The Final Energy Crisis [Paperback]

Andrew McKillop (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0745320929 | ISBN-13: 978-0745320922 | Publication Date: April 20, 2005 | Edition: First Edition

This book explores the crisis in fossil fuels. Oil, gas and coal are precious resources that define modern life. Without them, mass-produced food and clothing, and international travel and cars, become rare or impossible. Yet our reliance on fossil fuels is responsible for massive environmental damage, and increasing economic and political instability. Control over oil resources has been a major factor in several wars. The price of oil is also key to world economic stability. Yet our supply of oil is limited. As with other fossil fuels, the more we burn, the more damage we do – the number one cause behind global warming is the increase in carbon dioxide from burning fossil fuels.The international range of contributors to this book provide a truly global perspective on the dangers inherent in our over-consumption of oil, gas and coal. They explore detailed evidence of the imminent acceleration of fossil fuel depletion and the limits of ‘sustainability’. They outline the political background to the situation, not just among the world’s largest consumers of fossil fuel, the US and China, but also in Europe and the developing world. Considering our future economic survival, they include a detailed examination of France and Australia. Finally, they explore the extreme costs of alternatives such as nuclear power, and outline other possible lifestyles and methods.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andrew McKillop has undertaken professional research missions on energy, has administered energy projects, or worked as a manager or consultant for organisations including Canada Science Council, Papua New Guinea Government, ILO, European Commission, Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries, Indian Staff College, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and S Pacific, World Bank. He has had numerous articles published on energy in The Ecologist, New Scientist, International Journal of Energy Research, Journal of ILO, Le Monde Diplomatique .

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Pluto Press; First Edition edition (April 20, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0745320929
• ISBN-13: 978-0745320922
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,005,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

109 of 109 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writings on World Oil Peak and Beyond, May 1, 2005

By 

Reader from Nowhere - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Final Energy Crisis (Paperback)

This book is a collection of 23 essays on various aspects of the looming world oil production peak and its effect on the world. It begins, naturally enough, with an article which is a fresh look at Hubbert's methods to predict the arc of oil production, and which confirms earlier calculations that oil production will peak during this decade. Next is one of three articles by Colin Campbell, a retired oil geologist, and most ardent advocate of the difficulties ahead in the world running short on oil. The article following is by Edward Goldsmith, the founding editor of The Ecologist, and who was also instrumental in drafting the Blueprint for Survival over thirty years ago. He discussed the need for local agriculture in time when food can no longer be trucked from coast to coast or from south to north. The last article of the first section is on the nature of thermodynamic laws.

The second section begins with Campbell's critique of Caspian oil reserves. In essence he says to "follow the money" and asks the reader to think about why many major oil companies have given up on Caspian oil. The second article in this section is by the co-editor Andrew McKillop, (who has nine essays in this volume). Mr. McKillop is an economist, whose concerns in his first article is, why the oil riches of Africa bring meager economic benefit to its population? The next article by the late Mark Jones is in my view best in the volume. Mr. Jones frames the issues of world geopolitics and in particular the posture of the United States given China's ascendancy. The present trends are clearly in China's favor, but the view to future is clouded by the backdrop of oil depletion. The US policy was set in its course many years ago, and entering an arm conflict in Iraq ties US hands further. The national and current account deficits, caused by tax cuts, China trade, and war expenditures do not bode well for the future. The second section ends with a discussion of the French nuclear industry by two members in its opposition. They marshal welcome facts to the argument. Since nuclear power plants must by insured de facto by government and not by private companies tells something about the risks these plants pose.

The third section includes an article by Campbell on where the future oil will come. It also includes two article by Mr. McKillop, one on the difficulties of meeting the Kyoto limits and the other on his view of the situation in the world in 2035; time when children born today have entered the most productive period of their adult life. He does not present an encouraging future. The section also includes two articles by Ross McCluney, who works at the Florida Solar Energy Center. It is refreshing to read a sober analysis on the limits of, both solar energy and other renewable fuels, from a person who has been involved in the field for 30 years. In short, renewables cannot compensate for diminishing oil and natural gas, which forces the world to coal and one is forced back to thinking about the consequences of global warming.

In the fourth section of this set of essays are four articles by Mr. McKillop and Campbell's criticism of the latest United States Geological Survey's world's oil assessment. Mr. McKillop shows the dangers for China of the rising car ownership in his essay "The Chinese Car Bomb". The same is, of course, true for India. He points out how highway travel has led to under-funding of rail networks in the US and even in Japan, thus eroding the only sensible mode of long distance transport in a world short of oil. His other articles address the need for a paradigm shift away from a growth economy, a shift that will be forced to an unwilling world by nature.

The last section includes essays on life after oil. It includes an article by the co-editor Sheila Newman, in which she compares the carrying capacity of Australia and France. The discussion of Australia's problems should be alarming to those who only see the size of this continent and not that its aboriginal population managed a very meager subsistence from its vast deserts. In the next essay her countryman shows how a community could organise its life after oil depletion takes hold and a contrasting view is given in an essay originating from Pittsburgh, a former (and a future) coal town in Pennsylvania.

A disadvantage in reading a collection of essays is in their lack of uniformity in style. However, there is no truly poor writing in this collection, although some readers are likely to struggle with some of them. The advantage is that the essays can be read in brief sittings and as many of them are short, it afford the reader time to think about the issues raised.

5.0 out of 5 stars Final and Final, July 1, 2008

By 

keith renick (Peachtree City, Ga. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Final Energy Crisis (Paperback)

This book is a collection of 23 essays, but that doesn't mean I have to agree with all 23 writers. This book "The Final Energy Crisis" is a must read. It's well done and it's not light reading. The book was edited by Andrew McKillop and Mr. McKillop also wrote one of the chapters in this book. Mr. McKillop is one of the smartest men in all of Europe. After you read this book, do a Google search for Andrew McKillop and read his work. This book is not for dummies. Regards, Keith Renick, Peachtree City, Ga.

15 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars ok but........, January 9, 2006

By 

Liam Mcgowan (Ireland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Final Energy Crisis (Paperback)

I am rereading this book again but my memory of it from the first time it that if you are not convinced about Peak Oil then this is not the book for you. The book is also written with a bit of a "green" agenda and confuses the issue by discussing Global warming. The book is anti nuclear without going into detail why, expcept by syaing that it is too expensive and is currently subsidised by fossil fuels. One point the book made from memory was that there would be limits to Solar developement in deserts beause it would effect the desert habitat, I thought this was a hoot because if peak oil is a reality the last thing Gov. will worry about is desert wildlife. That being said, it is still a readable book