SAR # 8195

On a per capita basis oil production
has been falling since 1971

Real World: The US list of state sponsors of terrorism includes North Korea, which has not been linked to a single terrorist act in 20 years, and does not include Venezuela, which has been linked to a steady flow of oil for over 20 years. Terrorism is obviously in the eye wallet of the beholder.

Quoted: "When the summer is over, we will have increased our debt to China, increased our transfer of wealth to Saudi Arabia and increased our contribution to global warming for our kids to inherit." - Tom Friedman.

Scale: "To put things in perspective, today's extra shipping cost from East Asia is the equivalent of imposing a 9% tariff on East Asian goods entering North America," said Rubin of CIBC World Markets. "At $200 per barrel, the tariff equivalent rate will rise to 15%.

How High The Seas ? The West Antarctic Ice Sheet could collapse within the next 20 years, bumping up seal levels worldwide about 15 feet. Ashland, North Carolina will be on the coast.

End of an Era: Signs of approaching doom: The giant oilfields that have carried us for 50 years are running dry. Each year more money is spent on exploration. Each year less and less is found. There's a pattern here.

Why Worry? More than half of the world's ocean-going sharks are at risk of extinction, a new analysis concludes. Specialists with IUCN (formerly the World Conservation Union) found that 11 species are on the high-risk list, with five more showing signs of decline. Sharks are particularly affected by over-fishing as they reproduce slowly. Sharks are the sanitation workers of the oceans; unlovely perhaps, but necessary.

Non-Lethal: About one-third of people shot with Tasers are injured sufficiently to require medical treatment. Not lethal, but not quite as harmless as advertised.