Russia may cut off oil flow to the West
Georgia crisis could thwart EU project to bypass Russia for natural gas
EU concerned over Russia's possible plans for critical neighbors
Climate Wars: Gwynne Dyer interview (audio)

A digest of news and commentary from a UK peak oil perspective

Arguments for the more extreme scenarios of global collapse in the wake of peak oil, climate change, and the like routinely insist that the current situation cannot be judged according to the standards of history. The aftermath of an actual example of collapse -- the fall of the Soviet empire -- suggests otherwise.

Russia's achilles heel
Analyst warns of looming global climate wars
How Brazil’s PetroBras (PBR) could deliver Cuban Oil to U.S.

Charles Hall on the International Geology Congress in Norway
Raymond James: any ‘meaningful’ oil disruptions will cause ‘significantly higher’ prices
Chris Nelder on peak oil and cleantech opportunities
Michael Klare: Past its peak
The new black: fashion fetishises oil

Russian behavior is driven to a large extent by the personal strategies and interests of a few individuals at the very top. There is no overarching geopolitical plan, but a lot of political infighting and short term asset-grabbing strategies. That may be even more worrying in itself than purposeful strategies to use the "energy weapon", but the motivations are different. It is true however that the global energy situation allows Russia to be a lot more assertive, or even brutal, on the international stage, and there's little that can be done about that ... [There is something that] Europe can actually do: it controls its own demand, and should focus its efforts on that.

Russia shuts out West's supermajors
Russia and Iran: crisis of the west, rise of the rest
Kazakhstan considers to divert oil export route from BTC to Russia
Russia values oil more than war
Gazprom falls as analysts `shocked' by spending plan

Steve LeVine: After Georgia, a day of reckoning for Washington
Jerome a Paris: Why is the "West" so bad at strategy?
Kunstler: Reality bites again
Patrick Buchanan: Who started Cold War II?

A mid-week update on peak oil, including:

- Prices and consumption

- Georgia and the BTC pipeline

Several years ago, at what seemed to be one of the darkest moments of the Russian collapse, I was walking in one of the avenues of Moscow. I noticed a series of large signs hanging from lampposts, showing traditional Russian buildings and landscapes. One of my Russian colleagues translated the text of the signs for me as saying, "Nobody will help Russia, so Russia will have to help herself". Government propaganda? Sure, but that is what the Russians did. Never underestimate a country that has survived peak oil.