[peripato]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rangerone314', 'W')hen oil is $200/bbl you will see businesses investing in mass-renewables... until then don't hold your breath. The American paradigm does not support long term thinking, just quarterly profit. Look to Japan or China for long term thinking.

[pup55]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')hy aren't there any businesses investing in MASS-RENEWABLES?

[vision-master]

These CEO's should be listening to the Janitor.

Of course they are superior beings with high knowledge at hand.

[Cloud9]

The superintendent of the county had his back to school meeting at our high school today. It is the first time in thirty years that the meeting did not involve some motivational program. Everything was doom and gloom. He said our county was $8 million short of the budget. That the feds had pumped $4 million into the system. That the next four years looked like more budget short falls.

[BigTex]

Let me tell you a story about one CEO who did "get it" and how he went out and made a difference.

Dick Cheney was running Halliburton and minding his own business in the late 1990s. In looking over the oil services industry, however, he became aware of the declining production/depletion problem. He mentioned it as an area of concern in several speeches he gave during this period.

But rather than just sit around complaining about the end of the world looming or about his bad heart, Dick Cheney went out and did something about it. He took action.

First, he infiltrated the campaign of George W. Bush, which consisted of one smart guy (Karl Rove) and a bunch of idiots. Since Rove did not want to be on the ticket, Cheney used his jedi mind trick on Bush and succeeded in wresting the VP slot from Dan Quayle's nephew, Warren G. Harding Quayle. He also succeeded in getting Donald Rumsfeld, his old crony from the Ford Administration, appointed Secretary of Defense, since he would need a similarly enlightened mind to help him implement his plan of action.

Once elected, Cheney completed his mastery of George W. Bush's mind, and then went to work on securing future energy supplies for the U.S., first through clearing pipeline routes through military action in Afghanistan, and then by securing a very large pool of oil in Iraq.

The fact that the military operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq created massive amounts of work for both Halliburton and KBR is just further testament to the foresight of this remarkable man.

He saw the problem and he did something about it.

Where have you gone Dick Cheney?
A nation turns its cynical and disillusioned eyes to you.



Dick Cheney heard the peak oil call and that mofo answered it!

[Pops]

What he said!

[Buggy]

Staying on topic, even though I am a Ford man, GM is making its attempt at preparing. Wildly uneconomical at $2.50 per gallon gasoline, GM is pushing ahead with the Volt, as if TPTB have come to grips with the reality that $2.50 per gallon gas will soon be a distant memory as we ride the ever so bumpy plateau of Peak Oil. GM's miscalculation is in the assumption that anybody will have enough money/credit to buy the Volt.

[BigTex]

There is a speech from the CEO of a carpet company (don't remember which one) on TED (free cornie speeches from smart people--Google it) about how his whole company has reduced its carbon footprint dramatically. To me, a message like this has a built-in awareness of resource depletion issues. His company is on to it.

The wave of mergers in the energy sector in recent years points to an awareness that there aren't huge opportunities for new discoveries out there and thus there is more value in consolidating the industry than in attempting to grow the size of the pie.

The airlines investing in more fuel efficient planes tells me they are on to it.

The airplane manufacturers focusing on more efficient models tells me they are on to it.

The U.S. military invading countries with large oil reserves tells me they are on to it.

George W. Bush living in a hyper-energy efficient home tells me he is on to it.

Building codes that are requiring more insulation and other energy efficient features tells me that local governments are on to it.

HVAC companies building dramatically more efficient cooling equipment tells me they are on to it.

Wal Mart building green stores tells me they are on to it.

All those goofy wind farm people are on to it.

Overall, I would say that if one looks around it is not hard to see that a lot of smart people are preparing for a world in which there is a lot less cheap energy available.

[Hawkcreek]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')verall, I would say that if one looks around it is not hard to see that a lot of smart people are preparing for a world in which there is a lot less cheap energy available.

[Pops]

Me too Hawk, I think it was Dino that said inside every doomer there is an optimist trying to get out.

I don't know if I'd go that far but...

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Hawkcreek', 'T')hat is one reason I waffle back and forth between doomerism and "It won't be that bad".
Most people are stupid, but the smart ones are trying to do things that will help them survive. Might even be enough to make a difference.

[pup55]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'S')tudy Says World's Stocks Controlled by Select Few
Companies from US, UK and Australia have the most concentrated financial power.

[centralstump]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('peakoilcritic', 'S')o why are people believing what we hear about peak oil and its economic catastrophes from environmentalists rather then economists and business people?

[JJ]

here is my example: when Bing and I got married, 15 years ago, I bought ten large Hersheys chocolate bars to take to the Philippines with me . (the kids there ate them and got sick). Those bars cost .99 cents for a one pound bar.
Yesterday we were in the grocery store, and the same bar weighs 4.7 ounces and cost 1.39.

This is businesses way of preparing. Business is about making money.