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To hear Boone Pickens or Richard Heinberg or Matthew Simmons speak to Peaking Oil, one comes away convinced we are in the initial stages of epochal change in our way of doing things in the USA. Which US newspaper is following the Peaking Oil story, or brings us the monthly IEA (International Energy Agency) information, or has ever shown readers the “General Depletion Picture”?

The General Depletion Picture is a graphic depiction of world oil discovery & consumption thru the present time, and shows best information illustration of future volumes of production. Future Consumption is not shown, one can deduce consumption shall not exceed production!

Newspapers are seemingly bereft, across the board, of Editorial Boards with the nerve & skill to bring forward as sensitive an issue as Peaking oil, for fear of impacting auto & real estate advertising? This is the educated guess of James Howard Kunstler, author of “The Long Emergency”, a presdient look at energy’s relation to economic policy.

In fact, Kunstler refers to newspapers exhibiting “suicidal irrelevance” exactly because of their reluctance to inform the readers of the Peaking Oil phenomenon and give space to the expert discussion on the subject of oilfield depletion. Another book on the subject of energy policy imperatives is “ELECTRIC WATER”, by Christopher C. Swan (New Society Press, 2007). An important energy website, “theoildrum” is well endowed with running commentary including many graphs and articles by oilfield experts like Colin Campbell & Matthew Simmons.

Beyond ascertaining the gravity of this oil supply problem, the primary attendant issues are conservation & transport policy. If Heinberg & Boone Pickens & Simmons et al are correct, we shall soon need to look at massive expansion of the railway mains, rehab of dormant branchlines, and re-institute local warehousing with rail/trucking interface.

A quick miner’s canary look at oil supply is to search “Canterell”, Mexico’s premier oilfield. This offers significant insight because of the postion of US oil supply coming from Mexico. Which US newspaper is following the Mexican Oil story? The role of newspapers is to not overlook significant stories…

To gain back readership & relevance, newspapers must get hold of the Peaking Oil story, with full exposition of ramifications to transport & agriculture with all due haste..

 
 

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