1. Energy Cost Escalation / Peak Oil
Kenneth Dwyer
V.P. Communications, U of A Energy Club
Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Computing Science
University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
cs.ualberta.ca

2. International Energy Agency (IEA)
Monitors energy markets for the world's 26 most-advanced economies, including the U.S., Japan and all of Europe.*
It acts as a counterweight in the market to the views of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.*
* Source: Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2008.
EIA's “World Energy Outlook 2008” report to be released on November 12, 2008.
See

3. IEA World Energy Outlook
The Energy Business Review recently previewed the upcoming report:
“The IEA [report] has highlighted longer term supply side constraints, despite the precipitous correction in world oil prices of late, as current depletion rates outstrip future demand.”
“Conventional production will effectively remain static, rising from 70.4m b/d in 2007 to 75.2m b/d in 2030, as 'new gains' and 'old losses' balance out.”
“[T]he credit crunch could prove to be the calm before the storm as far as pain at the pumps is concerned.”
“IEA report underlines long term supply side challenges for oil markets” Energy Business Review, Nov. 4, 2008.

4. Peak Oil: Challenges for Edmonton
Food security
Our industrialized food system relies heavily on fossil fuel inputs
Most food is transported by large trucks
Conventional farms use fertilizers, as well as tractors and other machinery that requires fuel
Heating homes and buildings
Canadian natural gas supplies are in decline
See this interview with geologist David Hughes
Transportation
Energy-dense gasoline is difficult to replace
We can't change/upgrade all our car and truck engines overnight, esp. during an oil shortage

5. Peak Oil Resolutions
On April 11th, 2006, San Francisco became the first major city in North America to pass a resolution about our energy predicament.
The resolution calls for peak oil to be considered a serious issue, a city wide assessment funded by the mayor to be undertaken, and the oil depletion protocol to be endorsed.
Similar measures have since been enacted by:
Austin, TX; Burnaby, BC; Hamilton, ON; Oakland, CA; Portland, OR; and others.
Edmonton should make Peak Oil a priority!
See

6. Thank you for your time.