Drying up of oil could mean sticky problems

The world is at its “peak oil” production, some say, and it’s time to think of running an economy on what’s left.

In the category of worrisome developments — probably sometime between avian flu and an asteroid striking the planet — will be the energy turning point futurists are calling “peak oil.”

That is when the world’s oil production hits its highest point — when the bell curve of supply tops out for good, and then keeps dropping until there is no more.

Prognosticators see everything from doomsday to good, old human ingenuity saving the day. There is also plenty of disagreement among them on the timing of the global oil peak, including: 1995, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2040 and beyond.

There are others — including officials in several countries — who see this as a nonissue for now, pointing out that some predicted dates have passed with no peak, and some are 100 years out.

Star-Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN)