February 17, 2007
PEAK STONE?:
Cheap Oil to Last, "Doomsday" Fears Overblown, Author Says (Brian Handwerk, 2/14/07, National Geographic News)
[Leonardo] Maugeri is the author of The Age of Oil: The Mythology, History, and Future of the World's Most Controversial Resource. As a senior vice president at the Italian oil corporation Eni SpA, he's also an oil-industry insider.In his book Maugeri explains how prices affect the cycle of oil production and why he believes oil "doomsday theorists" are tapping an empty well.
Maugeri's theories often challenge conventional wisdom but are likely to become an essential part of the debate on oil's future.
He discussed his controversial ideas in an interview with National Geographic News.
Some experts believe we're at or near a point where world oil supply will be unable to meet demand--with potentially devastating consequences. Are we close to this point of "peak oil"?
It's so seductive, in a way, to speak of a coming catastrophe--but we're not on the brink of a catastrophe.
People usually assume that the planet is thoroughly explored [for oil], but this is not true. The United States and Canada are the most thoroughly explored, and the latest discovery by Chevron in the Gulf of Mexico demonstrates that they are not really so [thoroughly] explored.
Other parts of the world are really not explored at all. Even today more than 70 percent of the world's oil exploration wells are concentrated in the U.S. and Canada--countries that hold only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. Conversely, only 3 percent of the world's exploration wells are drilled in the Middle East.
Many countries, Saudi Arabia in particular, have discovered oil fields in the past but have never developed them because of their fear of creating excess capacity.
No one knows how much oil there is. But all the hints we have--for example surveys made the U.S. Geological Survey--indicate that the world still has really huge oil resources in its soil. [...]
Can we ease our "oil addiction" before supplies run short?
The Stone Age didn't finish because of a lack of stone. The Oil Age won't finish because of a lack of oil. Sooner or later, probably in this century, oil will be surpassed by another source of energy.
Great line. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 17, 2007 4:27 PM
Just like global warming: it's all lies, made up by the witches and queers. It started with the "population bomb" fraud 30-odd years ago.and it doesn't let up.
The line about the Stone Age not ending for lack of stone is truly noteworthy, and is sure to find its way into our discourse..
Posted by: Lou Gots at February 17, 2007 5:03 PMWe're at the (stone) cutting edge.
Posted by: erp at February 17, 2007 5:57 PMWe're certainly more than a stone's throw away from depleting the world's supply of oil.
Posted by: Dave W at February 17, 2007 7:44 PM"The witches and" ...?? I think calling them "liars" is effective enough, no need to go overboard.
Posted by: Just John at February 17, 2007 8:14 PMBut we must. The motives for the lies on population and scarcity were to attack our civilizational values with respect to the connection between sexuality and reproduction and those in regard of the relationship between man and nature.
Posted by: Lou Gots at February 17, 2007 8:33 PM"calling them "liars" is effective enough"
I'm with Lou. There is no joy in condemning homosexuals and there fellow travellors, but somebody has got to do it.
For instance Hans Hoppe, a tenured professor was almost fired for merely pointing out that homosexuals, who typically don't have children, accordingly do not tend to plan for the future. Such an obvious incontrovertible statement shouldn't cause the slightest controversy, but instead the sh*t hit the fan.
Homosexuals have no iterest in the future of "civilization" or even in the existence of humanity, at least based on their own values and premises. (Granted some may defer to larger societal interest)
You can bury your head in the sand, but those premises once accepted by society will continue to do their dirty work.
Um, guys, the article is about oil reserves, not witches or homosexuality. If you ever find yourself discussing this with the intent to persuade others, you may want to avoid the precious-bodily-fluids attitude.
I'd hate to see what you post on the sour-cherry pie recipe.
Posted by: Just John at February 18, 2007 4:20 PM