So, is the Peak Oil thing for real, or is it another scare tactic?

I've been getting up to speed on Peak Oil. (Late to the party, I know, but better late than never.) I have read some pretty scary things about what the future holds and that the current rise in gas prices is permanent because we are coming to the downside of Hubbert's peak. Is Peak Oil for real, or is it just another way of scaring the crap out of the American people and getting us to accept all kinds of extreme actions by our government?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=266&topic_id=473&mesg_id=473

DU Peak Oil group:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=266

And many more links in my sig....

From what I have read, Peak Oil has been a known phenomenon since at least the 1970s when the US reached its peak. Are we really at a crossroads now?

thanks

Keep reading.

Read 'Crossing The Rubicon' by Michael Rupert and his website From the Wilderness.

Read Richard Heinberg's 'The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies".

Go to RunningOnEmpty3 yahoogroup for newbies to the issue. It's a great support group.

I've been paying down debt and prepping as much as possible since I found out.

Welcome to reality! It is quite a shocking experience isn't it?

(edited for typos)

I am worried about it and am trying to get in a position to live with less oil. My favorite peak oil news link is:
http://www.energybulletin.net/
This site describes four general viewpoints and possible outcomes:
http://www.oilscenarios.info/

the GOP is saying that the relative thimble of oil in ANWR will solve everything. And, it's not a Progressive scare tactic either, because the consensus of most engineers, scientists, geologist, etc is that "Peak Oil" is real -- and the solution is "massive conservation" plus nuclear power.

For some non-political, non-polemic reads, try:

1. Beyond Oil : The View from Hubbert's Peak By: Kenneth S. Deffeyes (he is a retired Geology Professor at Princeton)

2. Hubbert's Peak : The Impending World Oil Shortage By: Kenneth S. Deffeyes

3. Out of Gas: The End of the Age Of Oil By: David Goodstein (he is a Professor of Physics at Cal Tech).

I'm watching it right now; really good ... here's the desc:

Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too the suburban way of life has become embedded in the American consciousness.

Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream.

But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.

The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia ?

Hosted by Barrie Zwicker. Featuring James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe, Michael Klare, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, Michael C. Ruppert, Julian Darley, Colin Campbell, Kenneth Deffeyes, Ali Samsam Bakhtiari and Steve Andrews. Directed by Gregory Greene. Produced by Barry Silverthorn.

Duration: 78 minutes

DVD BONUS: Includes the vintage short films, In the Suburbs and Destination Earth, and producer/director commentary.

has a great article about Cuba
...and what happend to the food supply
after the collapse of the Soviet Union
no more gas for mega-tractors
no more machinery for big farms
they had to go back to square one
and begin with the idea of small sustainable farms
and gardens all over, even in the cities

and now, much of the Ag education at the university level
is pointed towards organic production

they went back to using oxen instead of tractors
organic pest controls
etc etc
a really good read

and something to think about....

I recommend reading "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" for perspective on this issue.

just try and be prepared for it. I think that lots of people will be scared literally out of their minds when it becomes more and more obvious that a life of cheap oil they feel entitled to is coming to an end.

This is one of the best pieces of information on Peak Oil out there. It's a 1-hour video by a physics prof. at Caltech.

http://today.caltech.edu/theater/5602_cable.ram

I was put off immediately because he talked about Global Warming being good for us, but it was a good lecture. Bookmarked for further study. Thanks for sharing.

and the way you can tell... have you heard it mentioned by the stongraphers much? IN fact, we are over the peak now.

I love my hybrid by the way

which are now competing with the West for the remaining oil.

If China "motorizes" to the extent that Western countries are "motorized" (dependent on cars) attainable oil will run out faster than we could have imagined.

Despite being an auto-producing nation, Japan is at least keeping this concept on its radar by encouraing the production of hybrid vehicles, expanding its intercity and urban rail systems, and encouraging factories to practice conservation of resources and energy. (I learn these things from the stuff I translate.)

I don't see any comparable efforts here, just encouragements to consume, consume, consume, and blame the Arabs if gasoline gets expensive.

Personally, I'm preparing for Peak Oil by living in a close-in neighborhood with all the necessities of life within walking distance or a bus ride away.