Peak Oil and Global Warming Fact or Fiction

With the recent news about Cap and Trade bills, energy problems, and global warming I have not heard any mention of what is happening with the world in relation to peak oil and what the changes in energy consumption are related to peak oil. First most people have never heard of the term peak oil or even know what it means; I will try to clarify what the meaning is of this term and how it relates to the world as we know it.

Peak Oil is the term given to the global oil production and the top it will reach of oil production (plateau) then start to decline to the downward production on the other side of the peak, it does not mean we are running out of oil only it means that the end of cheap oil production is getting nearer. Other forms of oil production such as oil sands (also known as tar sands), oil shale and offshore drilling are more expensive and each has environmental concerns to take into account.

Even Representative Roscoe Bartlett has stated that deep water drilling is expensive and oil would have to be $211 a barrel to be profitable. From January 17-18, 2007 Congressional Record Report Quote :

By the way, the world's experts on oil believe that we have, most of them, we have probably found about 95 percent of all the oil that we will ever find. You notice that when we find oil now, we find it in very difficult places to get to. The last big find was in the Gulf of Mexico, through 7,000 feet of water, and then about 30,000 feet of rock and dirt until you get down to the oil. We aren't now developing that field, and I am told, you can be told a lot of things that aren't true and I don't know the veracity of this, but I am told we will be developing that field when oil reaches $211 a barrel, because that is what it will cost to get the oil out of that field..

With prices of barrels of oil on the rise the severe economic and social problems that will be faced in the future really needs to be addressed by the general public and not only by politicians. Yes I know the price of oil has went down from what it was last year, my opinion on that is if you drastically raise the price of oil people will consume less and like in the 70’s or 80’s this has been shown as a good way to lessen the consumption of oil and if you change the amount of consumption you extend this date when oil will peak.

When will this peak happen there have been many different dates given for the global oil production peak? In 1956 a geologist named Marion King Hubbert had predicted the peak for the United States lower 48 states to be 1970 and many geologist, physicists, bankers, investors, and members of congress believe he was right about the peak in 1970 and we will have a global peak in the future. They all disagree on when this day will come even some like Hubbert predicted that we have already hit that peak, but many factors affect peak oil like consumption, technology and even politics.

You may ask do politicians have plans or are making plans surrounding this issue and yes congress, states, cities and towns are doing just that. There is a very long list of sites so I will not list them all, but here is the peak oil link where they can be found. You should also check with your state and local representatives to see if they have addressed the peak oil situation. You may also check to see if they have an extensive bike route plan or increased mass transit extension (Atlanta to Macon) in the works as I have found in my area (the bike plan also ties in with other counties).

House of Representatives December 2005
House of Representatives March 2006
House of Representatives May 2006
House of Representatives January 2007
House of Representatives March 2007
House of Representatives June 2007
State of Connecticut November 2007
City of Lawrence Kansas September 2008
City of Bloomington Indiana December 2007
City of Portland Oregon January 2007
City of Fort Collins Colorado 2009
Town of Chapel Hill North Carolina October 2008
Town of Westerly Rhode Island August 2008

Is peak oil going to end the world, in a word “NO” but it will change the world as we know it unless more steps are taken to develop cheaper alternative sources of energy. Why did we not develop more cheap efficient sources sooner, the word greed comes to mind all other sources have been underfunded by the government and corporations for years. The powers that be have begun to wake up to the fact that they have failed humanity for their own greed and who are they asking to make up for all the years of doing this why me, you and all taxpayers with the cap and trade bills to pass an unfair tax to consumers thru energy purchases or emissions taxes. Even President Obama agrees this cost will be passed along to consumers for the changes in our economy for the sake of global (peak oil) warming. On global warming I disagree with many people on this issue because I have heard more about this and nothing in the news about peak oil. Now do not misunderstand I believe we all should protect the planet for our children and grandchildren in the future. The global warming and peak oil references are to just too close to be ignored, quoted from President Obama the proposal would save 1.8 million barrels of oil over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next 5 years. All the programs being put in place or on the drawing board will not only reduce global warming, but will also extend the peak oil date.

The US has also commissioned several reports about peak oil US Department of Energy Hirsh Report and United States Government Accountability Office 07-283, now if this did not exist why would we have all this information and meetings taking place about a theory. Before you raise the question, yes they have done reports on global warming and have well published the results of those reports in news media and other sources. I doubt any person in the United States could go thru an entire day without hearing or reading something to do with global warming. The same cannot be said for peak oil “WHY” if this is not an important subject why spend money on reports and waste time meeting about a theory.

In closing friends the public needs to learn more about peak oil and the implications of what is happening in the economy due to this occurring. We all will pay for the greed that has allowed money to be placed at a higher value than human life; the pain and suffering that has been felt in the past and will be felt in the future for the sake of greed needs to be stopped.

Thank You,
Average Citizen