[AirlinePilot]

Very interesting article interviewing Robert Hirsch. In it he claims that there IS some sort of cover up actively going on within our Governement concerning the "bad news" topic of Peak Oil. Also interesting to here Mr Hirsch's take on where we are.

Hirsch Interview

[Troyboy1208]

Great Article AP...a real eye opener

[SFDukie]

It is an interesting article. Funny that successive administrations could talk about the issue and keep their heads in the sand as to not taking action.
I'm invoking Hanlon's Razor.

[cipi604]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('SFDukie', 'I')t is an interesting article. Funny that successive administrations could talk about the issue and keep their heads in the sand as to not taking action.
I'm invoking Hanlon's Razor.

[venky]

I never believed in conspiracy theories

[JohnDenver]

As always, Hirsch is not coming clean about his assumptions.

Hirsch puts no credence whatsoever in conservation as a strategy to mitigate peak oil. He's very much a true believer in the "non-negotiable American lifestyle". His analysis of mitigation/adaptation to peak oil contains ZERO reference to: bicycling, car pooling, scooters, compressed work week, gas rationing, telecommuting, EVs, NG vehicles etc. The Hirsch report rules all of those out as measures to deal with the problem.

His idea of "solving" the peak oil problem is to build horrendously expensive, highly polluting facilities for producing substitute liquid fuel (CTL, GTL, heavy oil) so that everyone can continue driving their current vehicles in a completely business-as-usual fashion. That's the only solution he considers, and he thinks we're totally screwed if that doesn't happen.

I've previously written on this in detail:
Why Robert Hirsch is dead wrong

[Roy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'n') it he claims that there IS some sort of cover up actively going on within our Government concerning the "bad news" topic of Peak Oil

[Mesuge]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('AirlinePilot', 'h')e claims that there IS some sort of cover up actively going on within our Governement concerning the "bad news" topic of Peak Oil Hirsch Interview

[Windmills]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', 'H')irsch puts no credence whatsoever in conservation as a strategy to mitigate peak oil.

[JohnDenver]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Windmills', 'u')nspeakable P-word C-word

[AirlinePilot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JohnDenver', 'H')irsch puts no credence whatsoever in conservation as a strategy to mitigate peak oil. He's very much a true believer in the "non-negotiable American lifestyle". His analysis of mitigation/adaptation to peak oil contains ZERO reference to: bicycling, car pooling, scooters, compressed work week, gas rationing, telecommuting, EVs, NG vehicles etc. The Hirsch report rules all of those out as measures to deal with the problem.

[copious.abundance]

How can anyone say that the issue of peak oil has been "covered up" when it's been discussed everywhere in the news for . . . years?

[AirlinePilot]

I dont believe it's a CT at all really. I think its simply a case of Governments around the world misunderstanding the magnitude of the problem and getting caught up in what appear to be more immediate crisis. PO gets pushed aside as an issue which can wait. After all it is just more bad news. I think Governments are trying very hard right now to meter that negative stuff. The emphasis on things like PO will get misplaced. It will be misplaced by other matters perceived to be of a more primary nature. Thats exactly what I see going on now. Its not CT its just stupidity and lack of good leadership.

[AirlinePilot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('OilFinder2', 'H')ow can anyone say that the issue of peak oil has been "covered up" when it's been discussed everywhere in the news for . . . years?

[copious.abundance]

I don't know about you, but I've been reading about this in the news for literally years.

[venky]

Hirsch says directly that there were those in the Government bureaucracy that actively suppressed research on Peak Oil. Do they fear an open debate on the issue? I am not sure why they should, global warming now is as mainstream as it will get, and having an open debate in society does not seem to have prevented the naysayers and deniers from clinging to their beliefs or pushing their agenda and preventing any meaningful solutions from being implemented. Wouldn't it be the same for Peak oil? Surely we could count on our Peak Oil deniers like Michael Lynch and John Denver?

Or do they just consider the Peak oil 'concerners' to be alarmists and don't want them spreading what they see as unnecessary panic?

Might it be because, while the research on Global warming is extensive, they will be no significant effects on mankind for years, probably decades to come. Maybe for peak oil, oil shortages and economic depression might happen or a far shorter timeline.

[AirlinePilot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('OilFinder2', 'I') don't know about you, but I've been reading about this in the news for literally years.

[drgoodword]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('OilFinder2', 'I') don't know about you, but I've been reading about this in the news for literally years.

[dinopello]

I think all he is saying is that the bad news subject is not something politicians want to discuss. He may be perplexed by it, given that he is not in politics, but it is just common sense. Hirsch has his own professional mental blocks.

JohnDenver is correct in saying that Hirsch is uncomfortable in discussing the lifestyle change response strategy. Hirsch has a conventional engineer's mentality. You hire an engineer to design and build a bridge, you don't want him asking you if you really need to cross the river and they really aren't inclined to do so. Engineers are great at recognizing risks, so he correctly identifies the problem but they are also trained at applying technology to deliver the lifestyle that people want and that is what he is focussed on as his response.

[AirlinePilot]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', 'J')ohnDenver is correct in saying that Hirsch is uncomfortable in discussing the lifestyle change response strategy. Hirsch has a conventional engineer's mentality. You hire an engineer to design and build a bridge, you don't want him asking you if you really need to cross the river and they really aren't inclined to do so. Engineers are great at recognizing risks, so he correctly identifies the problem but they are also trained at applying technology to deliver the lifestyle that people want and that is what he is focussed on as his response.