..around the idea of peak oil: The author of this piece, the Times' oil correspondent, Jad Mouawad, has previously written that peak oil ideas are "in decline", or some such; but now he actually used the word "peaked" to describe many of the world's big oil reservoirs.  He still won't admit that supply is an inherent problem; but the article goes through many of the big reservoirs, and even raises the possibility that the Saudis can't produce more.  He still gives us such nuggets as this, from an oil industry exec: "The world is not running out of oil, but rather it's running out of oil production capacity."  Huh?

The discourse, even in the left media, on rising gasoline prices is really very primitive at this stage (as is the discussion on the campaign trail); we can't be in chronic decline, it must be the oil companies' fault! (an easy way to deal with the oil companies: nationalize them, just like most countries have done).

But Mouawad points to one of the big problems we face as oil production declines: "To make up the shortfall, the world is increasingly turning to fuels made from unconventional sources, like biofuels or heavy oil.".  Yikes!

(sound of humanity shooting itself)

Save your community: Cut greenhouse gas emissions 5% per year.