Peak oil: why it will not help the climate change problem

The author contends that 'peak oil'—the point of maximum conventional oil production—is an economic crisis of 'the end of cheap energy' that compounds the climate crisis. As conventional oil becomes harder to extract, the industry shifts to non-conventional sources like oil sands, which have a significantly lower Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) and higher carbon emissions. The paper warns that relying on these sources or turning to coal to offset oil prices will hinder climate mitigation. To address this, the author highlights the 'Zero Carbon Britain' strategy and the 'Transition Towns' movement as models for moving toward a low-energy, sustainable future.

• Peak oil is defined as the point when global production of conventional oil reaches its maximum; it represents the end of cheap energy rather than the total exhaustion of oil reserves.
• The Energy Return on Energy Invested (EROEI) for oil has declined significantly, falling from over 100 in the past to below 50 today, making oil production increasingly energy-intensive.
• Non-conventional oil sources, such as Canada's oil sands, are far more energy-intensive to extract than conventional oil; while conventional oil has an EROEI of 40, oil sand oil has an EROEI of 3.
• The pursuit of non-conventional oil and the potential shift toward coal in countries like the USA and China to counter oil prices may increase CO2 emissions and complicate the transition to a low-carbon future.
• The 'Zero Carbon Britain' strategy proposed by the Centre for Alternative Technology aims to eliminate fossil fuel consumption in Britain within two decades using Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) to limit global temperature rises to 2°C.

APA

Meikle, M. (2008). Peak oil: why it will not help the climate change problem. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/NL35_Peakoil.pdf

Chicago

Meikle, Mandy. Peak oil: why it will not help the climate change problem. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2008. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/NL35_Peakoil.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meikle |first1=Mandy |title=Peak oil: why it will not help the climate change problem |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=January 2008 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/NL35_Peakoil.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{meikle2008peak, author = {Meikle, Mandy}, title = {{Peak oil: why it will not help the climate change problem}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2008}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/NL35_Peakoil.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }