[clv101]

Here’s a question I was asked a while ago and didn’t a decent answer for. Can anyone else suggest a decent answer for this question?

How is it possible for an amateur like me to see evidence for a looming global energy crisis that isn’t seen by government? Why doesn’t government with it’s hundreds of civil servants have a far better understanding of what’s in store for the global oil market than I do? If the government thinks that global peak oil is still a few decades away and I think it’s a few years away what information do they have that I don’t?

The gist of the point is that lack of action from global governments is evidence for lack of imminent peak oil problem since if there was a problem as serious as we believe peak oil is then governments would know about it and all be addressing it.

So what’s wrong with this argument? Why doesn’t lack of governmental action indicate a lack of problem?

[UncoveringTruths]

See Hurricane Katrina response.

[Ketzl]

I think emotionally we're all like New Orleans residents, living in denial, below sea level and peripherally aware the levees need to be improved or a giant disaster too big to really comprehend is going to happen sometime in the indefinite future. Government too. The Bush administration especially, since Bush has surrounded himself by people who are scared to tell him how bad it really is-- just think back to Katrina if there's any doubt on that front. But the government's dealing with it, the same way they dealt with the levees in New Orleans. They've got plans, they're putting money towards alternative energy, they're going to develop tar sands and shale and coal. Sometime in the future there'll be solar or hydrogen produced by termites or something, we're funding all sorts of research so in 50 years it'll be ok. And according to the Saudis we've got 50 years, right?

I also wonder if there's not a whole lot the government CAN do, given the lack of political will for anything requiring raising taxes, regulating business or restricting private property rights. I mean, reading Jared Diamond's Collapse illustrated for me that monarchies and close-knit communcal societies can sometimes avoid resource depletion traps by making intelligent choices, but we're not in either situation. What could the government realistically, feasibly do when even the idea of a federal $1 gas tax is politically untenable?

[aahala]

I can think of a couple of reasons. These oil government folks are wrapped
up in the issue--part of it is vested interests--and part isn't. When you're
into the day to day details, you sometimes can't see the forrest for the trees.

And we really don't know what these folks think, we only know what they
say and write. Will a doctor tell a patient he doesn't have a snowball's
chance to survive, or will he say things look grime but don't give up hope,
let's try this.

A third possibility is they are right. Peak may not come for years. The whole idea when a future event may occur is fairly subjective anyway.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clv101', 'H')ow is it possible for an amateur like me to see evidence for a looming global energy crisis that isn’t seen by government? Why doesn’t government with it’s hundreds of civil servants have a far better understanding of what’s in store for the global oil market than I do? If the government thinks that global peak oil is still a few decades away and I think it’s a few years away what information do they have that I don’t?

[Ludi]

The US government, anyway, is very much aware of Peak Oil. Congressman Bartlett has given several presentations about it.

There is nothing the government can do that would be politically popular, except go to war. I don't see what other politically expedient action they can take, can you?

[Clouseau2]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he US government, anyway, is very much aware of Peak Oil. Congressman Bartlett has given several presentations about it.

There is nothing the government can do that would be politically popular, except go to war. I don't see what other politically expedient action they can take, can you?

[deconstructionist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he US government, anyway, is very much aware of Peak Oil. Congressman Bartlett has given several presentations about it.

There is nothing the government can do that would be politically popular, except go to war. I don't see what other politically expedient action they can take, can you?

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deconstructionist', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he US government, anyway, is very much aware of Peak Oil. Congressman Bartlett has given several presentations about it.

There is nothing the government can do that would be politically popular, except go to war. I don't see what other politically expedient action they can take, can you?

[deconstructionist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deconstructionist', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Ludi', 'T')he US government, anyway, is very much aware of Peak Oil. Congressman Bartlett has given several presentations about it.

There is nothing the government can do that would be politically popular, except go to war. I don't see what other politically expedient action they can take, can you?

[deconstructionist]

oops.

[NeoPeasant]

Matthew Simmons and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett have both stated in interviews that they have discussed peak oil with the president.

I think that the leaders have decided to wait for a crisis situation to occur and react to it rather than taking the politically suicidal proactive steps of imposing limits consumption or raising the price of energy through taxes.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deconstructionist', 'i')t doesn't require other countries to do anything. it works on a country-by-country basis. it would require any nation not only to reduce their consumption but also to accept several other drastic economic and lifestyle changes. so you're right--maybe not expedient, but certainly prudent

[Durban]

It would be political suicide to tell the American people they can't live like Americans anymore! [/quote]

But...if they (governments worldwide) would just EXPLAIN things?? Wouldn't that be a good start and avoid political suicide at the same time? That's something I don't understand very well.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Durban', '
')But...if they (governments worldwide) would just EXPLAIN things?? Wouldn't that be a good start and avoid political suicide at the same time? That's something I don't understand very well.

[FatherOfTwo]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '�')��How is it possible for an amateur like me to see evidence for a looming global energy crisis that isn’t seen by government?”

[clifman]

What to do? We have to start by electing a slew of enlightened folks to Congress in 13 months. Oops, that may be way to late to 'start', sorry. How 'bout We the People petition the gov't to name an energy czar. I propose Amory Lovins. No, I don't believe in everything he says, but it sure as heck would be the right conversation, instead of 'who can we bomb and where can we drill next?' There is certainly some interesting food for thought in "Winning the Oil End-Game", downloadable at www.rmi.org. I think it's far too optimistic, but I do think we as a nation ought to be chewing on it rather than sitting on our collective duffs, watching Apocalypse approach (those of us who even have our eyes open, that is...)

[clv101]

There's a world of difference between actually making the peak oil speech to the nation and making really dumb decisions like building new airport runways and terminals in the UK.

In the UK we have the amount of government money going into renewable energy projects being similar to the rural bus subsidies. There are lots of dumb things government are doing and smart things that they aren't doing with respect to peak oil. That could change completely without anyone giving the peak oil speech to the nation or admitting we have a problem.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clv101', '
')In the UK we have the amount of government money going into renewable energy projects being similar to the rural bus subsidies. There are lots of dumb things government are doing and smart things that they aren't doing with respect to peak oil. That could change completely without anyone giving the peak oil speech to the nation or admitting we have a problem.

[Renfield]

I hope I don't come across as too polyanna-ish here, but I think part of the reason there is such a lack of political will in this country now is because we have no REAL leaders. We have had politicians in the past that have called for sacrifice and been admired because of it. FDR and Kennedy come to mind, Lincoln...

I think these hurricane's may end up being blessings in disguise as I think the resultant crises may create the kind of climate again in the US where people tire of political platitudes and again look for REAL national leadership of the type we have not seen in decades. The type of leadership that calls for sacrifice in the face of crisis. During WWII, for example, a whole gender that was completely unaccustomed to factory work practically rebuilt the Pacific Fleet over night.

Maybe in the face of the coming crisis people in the US will look for leaders who speak frankly about the situation we are in and can organize the political will necessary to make sweeping changes to the way we live.

Or we could have G.W. just decide to battle the rest of the world for what's left of the 20th century. Could go either way.