World oil supplies are set to run out faster than expected, warn scientists

[hb06]

"Scientists challenge major review of global reserves and warn that supplies will start to run out in four years' time."

"According to "peak oil" theory our consumption of oil will catch, then outstrip our discovery of new reserves and we will begin to deplete known reserves."

"Dr Campbell, is a former chief geologist and vice-president at a string of oil majors including BP, Shell, Fina, Exxon and ChevronTexaco. He explains that the peak of regular oil - the cheap and easy to extract stuff - has already come and gone in 2005. Even when you factor in the more difficult to extract heavy oil, deep sea reserves, polar regions and liquid taken from gas, the peak will come as soon as 2011, he says."

http://news.independent.co.uk/sci_te...cle2656034.ece

[jimmylozza]

Peak Oil - if true - makes our presence in Iraq a little more interesting. What if we're not there for WMDs, freedom, greed, stupidity, or any other popular reason? What if we're there in the interest of national security? Perhaps the oil people in the Bush Administration know some things about the world's oil supply that we don't... yet...

Best bet if Peak Oil comes:

1. Own a Prius and some good Nato 20L jerry cans https://www.expeditionexchange.com/wedco/ (the non-CARB compliant ones are better sealed)
2. Own a hunting rifle (probably a .223 which can double for varmints and urban combat) and several thousand rounds of ammunition
3. Have at least a one year supply for your family of MREs (not a bad bet for any kind of large disaster)
4. Own a mountain bike and a moped

[jimmylozza]

deleted double post. <_<

[tripp]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Les Gas @ Jun 15 2007, 11:11 PM) [snapback]462868[/snapback]</div>

Peak Oil - if true - makes our presence in Iraq a little more interesting. What if we're not there for WMDs, freedom, greed, stupidity, or any other popular reason? What if we're there in the interest of national security? Perhaps the oil people in the Bush Administration know some things about the world's oil supply that we don't... yet...

Best bet if Peak Oil comes:

1. Own a Prius and some good Nato 20L jerry cans https://www.expeditionexchange.com/wedco/ (the non-CARB compliant ones are better sealed)
2. Own a hunting rifle (probably a .223 which can double for varmints and urban combat) and several thousand rounds of ammunition
3. Have at least a one year supply for your family of MREs (not a bad bet for any kind of large disaster)
4. Own a mountain bike and a moped
[/b]

They won't be able to secure the oil though. Oil production and transportation is just way too vulnerable. Peak oil can't come fast enough. Remember, peak means diminishing returns, not the oil is gone. Wildly increasing fuel costs will lead to innovation and acceptance of some rather obvious truths that we've been conveniently ignoring for a while. The biggest concern is that coal-to-liquids will become too seductive. Nothing works better for changing behaviors than market forces though it's sad that it often has to come to that.

[Pinto Girl]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Les Gas @ Jun 16 2007, 12:11 AM) [snapback]462868[/snapback]</div>

Peak Oil - if true - makes our presence in Iraq a little more interesting. What if we're not there for WMDs, freedom, greed, stupidity, or any other popular reason? What if we're there in the interest of national security? Perhaps the oil people in the Bush Administration know some things about the world's oil supply that we don't... yet...
[/b]

IMHO, greed + stupidity = fighting for oil.

Seems to me that both this idea, and (especially) our current administration's lack of sagacity, are already well proven.

If this is really the issue, why aren't we doing more to conserve? Why is the administration backing a watered-down version of a bill increasing the MPG of our cars?

I mean this doesn't involve the military...and it's something that can be done *right now.*

What you wrote seems to me a bit contradictory.

[wbuttler]

since the figures on oil field reserves, reported by the oil producing area's and related companies cannot be depended on
peak oil could conceivably occur tomorrow---not running out but under a situtation economically where
it would cost $1.50 to get $1.00's worth of oil out of the ground. At that point oil stops being
pumped out of the ground. The recent stab by oil producers against biofuels is a good case in point. threatening to raise the price of oil and discontinue investment for refining/research/ discovery if biofuels are pushed by government programs..a convenient excuse to dominate the market to the bitter end.

They have not been investing in refining infrastructure since soon refineries will be unnecessary.

The X-files phrase, trust no one, applies to the current structure in power in the US
more than any other since the nixon years. The Bush's are and have historically been in bed with both the US oil companies and the kingdom of Saud.

store gas for your prius, get solar panels, plant gardens, study self-sufficency, support your local communities and merchants within walking distance.
This is not a doom and gloom response---peak oil may recreate viable towns, recover lost skills both craft and social and without oil we may recover the ability to control our own lives---nobody knows for sure. But individual skills and investment in new technology are the answer, not the military.

Froley

[jimmylozza]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Jun 18 2007, 04:56 PM) [snapback]464301[/snapback]</div>

IMHO, greed + stupidity = fighting for oil.

Seems to me that both this idea, and (especially) our current administration's lack of sagacity, are already well proven.

If this is really the issue, why aren't we doing more to conserve? Why is the administration backing a watered-down version of a bill increasing the MPG of our cars?

I mean this doesn't involve the military...and it's something that can be done *right now.*

What you wrote seems to me a bit contradictory.
[/b]

I think they would rather take (through means that benefit to the Military Industrial Complex) than ask voters to make due with less. Just some idle speculation... I see your point, though. The phrase, "Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity" comes to mind.