Peak oil and the military: Japanese crunch

Peak oil hits a military force: Japan's Self-Defense Forces might run out of fuel funds.

Faced with fuel costs that exceed spending plans by 60 percent, the Self Defense Force has scaled back training missions involving jets and ships, vehicles are being run at slower speeds, and more passengers are being squeezed in per trip in order to conserve fuel, a Defense Ministry spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

Good peak oil capsule summary from Texas

A petrogeologist, Jeffrey Brown, sees the world as passing peak now.

the top five net oil-exporting countries - which are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, and which account for one-half of current world net oil exports - are showing an ongoing decline in net oil exports, continuing a trend that began in 2006. To give you an idea of where we're headed, Mexico - another former top producer - will see its oil exports hit zero in 2010.

What about new finds?

[W]hatever new fields come on-line are only incremental improvements in the level of supply.

Shale interest crosses the Atlantic

Jordan is looking into getting oil from shale. Another sign of peak, when previously too-expensive venues become more attractive.

Shipping away globalization

Here's another argument that globalization is hitting a snag with peak oil. Grist focuses on air and ocean travel, noting that the world's not so flat now:

The cost of shipping a 40 foot container from Shanghai to the east coast of North America has gone from $3,000 in 2000 to $8,000 because of the cost of fuel, and for many products, the Asian cost advantage has virtually disappeared.

(via Bruce Sterling)