Primer: Peak Oil

…It’s no wonder, then, that passions can run high in the peak oil debate, sometimes to a pitch that makes it a challenge to bring rival camps to share a stage. That’s where a cyber soapbox comes in handy. Here we present two opposing views from long-sparring rivals.

Matthew Simmons, who leads an independent, Houston-based investment bank, Simmons & Company, specializing in the energy industry, is the author of “Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy,” which popularized the theory of peak oil, and firmly believes production isn’t going any higher.

Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy & Economic Consulting, has been a long-time peak oil skeptic.

How were you convinced (either way) about peak oil, and does the recent run-up in oil prices provide evidence confirming or contradicting peak oil?

Simmons: I