[Revi]

He really gets it back in the last chapter, and has a critique of the Peak Oil movement that I agree with:

“ I can conclude with the simple observation that the adoption of libertarian solutions is not a sound means to maintain the status quo, let alone achieve a future that is more equitable, more just, and more sustainable.”

Excerpt From: Matthew Schneider-Mayerson. “Peak Oil.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/UA-g-.l

I think he's right, but he has not endured the amount of scorn that has been heaped on us for mentioning Peak Oil in public, nor has he seen the futility of government solutions. Maybe there will be collective action to limit carbon emissions after the Paris talks, but almost nobody is going to be talking about Peak Oil outside of this forum.

The last chapter made it worth it to read the book.

Overall I agree with some of what he has to say and wish him luck.

[Subjectivist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '�')�� I can conclude with the simple observation that the adoption of libertarian solutions is not a sound means to maintain the status quo, let alone achieve a future that is more equitable, more just, and more sustainable.”

[ennui2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')The Saudi's don't fract. Simmons' analysis (as far it was intended) is complete.

[Revi]

The Saudis are trying to sell what they have at whatever price they can get.

There is a climate summit going on next month in Paris, and everyone might be using less fossil fuel.

We'll see, but if the world economy tanks there might be less demand also.

Make hay while the sun shines!

[careinke]

All right, I finished the book. I have mixed feelings. He does a good job describing the demographics of the average "peakist." He even goes on about how the peakists have probably made a more accurate assessment of our situation than the mainstream public.

On the other hand, he is a bleeding heart liberal who feels we just need more government to solve everything even though they have been a miserable failure up to this point. Somehow he assumes we are all racists even though he provides no empirical proof.

Finally, he holds an unjustified paranoia towards libertarians..

[ralfy]

The idea that there are no limits to growth might be a view shared across the board, as most people want to be part of the middle class or want to maintain conveniences as part of the same.

Hence, debate is limited to political issues, e.g., more regulation or more deregulation, with the ultimate goal of continuous economic growth in a physical world that won't allow it.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', '
')Jeezus. He argues that "the prevalence of apocalyptic popular culture influences apocalyptic beliefs in the United States." He is quite young and may be forgiven for having his dynamics bass-ackwards.

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ennui2', '
')The Saudis are trying to kill fracking by pumping and driving the price down. That's not the behavior of a country that's staring down depletion.

[Revi]

I was thinking about what he was saying about us not getting the word out or influencing policy. He has no idea how little they wanted to hear about peak oil. I tried. I was interviewed on CNN and I figure I must have gotten to at least 20 million people all over the world that day back in 2008.

After this I have kept a pretty low profile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Vb0Iu-4co

[Loki]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'I') was thinking about what he was saying about us not getting the word out or influencing policy. He has no idea how little they wanted to hear about peak oil. I tried. I was interviewed on CNN and I figure I must have gotten to at least 20 million people all over the world that day back in 2008.

After this I have kept a pretty low profile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Vb0Iu-4co

[Revi]

I agree with you nowadays Loki. No point in telling people about reality. May as well try to teach calculus to a duck.

I don't talk about it any more, since I think I have told enough people now.

The author of the book is right, and we failed to tell people about Peak Oil, but they really didn't want to know anyway.

Here's a great article from Ugo Bardi about the last 10 years:

http://cassandralegacy.blogspot.com

Basically he says we wasted the past 10 years, and nobody noticed...

[Revi]

Here's a quote from Ugo Bardi's Resource Crisis blog where he talks about the last 10 years:

"The fading of green. In the 1990s, sustainability was still a fashionable idea and Green parties had considerable representation in many European parliaments. Over time, however, the political weight of the environmental movement has constantly eroded. The destiny of the Green parties closely follows that of all the ideas about environmental sustainability, which are not any more part of the arsenal of slogans of winning politicians. Even the European Union, once a bulwark of reason and of environmental consciousness, lost its focus,in particular with the mad hope of importing natural gas from the US. Most people all over the world seem to be so busy with their day-to-day economic worries, that they have no time or inclination to worry about an abstract entity called "the Environment", which seems to be an expensive luxury that we can't afford right now. It seems that the concept of "growth" has swept away the Environment everywhere as the thing to cherish most."

[Tanada]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'H')ere's a quote from Ugo Bardi's Resource Crisis blog where he talks about the last 10 years:

"The fading of green. In the 1990s, sustainability was still a fashionable idea and Green parties had considerable representation in many European parliaments. Over time, however, the political weight of the environmental movement has constantly eroded. The destiny of the Green parties closely follows that of all the ideas about environmental sustainability, which are not any more part of the arsenal of slogans of winning politicians. Even the European Union, once a bulwark of reason and of environmental consciousness, lost its focus,in particular with the mad hope of importing natural gas from the US. Most people all over the world seem to be so busy with their day-to-day economic worries, that they have no time or inclination to worry about an abstract entity called "the Environment", which seems to be an expensive luxury that we can't afford right now. It seems that the concept of "growth" has swept away the Environment everywhere as the thing to cherish most."

[Revi]

I think you might be right, but it looks like most of what is going to happen will be in the rear view mirror now. They just announced that they are tabling the Keystone XL pipeline. I think they are waiting for the oil price to go up and for there to be a new president in the White House. We won't be able to afford to frack out gas in order to cook that sludge at $50 or less per barrel. I am with the Seneca Cliff scenario espoused by Ugo Bardi. I think we are going to start down the backside of the peak now, and no amount of nonsense is going to get us back to where we were at the peak. Tar sands and fracking will go the way of the dinosaurs. We tried to tell them, but everyone wanted the party to continue.

[ennui2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', '
')Maybe they should cut production so their competitors in the US will fare better? Is that what you're arguing?

[ennui2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tanada', '
')Sadly I fear our window of opportunity has closed and as we fall off the plateau we will start seeing a massive scramble to exploit every potential resource everywhere and to heck with the environmental damage done along the way.

[sjn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ennui2', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Loki', '
')Maybe they should cut production so their competitors in the US will fare better? Is that what you're arguing?