NYTimes mis-information on Peak Oil
The NYTimes carried an Op-Ed column, contributed to by an Oil Consultant, that poorly attempted to "debunk" the myths of peak oil by making use of nothing but mockery. Of course, there is an ongoing open thread on discussing this very article and in the usual TOD style, the comments speak for themselves!
I was reminded of how the "Intelligent Design" movement, heavily funded yet weak in scientifically testable claims, was able to make a dent to the efforts to ramp up Evolution education in schools. Them IDers did indeed succeed in their effort because they did manage to distract the crowd from seeking the truth. The ID principles are generally easily believed because the notion of blind nature creating life forms tends to oppose people's widely held notions of how life forms were created (many a times, indoctrination since childhood about God's Creations). Sometimes, the simplicity of the concept can just seem nauseatingly depressing. Someone (Carl Jung?) said humans can't take too much reality - maybe its something like that?
In this specific topic of Peak Oil, I'd like to reality-adjust the famous Mahatma saying that goes...
First they ignore you
then they laugh at you
then they fight you
then you win Entropy wins
-- Self, Circa 2009.
It doesn't really matter whether life forms descended from a common ancestor or not as long as there is food on one's plate. Peak oil, however, is different as it is quite likely to dramatically change not only the food on your plate but also how you're going to earn it.
The Peak Oil community at The Oil Drum has enjoyed excellent, data-driven open discussions contributed to by several oil industry veterans, Petroleum Geologists and Scientists from various disciplines on topics ranging from alternative energy, impact analysis of peak oil on the many aspects of the world (primarily Economy, Food, Climate, etc.,).
Although I myself can claim no expertise on petroleum geology, economics or physics, I can say with certainty that blind rebuttals like the one made by Mr.Lynch on NYTimes are quite effective in making that yet-to-be-informed person glance through the headlines that reads "Peak Oil is a Waste of Energy" and a deeper glance into the article only shows more ridicule of the "doomsayers". Its a classic technique and it works! Doesn't it?
Anyway, if you'd like to take this opportunity to objectively understand peak oil, setting aside the emotional affects peak-oil is likely to have after the Truth sets in, I suggest getting started with the many excellent introductions all over the web including Wikipedia.
The truth will set you free, but first it will make you sick.
... and then you'll understand why I spent the effort in writing this post. :)
I was reminded of how the "Intelligent Design" movement, heavily funded yet weak in scientifically testable claims, was able to make a dent to the efforts to ramp up Evolution education in schools. Them IDers did indeed succeed in their effort because they did manage to distract the crowd from seeking the truth. The ID principles are generally easily believed because the notion of blind nature creating life forms tends to oppose people's widely held notions of how life forms were created (many a times, indoctrination since childhood about God's Creations). Sometimes, the simplicity of the concept can just seem nauseatingly depressing. Someone (Carl Jung?) said humans can't take too much reality - maybe its something like that?
In this specific topic of Peak Oil, I'd like to reality-adjust the famous Mahatma saying that goes...
First they ignore you
then they laugh at you
then they fight you
then you win Entropy wins
-- Self, Circa 2009.
It doesn't really matter whether life forms descended from a common ancestor or not as long as there is food on one's plate. Peak oil, however, is different as it is quite likely to dramatically change not only the food on your plate but also how you're going to earn it.
The Peak Oil community at The Oil Drum has enjoyed excellent, data-driven open discussions contributed to by several oil industry veterans, Petroleum Geologists and Scientists from various disciplines on topics ranging from alternative energy, impact analysis of peak oil on the many aspects of the world (primarily Economy, Food, Climate, etc.,).
Although I myself can claim no expertise on petroleum geology, economics or physics, I can say with certainty that blind rebuttals like the one made by Mr.Lynch on NYTimes are quite effective in making that yet-to-be-informed person glance through the headlines that reads "Peak Oil is a Waste of Energy" and a deeper glance into the article only shows more ridicule of the "doomsayers". Its a classic technique and it works! Doesn't it?
Anyway, if you'd like to take this opportunity to objectively understand peak oil, setting aside the emotional affects peak-oil is likely to have after the Truth sets in, I suggest getting started with the many excellent introductions all over the web including Wikipedia.
The truth will set you free, but first it will make you sick.
... and then you'll understand why I spent the effort in writing this post. :)