The Tripod

Issue date: 12/2/08 Section: Features

Author Michael Klare came to lecture at Trinity. http://www.martin.uidaho.edu [Click to enlarge]

There are only a few select words that need to be reiterated from Michael Klare's lecture last Thursday, Nov. 20, in McCook Auditorium: the world's oil supply is not infinite. Klare has been writing books about oil for the past 30 years. His most recent book is Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy. This book is divided into two separate chapters that discuss the different countries that are major players in the international oil markets, whether they be the consumers or the producers.

Not only are the markets becoming volatile, but the supplies are diminishing. There are more and more countries, such as China and India, who are diving into the oil reserves. With the Obama administration coming into power, the major issue here will be to finding an alternative fuel. Natural gas is an option that will simply run out in another 10 years. Another idea that was brought into the air is nuclear power. However, nuclear waste sites will be scattered all over the country.

Klare said that coal seems to be a convenient option for now, but it needs to be understood that coal produces more carbon dioxide than other alternative fuels. This will only contribute to the looming issue of global warming, which also needs to combated. Solving one problem should not allow for another problem to increase.

"We need to create a new image of a life that is far less dependent on oil," is the advice that Klare gave to the students and faculty sitting in the audience. He said that his only fear is that there will be a lack of money to go forth with the research for alternative fuels. At this point in time, the people can only wait and see what happens to the oil markets on the international level.

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