Peak Oil and the Imperatives It Drives

I urge readers to read this interview on peak oil, published by my friend and colleague Bill Moore at EV World, featuring Robert Hirsch speaking on the deliberate avoidance by the U.S. government to talk about the subject. In my opinion, this is a subject that every American should understand. As with so many energy-related topics, peak oil (the concept that the world has passed the maximum point of refining petroleum — or even that such a point exists) is hotly debated. Yet it’s clear to most of us — and this interview certainly supports the claim — that anyone without a pro-oil business interest is on board with the idea that peak oil is a serious issue – perhaps ultimately the most serious threat to the future of mankind.

This phenomenon heightens the imperative for a concerted Kennedy-man-on-the-moon push from both the public and private sectors to make this happen. Even if peak oil were the only reason to move way from fossil fuels, which of course it is not, we need a top-down plan to capture, store, and distribute a minute fraction of the sun’s energy to a civilization that is growing more energy hungry by the day.

When you’re finished with the article, I hope you’ll read the comments; they’re incredibly astute, in my opinion. Some of them get into the philosophic stuff that I love to talk discuss, but am reluctant to initiate, for fear of taking us too far off-topic.  I’m always happy when I see people bringing up the larger concepts of social ideals.