A Thousand Barrels a Second: The Coming Oil Break Point and the Challenges Facing an Energy Dependent World Book

"Blinded by our energy birthright, and optimistic about the wonders of technology, too many of us are still convinced that help will come from some incredible magic bullet, the product of an unknown Edison working in a garage somewhere, ready to step forward when the world needs saving." -Peter Tertzakian

In 2006, world oil consumption will exceed one thousand barrels per second. The news marks an important change that will have a far-reaching impact on world economies, investments, and business profitability.

In A Thousand Barrels a Second, Chief Energy Economist of ARC Financial Peter Tertzakian delivers a provocative look at the future of oil and offers fresh insight into what it will take to rebalance our energy needs and seize new opportunities.

Tertzakian provides a unique analysis of shifts in energy trends, describing how past critical junctures-what he calls energy "break points"-developed, evolved, and shaped nations, changed consumer behavior, and launched or ruined businesses. With the world already consuming 85 million barrels of oil a day, Tertzakian answers the top questions that business leaders, policy makers, investors, and concerned citizens are asking him as we approach the coming break point:

-Are today's high oil and gas prices part of a routine business cycle, or are there more profound forces at play? -Have we entered a new multi-polar world where energy is the primary source of geopolitical tension? -Is China's growing thirst for energy sustainable? -Which government policies work and which do not? -Will nuclear power and coal save the day-again? -What sort of global landscape will emerge from the turmoil?

Tertzakian also offers a realistic, informed look into the volatile future of our energy supply chains and how our consumption patterns will evolve, revealing how governments, businesses, and even individuals can meet the coming challenges with better solutions and innovations. Serving as a sobering yet hopeful wake-up call, this book shows how the lessons of history will help us find our way toward a better, more secure energy future.