Edward Burtynsky photographs the landscape of oil

http://www.ted.com In stunning large-format photographs, Edward Burtynsky follows the path of oil through modern society, from wellhead to pipeline to car engine -- and then beyond to the projected peak-oil endgame.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

Category:

Science & Technology

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• Edward
• Burtynsky
• TEDTalks
• TED
• talks
• photography
• peak
• oil
• crisis
• petroleum
• environment
• pollution

[cannoir]

the actual video lasts 03:10 minutes and the commercial another 03:11 what the hell is happening here. This was supposed to be the most interesting video of the week .

[Chemicalogic]

3.5 minutes of video and 2.45 minutes of commercial?

[Knossos22]

@Scurmicurv Unfortunately, the technologies that exist so far, only pay for themselves after 30 years or so... There is a real question if an energy infrastructure rebuild can actually produced a net energy return on energy invested. If this is the case, we have a very difficult future ahead. To avert collapse we must reduce energy consumption by 70 or 80% globally and implement a new energy system.

[Knossos22]

@DAILEYericCaryUSA OK smart guy, what are these next generation energy systems that are being suppressed? Give us the details so we can take a close look. Fossilman nailed it. It is easy to say "just do this" but in reality, it is not easy. Do you comprehend the energy contained in 30 or 31 Billion barrels of oil?

[Knossos22]

@DAILEYericCaryUSA

Peak oil DENIAL is a fraud to maintain monopoly control. Petroleum based economy and technology is a monopoly imposed by those paying for Peak oil DENIAL to suppress finding a way to survive peak oil. Energy descent has already begun; few recognize what is happening…

[DAILEYericCaryUSA]

@ fossilman,

You may know what you are talking about but what you wrote in nonsense. Try agian.

[fossilman2]

Next generation energy is akin to saying 'anti-gravity' it makes a neat one phrase solution , alas in words only. Deploying any energy delivery system even magic boxes is a very large undertaking and not likely to proceed without enormous dislocations. But never fear, magic boxes do not exist in this reality.

[carreralee]

I love seeing inspired and thought-provoking work like this.

[DAILEYericCaryUSA]

Peak oil is a fraud to maintain monopoly control. Petroleum based economy and technology is a monopoly imposed by suppressing next generation energy technology.

[Scurmicurv]

One of the great reliefs, I must say, when I finish my education and - hopefully - get one of those well paid jobs is that I'll finally be able to do a little about this myself. Get a more fuel efficient car - preferably one that doesn't use either gas or diesel - invest more in solar and wind power to meet my own needs and so on.

It really wouldn't require all that much of us, if only everyone was prepared to do a little. It's a nice fantasy anyway.

[fossilman2]

As a planet we use a cubic mile of oil every year to do what we do. Since the turn of the century by this New Years day we will have used a volume one mile wide, one mile high (gasp) and 9 miles long. Nearly all of it squeezed through fuel injectors into internal combustion engines. Only the most deluded could believe that condition could continue.

[ShadowShorts]

I'm from Canada, and I'm glad Mr. Burtynsky chose the words "dirty oil" for what we're doing with the tar sands. That's actually a wild understatement. I'm terribly ashamed of my country because of it. Look for the documentary H2Oil to learn more! Or another doc called Downstream! It used to be online.