Broadening the Peak Oil Conversation

Peak Moment 135: Senior energy analyst Robert Hirsch reflects on the immediate liquid fuels problem, and the rebuilding of our entire energy system which will take at least twenty years. He reflects on comments made during the ASPO-USA 2008 conference presentations, noting that he remains optimistic about American response to the daunting challenges ahead.
Political science professor Kyle Saunders is the "Professor Goose" behind the Oil Drum website. He champions the need to learn from one another about complex, interdependent topics like the economy, energy, noting that every piece of information we can get can reduce uncertainty.
In a question-and-answer session at the close of ASPO-USA's 2008 conference, presenters respond about the current financial chaos and resource scarcity, how to encourage intelligent political action, the need for a peak oil high-visibility champion, peak oil's relationship to climate change, and suggestions for household energy reduction.
(http://www.aspo-usa.com). DVDs of the entire conference can be ordered through ASPO-USA at http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=662327

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• peak
• oil
• drum
• aspo
• energy
• robert
• hirsch
• report
• kyle
• saunders

[ubuibiok]

"The rebuilding of our entire energy system which will take at least twenty years." NOT... IT CAN BE DONE IN 7 YEARS OR LESS.

[peakmoment]

Robert Hirsch was primary author of a report for the U.S. Department of Energy on "Peaking of World Oil Production: Impacts, Mitigation, and Risk Management" in February 2005. The 20 years mentioned in that report included the time not only to develop the new energy technology, but to get it broadly disseminated -- to build the infrastructure (suppliers, vehicles, etc.). What energy transformation do you think we can do in such a short time?

[earwax8toecheese]

@KrunchyJD

yea but i'll be scared as hell on the free way.

i see them tiny hybrid cars out there brother that aint a smart car thats a brave car

no truthfully i would ride a bike if i could

i hate cars the fuel the insurance the maintenance their a costly pain in the ass. . alot like women

[KrunchyJD]

@earwax8toecheese

Peply

1. Wear warm clothes.

2. Dont try to ride like an athlete, you will not be as sweaty.

3. Do this, find a retro style ladies bicycle, do it up, paint it perhaps, and then put a bunch of flowers in a basket on the front of it, and give it to her. If she does not appreciate that she is a bitch and not worth having.

Further. Riding a bicycle is pleasent and fun, and there is a difference between living like a porper and living sustainable.

[earwax8toecheese]

@KrunchyJD

1. you freeze you ass off

2. it makes you all sweaty

3.chicks like nice cars not nice bicycles

mostly # 3 if woman would b turned on by frugal living and ascetic life styles

we would have a chance , vagrancy would be the new sexy

you have the power ladies to lead us all to a better world

[KrunchyJD]

Why dont people talk about bicycles, in places like Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, and in Copenhagen and Houten in Denmark, people ride bicycles as much as drive cars. Why is it a bad thing for people to switch modes of transport. People in the cities mentioned, like riding bikes, why are bikes such a bad thing.

[bobbygnosis]

Look at global population before oil and as of this moment. When I did the math I was a little freaked out.

We should be dealing with this en masse as soon as possible. I'm expecting the worst.

Good luck.

[LastReplaySC]

it will mean a lot of starving either way

[SpeedyMarie]

I keep hearing "You will have to deal with less, your lifestyle will change" with the suggestion that a lifestyle change is akin to brain surgery without anesthetic. Won't people just learn to live with less? Do people pine for the way things used to be, as strongly as we assume they will long for this period? People will evolve when forced, the comforts they see as vital will be sorted out and folks will harden. Hopefully a lesson will be learned, but the lesson of the 70s oil didn't stick.

[valhala56]

Disel at this time is somewhere above $2.50 a gallon, they should subsidise disel with the price of gas ie make disel cheaper so the trucker can make a living and keep on trucking our food and supplies and raise the price on gas to promote conservation

[valhala56]

I bought gas today November 30 for $1.55 a gallon. I think it is criminal that the goverment has allowed the price to go this low. This gives the message to the public that there is no liquid fuels problem. So gas up! Fill your Hummer, snow mobile, dirt bike up. There is no shortage, and to make this worse there is 0 discussion of this on the main stream media.

It's like telling an alcholic you don't have a drinking problem, So go out and have a good time at the pub.