thanks for the links aeon, looks like i missed the bus on this one.

its good to know that people are talking about this though. i was amazed at how everyone (myself included) just dosnt think about something like this happening, when really it is common sense that the oil will one day run out

Its not happening right now. It could any time as soon as tomorrow or in 20 years. However, given all current SCIENTIFIC DATA (not oil company blather) it will happen within 20 years.

Recent prices are purely OPEC price fixing, not peak oil.

One thing that is for sure is, it won't last forever, so it would be best to find alternatives before it bites is in the ars.

Originally posted by Quest
Recent prices are purely OPEC price fixing, not peak oil.

It's been my understanding that it's the refineries that are manipulating the prices at this time as they're seeing triple their forcasted profit margins.

I talked to an econ professor of mine yesterday, who is one of those crazy genius types, and he said this is all price fixing and not peak oil. He said he exspects it to go down 15 cents by the next month or so.

The thing about it is i just cant see prices ever going back to the way they were when i started driving back in 99' and 2000. At one point i was payin 0.98 a gallon.
After all ive read i think it will just keep steadily climbing,
and lots quicker than inflation.

I don't think what is happening with prices right now is the peak oil, but I do think that we are going to run out sooner than they are letting on. Didn't Shell or someone just admit that there reserves are like 25% smaller than they thought.

Get ready for WWIII

regarding the Reuters link to Shell story above...the page at Reutires is blank, I cant assume that's always been the case.

Resources are Scare, Support Our Troops!

Peak Oil is a statistical fact. So, assuming we don't find a mass of oil near the surface or get some magically advanced oil mining technology, it's going to happen.

The problem isn't the amount of oil we have. It's our ability to get it out of the ground and refine it. I don't believe we're going to fall into the stone age, but things we take for granted now are going to quickly become not to common. We'll still have cars, we'll still have electricity, that isn't goin away. But our use of it will eb curtailed. If the government doesn't enforce it, it will eventually occur just due to the laws of economics. You can't use a product or service that the supplier does not have or that you cannot afford.

However I do think (or hope) that some form of alternate energy will be utilized. We aren't going to go over to a completely renewable energy economy, but it will help pick up the slack. I think that once thing get bad enough, Nuclear Power (which is relatively clean and efficient) will become much more the norm. If it wasn't for the cultural fear of anything with the word 'nuclear' in it, we'd be at that point already.

heres what i think of all this stuff condensed. I think Shell is just the begining. I think one company after another will be forced to admit they dont have as much oil as they say they do.

Well why do they lie?

Because if we think there is plenty of oil then we will find no need to pursue new technologies, and will keep using what we have. By keeping us in the dark of the impending end of cheap oil. they insure profits at the exspense of all of us, leaving us up the proverbial river.

we wont develop new technology because oil is so cheap, and by the time it starts to get exspensive it will be too late to impliment a new infestructure to replace gas stations, or replace technology.

none of the non oil engines we have can do what oil does as efficiently. the end of cheap oil will be here soon, its a statistical fact like Esoterica said, but i dont see us still having cars or electricity. i dont see how society will be able to deal with $100 a barrel oil. We are already in risk of an economic recession from a 50 cents a gallon increase.

I wonder who the coalition will attack next to secure the remaining precious oil? This is kinda like Dune, whoever controls the spice....

I've been trying to tell people about peak oil, I dont want them to be caught with their pants down when it happens, but it seems the general public has no idea. They greatly overestimate the amount of oil available, just like shell did.