RandyPark’s Recent Comments

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Decreasing demand

  amazingdrx,
  The thing with peak oil is the "peak." That means that even if the U.S. and Europe decreased 5% per year, and everyone else was constant (no mean feat) the decline of production would still cause a demand-supply imbalance.

  It would be a good start, but it would also mean a 33% decrease after 8 years, and Europe already uses far less than North America.

  If you could get this to happen, the big benefit would be delaying the declines so we have more time to find other ways of doing business.

  www.EnergyPredicament.comOn Short-term dip in oil prices will not offset long-term increases posted 1 year, 2 months ago 17 Responses

• Click here to view comment in original post

  Several factors

  Here's my take (as an expert in how people think and make decisions, and a Peak Oiler):
  -People can only deal with so much information. GW has the momentum. As a POer, I can understand they don't want to cloud the issue in the public's mind
  -GW is as Al Gore says a "Moral" issue. People can choose to do something about it (I know, and I agree that in the long term we have to do something, but very few people think that long term) and if they do, they feel good. Governments can claim they are addressing when they set targets for 40 years hence.
  -PO is an economic issue, that will be "done to" Western - especially North American - society. People don't like being told they have to do something.
  -Companies can make money from GW. Not as easy to make money from PO without admitting how bad it might be. Harder sell; can't position it as easily
  -Once you open the PO bottle, you have to deal with Peak Natural Gas, electricity, etc. as a system. Much bigger problem - a "predicament" we call it.
  -As for $10 per gallon gas, how about $20 or more? On our web site www.EnergyPredicament.com you can try a Gas Price Calculator which tells you how much it rationally makes sense to pay for gas based on the convenience and time savings of using your vehicle - check it out. The median value for entries is about 8 times current prices, or $24 per gallon.
  -Finally, I agree that ultimately in either case it is about using less fossil fuels, but that is a tough sell. Easier to sell windmills and light bulbs.

  Randy Park
  www.EnergyPredicament.com
  On Who knew? posted 2 years, 4 months ago 70 Responses