This piece on peak oil from a report by the U.S. military was published in the Guardian a few days ago:
The US military has warned that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years and there could be serious shortages by 2015 with a significant economic and political impact.
The energy crisis outlined in a Joint Operating Environment report from the US Joint Forces Command, comes as the price of petrol in Britain reaches record levels and the cost of crude is predicted to soon top $100 a barrel.
“By 2012, surplus oil production capacity could entirely disappear, and as early as 2015, the shortfall in output could reach nearly 10 million barrels per day,” says the report, which has a foreword by a senior commander, General James N Mattis.
Ten million barrels is an extraordinary shortfall. So why was this story not picked up by more media outlets? It’s not as though the U.S. military is a crackpot organization. Or is the dissonance between message and source too hard to handle?
“…dissonance between message and source too hard to handle?”
Sounds about right.
As well, over the last 40 years (two generations) the public has experienced and made aware of wild fluctuations in oil price. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that there is not much of a surprise — yet.
Sounds to me like its time that the tar sands ramped up output. Best to get that goop outta the ground while people still want it.