How do you know for sure peak oil will happen? Aaron Wissner

Peak oil is coming, but how can you be sure that it is actually going to happen? It only takes one fact to prove it: petroleum (oil) is a non-renewable limited resource.

Peak oil is the point in time when global oil production reaches its all time maximum, after which it never again attains that same level, and continues decrease forever.

Teacher Aaron Wissner explains how we know that peak oil will happen based on the simple fact that oil is a non-renewable, limited resource.

For the past three years, oil production seems to have gotten "stuck" at 84.5 million barrels per day. This is probably the cause of rising oil prices, gas prices, food prices, the decline in the value of homes, the dollar, and the domestic auto industry.

We may very well be now living in the era of peak oil.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• education
• news
• documentary
• grassroots
• outreach
• peakoil
• peak
• oil
• depletion
• hubbert
• gas
• gasoline
• prices
• energy
• crisis
• lif

[lickmyballsbiotch]

you speak as if peak oil will happen one day, peak oil has happened already. 2005. we are on the top edge of the curve looking down. cantrell has gone from 2.1 million barrels a day in 2004 to 500,000 today, terminal decline may go as high as 30% due to new and improved ways to increase production.when ghawar dies so does your lifestyle. prepare

[newculture]

The timing of peak oil depends on what exactly is counted as oil and exactly how peak oil is defined.

US oil extraction peaked in 1970-1971. Available oil from exporting nations peaked. The amount of oil per capita globally peaked back a while, perhaps in the 80's. If natural gas liquids are added in, or all natural gas (since NG is also a form of petroleum) then that can cause the peak to be sooner or later.

It appears that total liquid oil probably peaked in the summer of 2008.

[geojap]

Where can we find that chart online?

[newculture]

ASPO Ireland provides updates of that chart in their monthly newsletter. The newest charts also add in natural gas, as the easist substitute for oil.

[Noahgoy]

I got a comment from an individual who was somewhat angry with me, and he said peak oil is a joke, because Russia found oil 40,000 feet below the earth.

I dont think some people understand Peak oil. It is not about whether there is oil or not. It is about demand surpassing supply.

Many geologists and oil experts say the world has reached its peak on oil production. It is not capable of producing more on a daily basis. Yet, demand keeps increasing.

This is peak oil.

[WolYou]

I don't understand, why economists have thought of resources as being infinite anyway. Is there lack of ratio or is it the consumption system? I can't believe that economy experts haven't identified the problem (see Hubbert). As we can see the production rate declining in 1971, human behavior in consumption is the key factor.

[newculture]

Thanks for the question.

We are using it. We are releasing all of the carbon back into the air. This is rapidly changing the climate, which will probably decrease the amount of food grown around the world.

It isn't an issue of "running out". It is an issue of oil being used to grow food, and move it around, and to move us around. Less oil will probably mean less food, and less of everything that is made.

There won't be anything to replace oil.

[walter0bz]

use the remaining oil to build solar panels to keep powering IT infrastructure.. ditch cars in favour of public transport, bicycles and "dormitory" mentality of living close to work.. cars are the easiest bit to fix but the real problem is FOOD

greenhouse taxes however unpopular are a great idea so long as politicians aren't skimming the proceeds but instead use the money to build new infrastructure

as a eugenics measure, sterilize all the deniers. (and maybe car-drivers, meat-eaters?)

[bocckoka]

How do i know for sure? The Earth is a finite system, thats how.

[Juliansja]

daaaaahh!

[mrmultidextrous]

This is a pretty good explanation, but I suspect the Middle East decline may be more than expected, and combined with increasing use of oil by the Middle eastern countries themselves, will lead to even less available for export. I think that a more significant decline will happen in ME oil production than in the graph shown here.

[Zyozyoma]

Peak Oil is one of the two major reasons I never plan to have children. (The other is that I'd personally set a terrible example for children.)

[hellotianfei]

But now the price of oil is so low!

How can the petroleum explorer do