Geopolitics, Oil, and Global Security...Asia's Growing Demand

Here's an MSM article that seems to rather get it right.

First, a comparatively bland quote from the article to set the scene...

"The developing world's growing appetite for oil is one reason gasoline prices have shot up for Americans. Over time, these emerging economies also will shape not just global oil flows and prices but also world events, said Anne Korin, the co-director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, an energy security think tank in Washington.

And then perhaps a nomination should be forthcoming for "best takeaway money quote of the year:"

"A third of humanity doesn't want to ride bikes anymore," she said. "That has profound geopolitical implications."

(HA! Awesome. Give that lady an "huzzah!" for snarky pith.)

The article also contains a summary of EIA information on proven reserves (although much of the information on reserves is guesswork) and some discussion on the coming geopolitical wranglings over oil from a relatively benign perspective.


edited to add in response to a comment:


yes, the reserve information is rather misleading, so I took the chart down. it makes it seem like everything's ok...until you start wondering "wow, we've already sucked that much out of the ground in 140 years?" and "what does 'proven' mean?" and "is that deep water or shale oil? isn't that much more expensive if not experimental?" etc., etc. the article is good though...

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I did think the chart was fallacious in indicating gobs of oil yet to be found in the U.S. - oil shale, maybe?

This is kind of a tangent, in a way.

I agree that people don't want to ride bikes in general, but I've gone the other way. I use a bike for as many local errands as possible.

The benefit? I am way stronger. If, when I go for my recreational mountain bike rides, I could race my year-ago self, I would kick my ass!

(heck of a sentence construction ;-/)

Again, I know that's a tangent, but given that this is bike month it seemed worth saying.

(Actually, I'm surprised that so far I haven't seen a mention of Bike Month at the other Energy/Environment web sites I visit.)

From 1987 or so, I recall a Worldwatch Institute pamplet on "The Future of the Bicycle" which did not once mention rain.