Richard Heinberg on “Peak Everything”
Richard Heinberg, a Senior Fellow of Post Carbon Institute, knows that energy-from-oil is connected to everything else that we do. That is why we are facing a monumental change in our economy within the next few years. And we are not prepared in the least.
What can we expect? Here’s Heinberg’s opinion, from an article he entitles “Dress Rehearsal”:
When the next supply crunch comes, we could well see prices of $200, $250, or $300. But again, the rise won’t be steady and unending; we will again see a spike followed by a plunge—this time maybe back to $150.
Meanwhile, will oil at $100 be an occasion for sleepwalking or strategic regrouping? For policy makers, this is a time to think clearly about long-term measures to reduce demand pro-actively and support the development of renewable energy sources. For citizens, it is an opportunity to make the effort to change habits, buy a smaller car, and get involved in community Peak Oil prep work . . .
The world has had an unmistakable wake-up call from the global oil alarm clock; merely to press the snooze button would waste what may be our last opportunity to act before necessity makes us react in ways that are less than optimal.
There may actually be a way to produce a renewable substiture for gasoline by using bio-technology. A few countries are actively pursuing this but most are totally ignorant of it.