IAP Political Forum

Hello everyone,

I am currently involved in the release of documentary film A Crude Awakening which will be released in the UK (Curzon Cinema, London) on 9th of November. It is a really good, thoughts- provoking film and I would sincerely recommend it to everyone interested in politics, current affairs and also to anyone else who likes good documentary films. It is described as possibly the most important film of the decade and ‘must see’ film. It treats the subject of peak oil and possible changes we are going to face because of that.
So, come to see this film in cinema and enjoy it. It’s really a wake up call!

Sounds like a good double bill to go with Kunstler’s End of Suburbia (http://www.endofsuburbia.com/).

It is looking more and more like conventional crude oil production has peaked for all time in  May, 2005 (http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/ipsr/t11d.xls). Although petroleum production has continued to increase somewhat the difference is made from less efficient and often dirtier alternatives such as tar sands.

The solutions to these problems will not be easy. Traveling less and more efficiently, along with buying locally produced products are the low hanging fruit that are the easy picks. $93US/barrel oil will help with the motivation for this. Converting to relatively energy efficient replacements for transportation fuels (unlike corn ethanol) will be another. It will take a while however before these are in place and it is important that the process continues expediently.

Many folks are under the false impression that the backside of peak oil will be the solution to the problem of rising CO2 levels and global warming. Too many are unaware of the vast resources of carbon intensive coal that still exist in this country and to make gasoline/diesel fuel from it releases about twice as much carbon into the atmosphere per mile driven as using conventional fuel. Unfortunately the financial motivation to do this is strong and gets stronger as the price of oil rises.

How are you involved in its release? I saw it on DVD about 6 months ago, and most of it was out of date...ie - the point of peak production hasn't had much of an impact as they say.

(unless I'm thinking of a different film?)