which lie therein.

In the second part there will be the opportunity to critically discuss alternative energy forms, political strategies and one’s own approaches to reduce this dependency on a personal, communal, organisational or national level. Bearing in mind the all-pervasive impact of oil in our everyday life, the field of action lying ahead of us is just as broad and diverse – we’ve got the power to change!

ASPO (Association for the Studies of Peak Oil)

The ASPO CH association, being part of a global network of scientists in different fields of interest, benefits from international knowledge exchange concerning Peak Oil and Gas. ASPO Switzerland aims at creating a broad awareness about the Peak Oil and Gas phenomena and their consequences. Their aim is to contribute to the preparation of Switzerland for this big challenge.

For more information, please check www.aspo.ch