The Oil Drum

Jean Laherrère kindly agreed to give an interview to TOD:E by e-mail. For several years he was virtually the sole researcher modelling Coal depletion in the same vein it is done for Oil and Gas. Despite being considerably different from the common sense of limitless Coal, his forecasts were this year confirmed by several studies and reports. TOD:E got some comments on this matter as so on the general Fossil Fuels depletion picture and our future beyond them.

British Member of Parliament George Galloway interviews David Strahan, award-winning investigative journalist, documentary film-maker and author of the 2007 book “The Last Oil Shock – A Survival Guide to the Imminent Extinction of Petroleum Man”.

Interview broadcast 26th June 2007.

Here is Strahan's article in the Guardian: The real casus belli: peak oil

Strahan’s website: www.lastoilshock.com

Ben Jervey, Author of The Big Green Apple

Earlier this week I had a chance to sit down and talk to Ben Jervey, author of The Big Green Apple. I met Ben at Earth Day a few weeks ago and we had an hour long chat at Solar 1, which is an organization that promotes Green Energy, Arts and Education as part of an environmentally friendly lifestyle. The building they occupy is 100% powered by solar PV cells. Ben hardly looks the part of the media version of a hippy environmentalist, which is one of the points that Ben made repeatedly in our conversation: "You don't have to try hard or make big changes to live a green lifestyle." Changing a few light bulbs to compact fluorescent, shopping at a local Greenmarket, riding a bike are all ways he points out that individuals can make a tangible difference in the environment that don't require a big effort - and can actually be fun, healthy and interesting.

In fact, he agrees that New Yorkers are actually unconsciously living some of the greenest lifestyles in the country because their heavy use of mass transit and small apartments in multi-unit buildings conserves energy. But, in a relaxed and non-judgmental tone, Ben thinks we can do much better. And his book is a combination of a personal how-to manual and Yellow pages (err Green pages) for resources to help lead a green life personally and advocate for green policy changes.