[turmoil]

It's probably a combination of these but it's interesting to talk about it, I think.

[Wildwell]

It’s not convenient, rather like climate change. Most people love SUVS and cheap flights too much.

[Jaymax]

For me, this poll has not enough options, and too many assumptions.

To me, 'suppression' means something done activly, rather that what seems to me more likely, an active decision to ignore and dis-regard the issue to keep it out of the public eye.

Activly ignored, or supressed - I see no evidence of supression

Secondly, you're assuming that either greed, or mis-understanding and ignorance must be the reason. What about political expediency?

I don't doubt that in many cases, politicians who honestly believe they are the 'best option' for their countries, believe (probably correctly) that if they start talking about peak-oil, they will lose power.

eg: It wouldn't surprise me at all to find out that all Blair's pseudo-hype around climate warming is at least partly driven by peak-oil concerns, eg: wanting people to accept new nuclear power stations etc. That would be neither greed, nor ignorance.

--J

[KevO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jaymax', 'F')or me, this poll has not enough options,
--J

[RonMN]

It's true that most people don't want to hear bad news such as this...but you also have to consider that PO is a "self fulfilling prophecy". The real problem with PO is a stock market crash (or a dollar crash)...it all comes down to economics.

Well, even before the peak, speak of PO can spook the markets & cause a crash/collapse...thus bringing about the worst.

Another catch 22 (as if there aren't enough already)...you want to raise awareness of PO in order to save peoples lives...but awareness actually makes the crash happen faster.

What to do...what to do?

[PeakOiler]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Jaymax', 'F')or me, this poll has not enough options, and too many assumptions.

[Wildwell]

How about climate change suppression?

http://www.peakoil.com/post118917.html#118917

[jimmydean]

Actually I think it's human nature to disregard potentially really bad news and couple that with ignorance of how much their daily lives depend on plentiful cheap oil. We've been born into a golden age where "there is always more" and have seen little disruption in our lifestyles due to supply of food or energy in general. Also we've been born into a consumerism age where everyone works 8-10+ hours/day then spends the rest of the time buying up the latest gadgets. Not much time left after necessary tasks for the average person to even contemplate PO ... most would rather watch the football game or go to the movies

I've often tried discussing it with friends and they quietly wait for an opportune time to switch the subject to anything else

[RG73]

Given that there are numerous websites dealing with PO, many books, public conferences, news articles, and PO folks like Simmons and Campbell and the like giving interviews on TV, I'd hardly say PO is anywhere near suppressed. It is pretty much out in the open.

But climate change has been out in the open for two decades as well. There have been scientific papers, conferences, TV interviews, books, the whole nine yards.

The average person in America is too apathetic, too myopic, and usually too uneducated to even allow something like PO breach their awareness. We're talking about people maxed out in debt, living from pay check to pay check, with kids, crappy jobs, and all that goes along with it. By most measures standard of living has declined in this country for about 2 decades I believe. People with shitty lives don't want to come home and think about "gee, well oil is going to be scarce in 10 years and the economy is going to collapse and we're going to have to become subsitence farmers". No, they see Simmons on TV talking about the collapse of the Saudi oilfields and they're going to change the channel to Desperate Housewives or somesuch. The info is out there, but the average person is not receptive. You don't have to actively repress anything when you've got a pilled up, TV addicted, debt ridden society--it pretty much takes care of itself.

I'm guessing the situation here is not terribly different than in other countries, so again, no need to suppress when people just don't give a damn.

When you turn their power off to their TV shows, when they can't fill their gas tanks, when their a/c or heating doesn't work--then they will care. And then they will be angry. But until then, they will coast along oblivious. That has been how humans have operated pretty much since the beginning.

[holmes]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jimmydean', 'A')ctually I think it's human nature to disregard potentially really bad news and couple that with ignorance of how much their daily lives depend on plentiful cheap oil. We've been born into a golden age where "there is always more" and have seen little disruption in our lifestyles due to supply of food or energy in general. Also we've been born into a consumerism age where everyone works 8-10+ hours/day then spends the rest of the time buying up the latest gadgets. Not much time left after necessary tasks for the average person to even contemplate PO ... most would rather watch the football game or go to the movies

I've often tried discussing it with friends and they quietly wait for an opportune time to switch the subject to anything else

[PeakKYJelly]

The Peak Oil message has been suppressed due to Thomas Malthus' predictions being proved wrong.

[Hubbert2005]

The Peak Oil message has been suppressed due to Thomas Malthus' predictions being proved wrong.[QUOTE]

Considering the number of people that starve to death on a DAILY basis, I think Malthus made some very good observations.

[Eli]

PO has been suppressed because it is outside of our daily context.

It is an idea so far removed from what we know now that most people cannot begin to understand it is a reality that is larger and bigger than the one most of us currently live in.

But never fear the economist and the wall street whores will be talking about all the great buy opportunities that are available when PO really starts to hit.

We cannot imagine being hungry for one second in the United States. But the reality is one generation ago many people were out of work and were starving. Whole families were out on the street and had no where to turn, they lived in their cars and there was mass migration to California and Washington state just because people heard their might be work.

How many soccer moms want to talk about standing in a bread line?

[Ardalla]

This poll asks why people have not 'heard about' PO, not why they discount what they have heard.

I depends on how the question is phrased.

Do you believe we are running out of oil? This question is meaningless. We have been running out of oil since the midpoint of the 19th Century. People generally say No to this question when I ask them.

Do you believe that world oil supply will peak at some point and then decline? People generally say Yes but not anytime soon.

I think people assume that if there is real problem with oil supply then they will receive a warning from polical leaders, oil company execs, scientists and the media. Since they haven't heard anything from authoritative entities, they assume that the POers are the crackpot, doomngloomers that have been around since the 60's.

Essentially, we cried wolf so much that now no one is listening.

The train will hit the cliff as scheduled. People will be shocked. We had shock and awe. Soon there will be shock and dismay.

[MD]

My experience has been somewhat different. In my circles there is definitely awareness, but little interest in discussion or action beyond "yes, there is a problem, but there is little I can do about it except focus on my daily tasks."

There is a similar fatalistic view within manufacturing circles in Ohio. I meet with business leaders in my community on a daily basis. In those meetings I make a point of weaving export, globalization, and energy issues into the discussion at every opportunity. Without exception, the response is the same: "Yes, we are in trouble. Yes, this can't go on. No, I don't know what can be done. All we can do is work this quarters budget, deliver this quarters orders, and take next quarter as it comes."

These are the same corporate leaders that publicly are smiling, speaking of growth, partnerships, technology, and a bright future. Get them in private, with trusted friends over lunch, and the conversations turn very dark.

So my point is, there really is much more awareness out there than you might think.

[DomusAlbion]

How about this: The PO message is NOT being suppressed.

[agni]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hubbert2005', 'T')he Peak Oil message has been suppressed due to Thomas Malthus' predictions being proved wrong.$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '
')
Considering the number of people that starve to death on a DAILY basis, I think Malthus made some very good observations.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('agni', '
')The starvation of people has nothing to do with lack of food. The world produces more than enough to feed everyone right now.

[Battle_Scarred_Galactico]

No he's right, much of the starvation/death in Africa is down to political matters and terrible leadership.

That's until we stop sending them aid however.

[cube]

a belief of invincibility

I remember having a casual talk with my dad (a rare thing I might add) and he mentioned that houses will ALWAYS go up in value. I asked him what about Europe during the bubonic plague era, I doubt housing prices were going up during those times! He gave me this weird look like I was from another planet (wasn't the first time).

He said, "That's history. Things like that doesn't happen anymore."

I said okay maybe that's extreme how about something less dramatic. What about that time when Israel got into a war with various other middle eastern nations and the US supported Israel. The arab nations protested by refusing to sell oil to the US for a short time and interest rates went thru the roof and the US went into a recession. I doubt housing prices were going up during those times!

He said, "That's history. Things like that doesn't happen anymore."

*smacks forehead* Sometimes I just have trouble getting thru to my old man. There's no point in even entertaining the thought of introducing PO to him.