Posted on 08/30/2009 10:24:37 PM PDT by neverdem
REMEMBER “peak oil”? It’s the theory that geological scarcity will at some point make it impossible for global petroleum production to avoid falling, heralding the end of the oil age and, potentially, economic catastrophe. Well, just when we thought that the collapse in oil prices since last summer had put an end to such talk, along comes Fatih Birol, the top economist at the International Energy Agency, to insist that we’ll reach the peak moment in 10 years, a decade sooner than most previous predictions (although a few ardent pessimists believe the moment of no return has already come and gone).
Like many Malthusian beliefs, peak oil theory has been promoted by a motivated group of scientists and laymen who base their conclusions on poor analyses of data and misinterpretations of technical material. But because the news media and prominent figures like James Schlesinger, a former secretary of energy, and the oilman T. Boone Pickens have taken peak oil seriously, the public is understandably alarmed.
A careful examination of the facts shows that most arguments about peak oil are based on anecdotal information, vague references and ignorance of how the oil industry goes about finding fields and extracting petroleum. And this has been demonstrated over and over again: the founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil first claimed in 1989 that the peak had already been reached, and Mr. Schlesinger argued a decade earlier that production...
--snip--
This is not to say that we shouldn’t keep looking for other cost-effective, low-pollution energy sources — why not broaden our options? But we can’t let the false threat of disappearing oil lead the government to throw money away on harebrained renewable energy schemes or impose unnecessary and expensive conservation measures on a public already struggling through tough economic times.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Peak Oil Ping
Fleeing Battle, Myanmar Refugees Head to China
Sun's Cycle Alters Earth's Climate
Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.
The sad part is that the peak will come, but it will be a political one.
It will be imposed by tyrants through taxes and regulations upon a population which has proven its superior ability to extract petroleum globally, for the purpose of alleviating a problem decreed by a consensus of grant recipients which is not indicated by the best data, and not the result of the activity which is being blamed. Furthermore, the 'solution' will not address the nonproblem, but will be economically devastating for all.
Drat, that's the one I forgot.
Like many other Malthusian beliefs, they are nothing more than self-serving, if these POS really believed in what they preach (considering they are in the business of profiting from limited resources) they would be running to nuclear. Instead what are they doing, promoting everyone listening to Chicken Little Eco-Freaks. Further, Captain Kenya would not have given George Soros holdings $2B for off-shore oil drilling in Brazil if true. Doing so does not change any global issues, just moves the profit off-shore; plus the concerned seem to be overlooking Venezuela, Brazil or Cuba securing access in those regions... Common thread, China is either assisting or is cut in on the deal…uhm could it be Captain Kenya is also in on the action?
Catalog for later reading
Washington Capitulates: Peak Oil Is Real
Commodity News Center ^ | 8/28/09 | Doug Hornig
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/2326688/posts?page=17
Posted on Friday, August 28, 2009 9:17:30 AM by h20skier66
I thought this documentary was compelling
Oil is a finite resource.
I used to talk to my dad about oil drilling when he started in the industry right after WWII. Back then, even with the technology in its infancy, oil was much easier to extract than it is today.
Today, we put great expense and technology into an E&P project but at some point the economics of E&P will not be profitable and we will need to turn to another source of energy.
At different times at different locations and from different “expert” sources I have learned peak oil is here now, was here 2 years ago, will be here in ____ yrs (fill in the blank.
...along comes Fatih Birol, the top economist at the International Energy Agency, to insist that we'll reach the peak moment in 10 years, a decade sooner than most previous predictions (although a few ardent pessimists believe the moment of no return has already come and gone). Like many Malthusian beliefs, peak oil theory has been promoted by a motivated group of scientists and laymen who base their conclusions on poor analyses of data and misinterpretations of technical material.s/b "Like ALL Malthusian beliefs", but regardless, the "few ardent pessimists" are not so few, and tell us that peak oil was reached decades ago, and (like their hero Paul Erhlich) is going to run out any second now. Indeed, at current rates, known reserves will only last another 50 years -- but by that time, other sources will be known, and of course, Obama will have all of us riding bikes everywhere like good little Maoist peasants should. Thanks neverdem.
Fatih Birol and James Schlesinger- economists, are experts in geology? T. Boone Pickens, while a geologist hasn’t worked in the field for over 50 years. His main interest lately has been pushing his solar and wind generating enterprises.
Particiularly if despots like the present ones continue to seek to make us do so in violation of our liberties while preventing us from producing the oil that is right in front of us and continue subsidizing boondoggles to help their pals so as to obstruct the market from driving better, cleaner use of the fuel that is right in front of us that we are not allowed to produce and use.
Algae oil will make oil a RENEWABLE item shortly.....then the arabs can use theirs for salad dressing.
Demand grew exponentially faster than they figured .... but their known reserves DOUBLED. BTW, so did the "known reserves" of a lot of other producers, including us. Without OPEC, and with a 25% increase in domestic production and refining capacity, crude oil would probably max out at somewhere around $40 per barrel.
Oil is, will, and should be the world's premier energy source for the next 150 years. It's clean, plentiful, the refining infrastructure is in place (even if artificially restricted) and if we competed with increased domestic production and refining, would be very cheap.
IMHO, cheap oil is the way out of our economic difficulty ... and I'll say it until I am green in the face. Our immediate goal should be 50% of electricity from nuclear, combined with vastly increased domestic production. Among other benefits, it might work to bring Islam closer to reality by cutting their terror budget.
As far as factual info about sunspots bringing the Global Warming fantasists back to reality, fuggedaboutit. Our #1 priority is not increasing domestic production. It is sending these green neo-commies to the moon, or China, by converting a mere 10% of their voter base to a rational approach to our problem.
http://www.reuters.com/article/reutersComService4/idUSTRE57335G20090804
They were wrong in 1919 and they will be wrong again.
So much garbage
Thanks for the links.
Maybe Lynch a polisci geek can boost America’s production from 5.2mbd back to its 11mbd peak in 1972. Or do Texas a favor and find that hidden oil to take them from 1mbd today back to the glory days of 3mbd of 1973. Or do Sister Sarah a real big favor and save the pipeline by finding more oil so they can pump it south since Prudhoe America’s largest field of all time 2mbd 1988 to its 750kbd today. Then maybe Mike can shut up oil investment banker Matthew Simmons (author of “Twilight in the Desert”) up once and for all, and we can pump that abiotic oil out of Earth’s creamy center.
According to whom, Creationists? Who or what stopped the biological, chemical and physical forces of nature that made and stopped the creation of these hydrocarbons in the meantime. What's E&P?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.