Peak Oil: The End of Cheap Oil

ince corporations and governments are staffed by human beings, it's no surprise that corporate and governmental decisions are marked by the same shortsightedness that we've been warned of ever since Aesop told the tale of the grasshopper and the ant; i.e.,ghd nz tactical decisions for the near term rather than strategic decisions for the long term. True, some Asian corporations try to look five years into the future and certain European governments require new construction to include energy-related features that just don't pencil out at current energy prices, but those two cases are exceptions to the rule that decisions are made based upon the next quarterly statement and the most recent poll or -- in the best case -- the current fiscal year and the next election.
Faced with a tightening of oil supply (only "the beginning of the end of cheap oil"), one might hope that the US government would invest 3 or 4 years and a few tens of billions of dollars in cash or tax incentives on strategic effort to reduce/eliminate dependence on foreign energy sources:most importantly, establish sufficient grain production and distillery capability to be able to use alcohol rather than gasoline for our internal combustion engines. (Most people don't know that when US forces took the Phillipines during WWII, all those barrels of aviation fuel and truck fuel left behind by the Japanese were of no use because our engines ran on fuel produced by Standard Oil rather than by farmers.)distributed across agricultural areas, set up facilities for anaerobic composting of crop residues and manure. These produce methane (CH4), the active ingredient of natural gas and 88 to 90% of its volume. In addition to its use in heating homes and generating electricity,hair straighteners natural gas can also be compressed and used to fuel our vehicles.again distributed but across desert areas, set up photovoltaic facilities to tap solar energy with the electricity used directly or to electrolyze water into oxygen and hydrogen. High tech version would be two-pronged: (1) on-orbit facilities with power beamed to receiving antennas in those same desert areas and (2) with expensive solar panels at 16% efficiency and super expensive ones approaching 20%, we'd implement a Manhatten style project to put our best and brightest at work coming up with a cheap photovoltaic film of maybe 3 or 4% efficiency that could be squeegeed onto flat surfaces across thousands of acres of sunlit desert.possibly pursue similar efforts to tap wind, geothermal, and tidal energy sources.These efforts would lead toward a future where a world population measured in billions comes to adopt the Western mindset that light comes from flipping a switch, drinking water comes from twisting a faucet tap, and to go faster you just push down on the pedal. They might even lead to a future where a kid born in Iowa could hope to go where no man has gone before. But gasoline packs more BTUs per cubic inch than any of the alternatives so even if/when oil goes to $100 per barrel none of these efforts can show a profit this quarter or this year or even before the next election. What's worse,ghd straighteners they don't fit with the unspoken assumption that what's good for the "awl bidness" is good for the USA. So, instead of those tens of billions being strategically invested over the next few years we got a short term tactical decision based on what's good for the oil business. With Saudia Arabia (the #1 oil source) already on board as one of the best friends that money can buy, with the Taliban unwilling to have a new pipeline across Afghanistan, and with Saddam (the #2 oil source) threatening to price oil in Euros rather than dollars, we chose to spend a year (2003) and $84 billion to assure "the free flow of oil at market prices." Which also assures that Japan, Germany, and other non- oil producers will continue to have to swap their currency for dollars in order to buy oil. It turns out that pursuing the free flow of oil takes more than a year and a lot more than $84 billion even though no oil flows from Iraq and even though Saudi pipelines are now under attack, but there's no indication of reversing course no matter who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.Cheap oil means cheap food. As gasoline and diesel fuel pass four or five dollars per gallon (and gold passes $1,500 per ounce), the biggest change in North America will be that wholesale food markets in urban areas will no longer see trucks arriving with loads of vegetables from California, fruit from Chile, or wine and cheese from Europe. In the first place, fertilizers and pesticides are oil based so food will no longer be cheap even at the source. And whether paying the freight for a ship from South America or a truck from California, our current food sources will become prohibitively expensive compared to eating what grows within several miles of your kitchen.Cheap oil also means cheap heat and cheap transportation. When North Americans can no longer afford to heat their atrium-entried McMansions or commute from suburbia to their urban jobs, we'll see a initial period of workers sleeping in the parking lot and commuting once a week to join their families in huddling around the woodburning stove they installed in the family room after putting up plastic sheeting to separate that area from the rest of their unheated house. During this initial period, when it gets warm they'll be planting vegetables in the back yard and hoping their drafted son lives to come back from Venezuela. Depending on how long it takes for them to realize that the pension they've thought they were earning is imaginary (or will be so diluted by inflation as to be meaningless), they may or may not harvest that first backyard crop before they quit going to work and simply begin trying to survive. The words "social disorder" don't begin to describe what life will be like as gold goes from two or three thousand dollars per ounce to being recognized as a store of value not to be measured in dollars.When the dust settles (maybe two years after what's left of US central government gives up on pursuing what's good for the "awl bidness"), the North American economy will be the same as the rest of the world: local populations using mostly local resourcesworldwide population the same as in 1850 plus however many more can be supported by the extent to which local populations succeed in (a) recreating the age of the coal-fired steam engine and (b) establishing alternative renewable energy resourcesan ounce of gold approximates the annual wage of a skilled worker.The above paints a glum picture. But note that it's the outcome of shortsighted decisions made by organizations, both corporate and governmental. At the level of the individual, there's nothing to prohibit each of us from heeding the lesson Aesop taught more than two thousand years ago. Be an ant rather than a grasshopper. Instead of doing what feels good today, do what's smart for tomorrow. Put away some food for the coming economic "winter." Learn some useful skills and acquire the tools to go with them. Consider moving to an area where your new neighbors will already have such skills. With less than one ounce of gold per person on the planet, buy a few ounces of real wealth instead of that plasma television. Finally, if you like flush plumbing, look into having a couple solar panels and a 24-volt pump in your well.

'Mad Men' Season 4, Episode 2 Recap: Joan Sizzles in Fire-engine Red, Peggy Gets Festive in Christmas Green - StyleList

Don Draper and Peggy Olson glam it up for the Sterling Cooper Christmas party. Photo: Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC, Mike Yarish/AMCAhh, our Sunday night "Mad Men" routine is back in place! Sartorially speaking, last night's episode was a definite upgrade from the highly anticipated season 4 premiere last weekend, which featured feather extension a more somber palette. This pleasant turn of events was due to the fact that it's Christmastime in "Mad Men" world, 1964-style. Since most of episode 2 was centered around the Sterling Cooper holiday office party, the ladies of the ad agency -- Joan Harris, Peggy Olson, and a slew of secretaries -- plus the wives of Roger Sterling and Pete Campbell, were the show's main eye candy. Perhaps not surprisingly, Joan, played by bombshell Christina Hendricks, donned the most drool-worthy outfits, wearing a series of her signature body-wrapping dresses. We especially loved her royal blue boatneck dress with big buttons on the bust, as well as her jaw-dropping Feather hair party outfit: a fire-engine red dress with two silk bows -- one on the neckline, one above the butt -- that she wore while swirling her hips and leading the conga line. Are you swooning yet? Peggy, on the other hand, kept things more professional in boxy Peter Pan-collared suits (one oxblood-red version gave us major Chanel Couture Fall 2010 flashbacks) and a boatneck (yep, again!) forest green party dress accented by a Christmas tree pin. Betty Draper made two super-short appearances in the episode, but the last one, in which she wore a light beige coat with a fluffy fur collar paired with white gloves and bright red lips, was pretty much perfection. Pete's wife Trudy and Roger's wife Jane also dazzled at the party with crystal embellishment lining the necks of their holiday frocks. What will Christmas Day Hair extensions and New Year's bring to the closets of the "Mad Men" crew? We can hardly wait until next week to find out!Keep clicking to read about how the women of "Mad Men" are required to maintain their natural curves through exercise restriction.

Why Wigs - Analysing the importance of Wigs in today's fast moving pace of life

Gone are the days when Wigs were once so obvious that they would be noticed a mile away and hence people were embarrassed. Today with the latest technique and near human hair type look feather extension and feel of the fibre used, a person could be stood right next to you and could even be touching your hair and they would not know. The stigma has disappeared in the West – UK, Europe, USA about wearing a wig. They are now considered as the fashion accessory every lady must have.Not only the young ladies, but indeed across the whole age spectrum for various reasons hence at the moment they are at the top of every young ladies wish list. The craze has taken the world by storm. The fact that so many celebrities are wearing wigs, hairpieces and extensions themselves, makes them a popular must have.  This of course means if it's now considered cool for the celebrities to wear them, then it is also cool for the public to be able to wear them.  The public can look more like their favourite celebrity in a blink of an eye. One can have an instant makeover and change one's hairstyle immediately.  One can change one's colour of hair without having to apply any chemicals to the hair.  One can change the length from short to long without the many years of waiting for hair to grow. One can go from long to short without the trauma of having to have one's own long hair cut off. It's almost like cosmetic surgery for your hair without the pain or the cost.People who have cancer and are undergoing treatment can suffer hair loss.  Ladies suffering with hormone deficiency can suffer from thinning hair especially after having a baby.  Ladies with imbalanced hormones can suffer from hair loss or thinning hair.  Another problem that can cause hair loss is Alopecia, where patches of Feather hair hair can be lost.  The hair may re-grow, but if it does it usually grows back in a different colour and texture from the natural hair.   Alopecia Totalis is where the person loses all of their hair.  The true reason for such hair loss is not fully known, although it is believed various factors can contribute to such a dramatic and devastating hair loss, one being stress.Today it is quite normal and classed as, "The in thing to do," for ladies to wear wigs for fashion, for a colour change or to change their style without the trauma or cost of having their own hair coloured or cut.  Other ladies and particularly celebrities who have got use to having a beautifully coiffed hairdo all the time, find it easier and more convenient to wear a wig to maintain their good looks constantly.Wigs come in various material – Synthetic Kanekelon Fibre which come in a wide array of colours that looks very natural and hence difficult to differentiate between a fibre and Real Human Hair.A latest fibre that is used is commonly called High Heat Fibre which has some of the versatility of Real Human Hair. This is because one can apply heat to it and hence can style, curl and straighten it. However only heat up to a Hair extensions maximum of 180 degrees can be used on it. This fibre also comes in various colours and quality is high end that gives the natural look like Real Human Hair.The third type is the Real Human Hair that is used for Wigs. Needless to say they can be very expensive as top quality of Human Hair is usually used. Most of these wigs are made in Mono filament which further increases the cost and hence price.

Uniqueness provided by Gucci handbags cannot be denied as well

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GHD Straightener has the facility to handle its person within temperature

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