Energy Crisis 101 - Discover How You Can Prepare for the Coming Energy Crisis
Oil Misinformation
I just watched a 60 Minute TV show about oil on December 7, 2008. The description of this show from the CBS News website is as follows:
THE OIL KINGDOM - Despite the pledge of President-elect Barack Obama and others to lessen America's use of foreign oil, Saudi Arabia - the world’s largest oil supplier - isn’t worried. That's what Saudi officials told Lesley Stahl when she visited the oil kingdom and toured its vast petroleum facilities, which are gearing up to produce even more. Richard Bonin and Kathy Liu are the producers. This is a double length segment.
The photography was fascinating. Saudi Arabia has developed some amazing technology and facilities to produce and control the flow of oil. They are very serious about continued development of the oil resources available in their country.
Still, in my opinion, the information presented on 60 Minutes could be termed oil misinformation. It is typical of the depth of information presented by the news media, whether TV, radio or print.
There are exceptions in media energy reporting. For example, in one in-depth energy article, Mathew Simmons predicted oil prices in the range of $500 per barrel in Forbes magazine. This will result in gasoline prices of $10 per gallon, and will force a dramatic change in the global economy. Our lifestyles and societies will change.
As oil production peaks and then declines, the mix of our energy sources is destined to change radically, sooner rather than later. We will be forced to examine all options including solar, wind, coal, oil, nuclear, natural gas, biomass, hydroelectric and geothermal.
Our leaders, media, and general public do not seem to understand let alone discuss the underlying issue of peak oil. We are using up existing inexpensive oil supplies and have passed peak oil production worldwide. Oil companies certainly don’t want to talk publically about the decline in oil production. Peak oil was predicted in the 1960s by M. King Hubbert, an oil expert and insider, but was ignored as global oil use soared over the next 40 years.
Any of the following books presents a realistic view of the current state of the oil industry. These books, written by experts, present a future with rapidly declining inexpensive oil supplies. While we won’t run out of oil, the price of oil will escalate rapidly.
Beyond Oil, Kenneth Deffeyes
Earth - The Sequel, Fred Krupp
Energy Switch, Craig Morris
Hubbert's Peak, Kenneth Deffeyes
Power Down, Richard Heinberg
The End of Oil, Paul Roberts
The Long Emergency, James Kunstler
Twilight in the Desert, Mathew Simmons
They also give a good perspective of the global future of oil. Recent oil prices at $140 per barrel gave us a glimpse of our energy future.
We need to have a rational discussion in this country about oil and energy. One of the essential elements in this discussion is a more aware public. The general public needs to understand where our energy comes from, how we use energy and what our energy options are. I recommend anyone who wants to understand energy supply and discuss our energy future read these books.
Based on the rhetoric from the past presidential election, our leaders don’t seem to want to have a reasonable discussion about energy. The 60 second sound bite is still king when politicians talk about energy.
When the media presents the issue, it often ends up like the 60 Minute TV show that I watched. I don’t condemn the producers, station or the TV people involved. Still, it is my opinion that much of the information available in the media about energy is oil misinformation. They have yet to talk about oil production reaching a peak globally and that it is impossible to drill our way out of the coming oil shortage.
One way we can combat prevalent oil energy misinformation is to read and study about our energy use, sources and options. The books listed above provide a very good start in understanding these issues. Once we all understand where our energy comes from, how we use it and what our options are, then we can start to have meaningful discussions about our energy mix and energy future. Otherwise, oil misinformation will continue to prevail.
Sincerely
H. Court Young
Author, speaker, publisher and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
*Subscribe to my Free newsletter ILLUME - Bringing Timely Issues to Light
& receive a free 3-part mini-course entitled -How to Prepare for the Coming Energy Crisis- mailto:illume@aweber.com*
THE OIL KINGDOM - Despite the pledge of President-elect Barack Obama and others to lessen America's use of foreign oil, Saudi Arabia - the world’s largest oil supplier - isn’t worried. That's what Saudi officials told Lesley Stahl when she visited the oil kingdom and toured its vast petroleum facilities, which are gearing up to produce even more. Richard Bonin and Kathy Liu are the producers. This is a double length segment.
The photography was fascinating. Saudi Arabia has developed some amazing technology and facilities to produce and control the flow of oil. They are very serious about continued development of the oil resources available in their country.
Still, in my opinion, the information presented on 60 Minutes could be termed oil misinformation. It is typical of the depth of information presented by the news media, whether TV, radio or print.
There are exceptions in media energy reporting. For example, in one in-depth energy article, Mathew Simmons predicted oil prices in the range of $500 per barrel in Forbes magazine. This will result in gasoline prices of $10 per gallon, and will force a dramatic change in the global economy. Our lifestyles and societies will change.
As oil production peaks and then declines, the mix of our energy sources is destined to change radically, sooner rather than later. We will be forced to examine all options including solar, wind, coal, oil, nuclear, natural gas, biomass, hydroelectric and geothermal.
Our leaders, media, and general public do not seem to understand let alone discuss the underlying issue of peak oil. We are using up existing inexpensive oil supplies and have passed peak oil production worldwide. Oil companies certainly don’t want to talk publically about the decline in oil production. Peak oil was predicted in the 1960s by M. King Hubbert, an oil expert and insider, but was ignored as global oil use soared over the next 40 years.
Any of the following books presents a realistic view of the current state of the oil industry. These books, written by experts, present a future with rapidly declining inexpensive oil supplies. While we won’t run out of oil, the price of oil will escalate rapidly.
Beyond Oil, Kenneth Deffeyes
Earth - The Sequel, Fred Krupp
Energy Switch, Craig Morris
Hubbert's Peak, Kenneth Deffeyes
Power Down, Richard Heinberg
The End of Oil, Paul Roberts
The Long Emergency, James Kunstler
Twilight in the Desert, Mathew Simmons
They also give a good perspective of the global future of oil. Recent oil prices at $140 per barrel gave us a glimpse of our energy future.
We need to have a rational discussion in this country about oil and energy. One of the essential elements in this discussion is a more aware public. The general public needs to understand where our energy comes from, how we use energy and what our energy options are. I recommend anyone who wants to understand energy supply and discuss our energy future read these books.
Based on the rhetoric from the past presidential election, our leaders don’t seem to want to have a reasonable discussion about energy. The 60 second sound bite is still king when politicians talk about energy.
When the media presents the issue, it often ends up like the 60 Minute TV show that I watched. I don’t condemn the producers, station or the TV people involved. Still, it is my opinion that much of the information available in the media about energy is oil misinformation. They have yet to talk about oil production reaching a peak globally and that it is impossible to drill our way out of the coming oil shortage.
One way we can combat prevalent oil energy misinformation is to read and study about our energy use, sources and options. The books listed above provide a very good start in understanding these issues. Once we all understand where our energy comes from, how we use it and what our options are, then we can start to have meaningful discussions about our energy mix and energy future. Otherwise, oil misinformation will continue to prevail.
Sincerely
H. Court Young
Author, speaker, publisher and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
http://www.hcourtyoung.com
*Subscribe to my Free newsletter ILLUME - Bringing Timely Issues to Light
& receive a free 3-part mini-course entitled -How to Prepare for the Coming Energy Crisis- mailto:illume@aweber.com*
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