Southern States Energy Board clueless about Peak Oil; N.Y. Times abets cluelessness

The SSEB outlandishly claims we can eliminate our dependence on imported oil and create 3 million new jobs with a few simple steps.

Those steps include making fuels from coal with the Fischer-Tropsch process, using CO2 to enhance oilfield recovery, making biofuels from waste biomass, and oil shale production.

Here’s part of why they’re so clueless:

First, the group ignores CO2 oilfield injection already ongoing, as though this will be a magic bullet that is suddenly newfound.

Second, it ignores the massive energy use, water use, earthen byproducts pollution, etc. of the Fischer-Tropsch process.

Third, when an article like this starts talking about oil shale as a realistic part of the solution, you know it has no anchorage in reality. In case the Times doesn’t keep up with news, when a company like Shell talks about heating entire shale fields in situ, or using underground nuclear explosions, to loosen shale oil, sensible people hang on to their hats.

Fourth, biofuels just don’t have that much potential. If made with waste from cropped agricultural products, there’s not that much waste. If used also with the food portion of those products, there’s not that much product without cutting into the food supply.

At least this shows the Times practices equal-opportunity cluelessness, rather than selectively on things like Iraq.