It should also be needless to say we will NEVER "run out of oil". The whole peak business has to do with the technical capacity to extract *ever increasing quantities* of the product economically. Predictions of peak oil may be based on pessimistic assessments of the prospects of technical breakthroughs. However, the argument against peak oil *assumes* that technical breakthroughs will occur when needed, simply because they are needed. While the pessimistic predictions may be merely wrong, the pollyanna scenario is fantastic.
And yes, global warming may get us first. But it also could become a contributor to the peak episode in that climate change could accelerate demand at the same time it interupts supply. On 2/19/08, Max B. Sawicky <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Julio Huato wrote: > > http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/feeling-a-bit-peaked/ > > > > I recently finished "The Age of Oil," a very nice and well-written book > by an Italian dude. > > There have been four or five "peaks" in the past, all of which it should > be needless to say proved illusory. > > Global warming may get us before we run out of oil, or because we > haven't run out of oil. > -- Sandwichman
