David Hughes

Fellow, Fossil Fuels

Energy

 David Hughes is a geoscientist who has studied the energy resources of Canada for nearly four decades, including 32 years with the Geological Survey of Canada as a scientist and research manager. He developed the National Coal Inventory to determine the availability and environmental constraints associated with Canada’s coal resources. As Team Leader for Unconventional Gas on the Canadian Gas Potential Committee, he coordinated the recent publication of a comprehensive assessment of Canada’s unconventional natural gas potential. Over the past decade, he has researched, published and lectured widely on global energy and sustainability issues in North America and internationally. He is a board member of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas – Canada and is a Fellow of the Post Carbon Institute. He recently contributed to Carbon Shift, an anthology edited by Thomas Homer-Dixon on the twin issues of peak energy and climate change, and his work has been featured in Canadian Business, Walrus and other magazines, as well as through the popular press, radio, television and the internet. He is currently president of a consultancy dedicated to research on energy and sustainability issues.

Download bio
Download Head shot
Download The Energy Sustainability Dilemma: Powering the Future in a Finite World
Link to a webinar of an abbreviated version of The Energy Sustainability Dilemma: Powering the Future in a Finite World. [This application uses Javascript.]

videos

Why Northern Gateway is unnecessary

length:   credit: Business News Network   Feb 02, 2012

The federal government is holding public hearings on the controversial Northern Gateway project, which would ship crude oil from Alberta to a port on the west coast. But David Hughes, President of Global Sustainability, tells BNN why the project is unnecessary to support Alberta’s growing oil sector.

audio

Fracking Myths & Climate Capitalism

length: 59:58   credit: Radio Ecoshockdownload   May 20, 2011

Natural gas report coverWorried about high oil prices and exploding nuclear plants? Carry on shoppers, because we've found gold right under our feet - a bonanza of natural gas. Yes, fracking will fill your tank, heat your house, and light up the streets for another 100 years. At least that's what we've been told.

A new report out from the Post Carbon Institute pokes a sharp pin in the natural gas bubble. We'll hear from energy analyst David Hughes.

But first a return guest to Radio Ecoshock, Richard Heinberg. Richard was recently invited by students of Worcester Polytechnic in Massachusetts. They objected to the the grad speaker invited by WP, namely Rex Tillerson the CEO of ExxonMobil - the company funding so much climate change denial. The big oil company working to wreck their climate future...
 

Latest Publications

New USGS Marcellus Shale anaylsis drastically cuts DOE estimates

David Hughes    Aug 25, 2011   

This week the USGS released a new assessment of gas resources in the Marcellus Shale, Appalachian Basin. The report is a reasonable effort by the USGS to sort out some of the wheat from the chaff. The 84 Tcf technically … >>

Fracked Gas Won't Solve Energy Crunch: Report

David Hughes    Mar 04, 2013   

By Andrew Nikiforuk, The Tyee Governments and financial analysts who think unconventional fossil fuels such as bitumen, shale gas and shale oil can usher in an era of prosperity and energy plenty are dangerously deluded, … >>

Drill, Baby, Drill: Can Unconventional Fuels Usher in a New Era of Energy Abundance?

David Hughes    Feb 19, 2013   

In this landmark report, PCI Fossil Fuel Fellow David Hughes takes a far-ranging and painstakingly researched look at the prospects for various unconventional fuels to provide energy abundance for the United States in the 21st … >>

The ENERGY Reader

David Hughes

Edited by Tom Butler, Daniel Lerch, and George Wuerthner.  What magic, or monster, lurks behind the light switch and the gas pump? Where does the seemingly limitless energy that fuels modern society come from? From … >>

press coverage

Hughes in German Manager Magazin article on shale gas

David Hughes  

Post Carbon David Hughes and Post Carbon Institute were referenced in this article about the US shale boom in the German online publication Manager Magazin. From the article: Der zweite prominente Zweifler mit Blick auf die … >>