Peak oil will make global climate change worse, not better.
It is mathematically impossible that peak oil will solve climate change.
Although oil is the biggest single source of energy-related greenhouse gases, coal and gas combined are bigger still, and the expected growth in their emissions would overwhelm any reduction from oil.
As I demonstrate in The Last Oil Shock using the International Energy Agency's "business-as-usual" forecast, even if oil production peaks in 2010 and immediately starts to fall at 3% a year, total emissions would still rise by 25%, reaching 32 billion tonnes in 2030.
Yet by that time, we need to be well on the way to at least a 60% cut in emissions.
So it is quite possible to run out of oil and pollute the planet to destruction simultaneously.
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He makes some good points. Whether one believes in anthropogenic climate change or not, simply substituting natural gas and coal for oil, or tearing up the planet to plant huge corn farms or sugar cane plantations isn't the smart way to have a sustainable energy infrastructure. We need higher efficiency and better controls on emissions - not just a new fuel source.
Cheers,
Scott.
