Big Pond News - Oil running out faster than admitted

Money begets oil, oil begets money.

As oil becomes harder to get, it will become worth more.

Then the giant oil companies will spend more money to get at deeper, poorer-quality crude.

However, a 2007 bipartisan report handed to the Senate warned 'the difficulty, cost and environmental problems of exploiting (deeper oil reserves) means it is unlikely that they can be brought on stream in time or in enough quantity to make up for the predicted decline of conventional oil'.

While the coming of peak oil remains largely unaddressed in Australia, environmentalists are desperately attempting to drag it into the light.

Australia.To - OIL: A Market Psychology of Fear?

”Many inside the organisation (IEA) believe that maintaining oil supplies at even 90 million to 95 million barrels a day would be impossible, but there are fears that panic could spread on the financial markets if the figures were brought down further,” a senior IEA official told the Guardian.

According to the confidential RCMP documents, ”[censored]... a market psychology of fear will continue to place a 'geopolitical premium' on crude oil, keeping prices for oil products higher than market fundamentals along would dictate.”

It is this fear that the IEA is trying to placate. However, many believe a binding deal at Copenhagen seems like a more reasonable approach to reduce oil dependency than the current policy of fudging the numbers.

ABC - Abbott accused of climate costing blunder

The Federal Government has accused Opposition Leader Tony Abbott of running a climate change "scare campaign" by making a $250 billion costing error on the price of reducing Australia's carbon emissions.

TVNZ - NZ distances itself from Danish texts

New Zealand is distancing itself from leaked Danish texts at the Copenhagen Climate Conference, despite admitting it was approached about them.

A storm is brewing at the international conference where draft proposals from the host country have divided attending delegates.

The leaked Danish documents reveal a draft proposal which would allow rich countries to cut fewer emissions while poorer nations would have tougher greenhouse gas limits.

Scoop.co.nz - Causes of Climate Change not 'Settled'
I know I create outrage whenever I post something like this, but I think it is worth noting that regardless of the state of the science, the state of people's BELIEF about the science is still subject to uncertainty. There is a whole ideology devoted to creating this uncertainty. This has consequences. This concept also applies to Peak Oil. It doesn't matter that a person such as myself can look at a few graphs and conclude that the Peak Oil argument is compelling. Most people aren't trained to look at things that way. We need to be reminded of this sometimes because policies and actions are dictated by this simple fact. If we can't change their mind, we are doomed to the policies and actions that they decide upon. I believe that this is legitimate news and has a place in this post.

The International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC - see http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/) today released the names of over 140 leading climate experts from 17 countries who are asking the United Nations and other supporters of this month's Climate Change Conference to produce convincing OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE for their claims of dangerous human-caused global warming (AGW) and other changes in climate.

Scoop.co.nz - Private Sector Must Support of Global Climate Deal

Business Leadership Vs. Business as Usual?

Private Sector Must Rally in Support of Global Climate Deal

Progressive businesses must continue to speak up in support of a strong climate deal in Copenhagen or risk allowing their head-in-the-sand competitors to derail the talks, cautioned Oxfam International today, ahead of high-level events on the private sector’s role in tackling climate change.

With conflicting voices emerging from the business community – one calling for ambitious and urgent action and the other for obfuscation and delay – Oxfam is urging progressive business leaders to encourage wavering governments to show leadership in the international negotiations.

Big Pond News - Exergen unhappy with coal decision

A Victorian company says it's disappointed the state government appears to have abandoned talks aimed at allocating its brown coal to sell to India.

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Brown coal .. which has a high water content and is a high-polluting fuel .. is not traded on the export markets because it's too expensive to ship compared to its energy output.

Radio Australia - China increases role in NSW coal industry

The Chinese Government is set to become an even bigger force in the Australian state of New South Wales' coal industry, with a takeover of Felix Resources clearing the final hurdle.

Courier Mail - Brisbane woman goes 35 days without food for climate action

A BRISBANE climate campaigner has gone 35 days with just water and teaspoons of salt in an effort to press world leaders to radically cut emissions of greenhouse gases.