After reading a recent review, we just put this book on our reading list: Traffic by Tom Vanderbilt.

As if it isn’t enough to deal with traffic and more traffic every day, somebody feels he has to study it and write about it! Some of his observations per the review.

How long is the ideal commute? 16 min. (ideal length for a slice of alone time.)

His visit with Hans Monderman we found fascinating.

At one point, Vanderbilt visits with celebrated Dutch traffic engineer Hans Monderman, who created the “intersection heard around the world.” Monderman redesigned a congested four-way crossing in the city of Drachten by basically removing all of the traffic signs. The lack of signals created uncertainty and forced drivers to slow down, cooperate with one another, and watch out for bicyclists and pedestrians. It also allowed traffic to flow more smoothly. His animating idea was to put some of the “social world” into the “traffic world.” While talking with Vanderbilt, Monderman demonstrated the success of his concept by walking backward into the street—with his eyes closed.

And everybody is a bad driver. We all have driving habits that we are not aware of, that make us accidents waiting to happen. (We have just been lucky so far.)

Open your eyes, people!

Warren & Bill took time off from bridge and visited the Horizon Sands project in Canada this week.

They visited the $8.7billion Horizon project on Monday.

With reserves of about 173 billion barrels, the oil sands are the largest oil reserves outside the Middle East.

No comment on what the two took away from their tour

For the highest production rate since 1981, the Saudi King Abdullah says the Saudis will increase daily oil production to 9.7 million barrels from 9 million barrels. The increase is supposed to take place in July.

Petroleum minister, Ali I. Al-Naimi, also said the government would invest in oil projects that would allow Saudi Arabia to produce 12.5 million barrels/day by the end of the year.

King Abdullah’s remarks came at the end of the Jeddah energy summit, where he also called for OPEC to set aside $1 billion for a strategy to ease the oil price crisis. He said $500 million should be given to developing nations to help them get the energy they need.

King Abdullah said there are “many factors that made oil prices high.” Along with increased demand, he also cited oil speculators and an increase in taxes in consumer nations.

US says lagging production, they say speculators are the source of the problem. You be the judge.

Here are the latest numbers as reported by Oilwatch Monthly for October.

EIA numbers show that crude oil increased to 445,000 barrels/day from June to July, but July production was 1.01 million barrels/day lower that all-time high production of May 2005.

Total liquids increased by 450,000 b/d from August to September. Lower by 1.03 million b/d from all-time maximum production August 2006.

Per IEA and EIA, global liquids production has been on a plateau since 2005.

Just one writer’s opinion here, but this doesn’t look like higher highs–more like lower highs. Fill up now before it’s all gone.

ASPO, the Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas, met in Cork, Ireland Sept. 17-18.

The Oil Drum perceives that we have reached several Tipping Points with respect to Peak Oil, Climate Change and their impact on public consciousness.

Tipping Point 1:

“The battle is over – the Peakists have won.” James Schlesinger, former US Energy Secretary and ex-CIA director

Finally, credibility!

Tipping Point 2:

“A large hole that has to be filled” Mike Rodgers, PFC Energy

Over the last 10 years, we have found only 1 barrel of oil for every 3 that we use.

Tipping Point 3:

Insiders agree USGS estimates “wildly overstated”

Behind closed doors, experts challenge the USGS projections.

Tipping Point 4:

Not enough Uranium

Nuclear physicist, Michael Dittmar showed that there was sufficient uranium to grow nuclear power at only .3%/year.

Tipping Point 5:

Can rationality overcome evolutionary conditioning?

An analysis of our reluctance to plan for the future.

Tipping Point 6:

Climate Change is a Coal Problem

There is enough coal. If we burn that too, we are in serious trouble.

A lot of food for thought. Read the Oil Drum’s whole post.