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Sustainability
Geothermal
is a versatile and highly flexible energy resource. It has many uses
including heat pumps for space heating and cooling. Go to the Projects page for more info.
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Sustainability has become the buzzword at the local and state level in many parts of the country, and even more so in some places like Portland, OR. Sustainability has come to the mainstream with radio stations even promoting the concept. I've always found it an ambiguous term, but then for those who don't feel connected to the environment it must be an alienating concept. Those are the people who will be the most difficult to reach and educate, and hence, they are one of the primary reasons for this web site.
To me sustainability means having the least amount of impact on the environment, and while I'm certainly not a purist I believe sustainability is a balancing act between living well without causing environmental degradation. Quality versus quantity. Sustainability means recognizing we are not separate from the earth but actually an intricate part of the earth, neither dominant nor subservient. It means recognizing that we cannot survive without the earth no matter how much technology we develop.
Natural Gas depletion - Natural gas is a finite, non-renewable resource that we have become extremely dependent on for space and water heating purposes. Natural gas companies do not dispute the finite nature of the resource, however, they do contend there are several decades of supply available. That probably depends on how much wilderness we're willing to spoil in order to develop it. The following graphs illustrate our extremely precarious dependence on this so-called 'green' energy. One can readily discern from the following graphs that we are approaching a cliff in natural gas production and isn't decades away. Could that have anything to do with the push for LNG terminals?
Graph 1 Graph 2
 
Graph 3 Graph 4 Graph 5
Click to enlarge
Graph 1 illustrates the concept of Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI). The amount of natural gas recovered from drilling operations in Canada has steadily declined over the past 8 years. By 2015 the amount of energy recovered from drilling for natural gas in North America will be 1 to 1, or a 'breakeven' point. EROEI is very important concept to consider when evaluating different energy development projects. The three remaining graphs illustrate global reserves, US consumption, Canadian exploratory drilling efforts and global natural gas production.
The push to develop LNG ports in Oregon has multiple implcations. LNG is very envrionmentally destructive and is very problematic because presents tremendous ecological and security risks. Even if LNG ports are approved and developed, their impact is at least ten years away. Meanwhile, the price of natural gas is not likely to stabilize or go back to their historic levels any time soon. Natural gas is also a fossil fuel that contributes to global warming. Geo-exchange heat pumps with no direct greenhouse gas emissions are a viable alternative for space heating and cooling purposes. For more information on LNG visit LNG Pollutes or Columbia River Keeper.
Global Oil production
The imminent or possibly even recent peak of global oil production presents a whole different set of issues which I will not even begin to try and address, except to say that we're going to have to do a lot more things locally in the future. Oil prices have surged to record levels in recent weeks and how much speculation has to do with it is pretty much irrelevant because demand in China is the primary driving force behind global prices. This obviously has a huge impact on the average American in terms of mobility, but heating oil prices this winter will likely experience substantial increases.
The US comprises barely 5% of global population, yet consumes 25% of global oil production. Is that a situation with long-term prospects? Only through military means. We cannot drill our way to energy independence, regardless of how much we try. So the Arctic Reserve or off-shore oil fields are not going to provide us with the difference between our demand and the available supply. Please refer to the Links page for more info on the issue of peak oil.
More information on geothermal heat pumps, remewable energy and energy efficiency: (requires Adobe or Flash Player)
Geothermal Heat Pump Information Survival Kit - Oregon Institute of Technology Geo-Heat Center
Water is cheaper than air - video from FHP Manufacturing
The Future of Geothermal Energy - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Modern Heating & Cooling for Historic Structures - Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
Geothermal general information - Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium
Oregon Geothermal Map - Oregon Dept. of Energy
Oregon Renewable Portfolio Standard - Oregon Dept. of Energy
DIY Home Energy Efficiency - Energy Trust of Oregon
Capitalism - simple graphic illustrating our dependence on petroleum. The only thing missing from this picture is the fact that we don't really manufacture anything in the US anymore, except crops and military armaments. It's mostly imported from Asia.
Reduce your  and your  ,
with a geothermal heat pump. 
Peak Oil Speeches & Presentations (requires RealPlayer or Quick TIme)
James Howard Kunstler - Washington Post 5/25/08 Op-Ed
Kunstler Monologue
Kunstler vs. Lynch - debate between James Kunstler and Michael Lynch
Matt Savinar on Jeff Tarbell
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett from floor of US House of Rep
Michael Klare - Lecture from Baker Peace Conference
JD ElsCooperrider interviews Richard Heinberg on Peak Oil
Peak Oil videos on YouTube
Portland Peak Oil Task Force - Final Report
Portland Peak Oil Task Force - Executive Summary
Other articles I've published:
"The spatial economics of geothermal district energy:
A case study of Mammoth Lakes, CA (as published in Geothermics Vol.
32:1:2003). PDF
Geothermal Heat Gets New Life - online geothermal heat pump publication on the MatteR Network.
How Geothermal Heat Pumps work - online artlcle with MatteR Network.
Peak Oil Primer - basic introduction in to peak oil
Transition from Car to Bike - as published in Grass Roots Ideas to Survive, Dale Allen Pfeiffer, editor. Published by Lulu Press.
7 Steps to Sustainability - by Curt Sommer. A primer on living more sustainably in fast times.
"Fossil
fuels currently supply over 90% of transportation energy needs in the
US because we've built an entire culture around cheap and easily
accessible fossil fuels. In the future, gasoline shortages and
rising prices will be unavoidable because of rising global demand and stagnant supply. Carpool and downsize to one fuel efficient vehicle and drive only
when necessary."
Green Energy Solutions, LLC - green energy for a green planet.
503.804.7014
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Disclaimer: This website does not make any claims of expertise on the subject or theory of peak oil. We are not petroleum geologists and we do not have a peak oil 'theory', and make no claim to know with any degree of certainty any peak oil facts. We are not experts on peak oil survival or the ramifications or consequences thereof; therefore we do not have any advice about how to survive any prospective oil crash. We are aware that there is a peak oil myth, but we are simply concerned about the earth's ability to sustain current and future rates of oil production in the face of increasing demand. We did not have any thing to do with any peak oil report you may find on or through this site. We do not know the date of the actual peak of global oil production. There are links on this site where you can find out more about peak oil but we are not affiliated with them. This site is simply one of many places to find the latest news on peak oil theory. Many links lead to a peak oil blog. For more about peak oil theory go to Hubbert Peak. There is also an organization called the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas. We are not directly affiliated with either of these organizations - and we may or may not support their ideas. We do believe, in our heart of hearts, that there is going to be some kind of peak oil crisis at some point in the future. But we don't know when it will be.
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"Lovvy, there's plenty of oil, and if there's not we can just buy some more!"
