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06/25/2006: "Matt Simmons: Peak Oil Is here"

Jan Lundberg (himself a former oil industry analyst, now radical conservationist) reports on his meeting with Energy Investment specialist Matt Simmons during a Pentagon -sponsored energy conference:

Matt Simmons is a man who has reflected on the waste of energy that ordinarily would be delightful for any businessman in energy. But he wryly complains of "blueberries in Maine imported from Chile even during blueberry season." Likewise for the nation’s infrastructure: "You can tear up the roads," he said, to stop the wasteful trucking and start barging on water, to save 35 times as much energy. He mentions rail also as a major replacement for our highways, as freight by rail saves 8 times the energy. He would know, however, that today’s volume of trade cannot fit on existing railcars and barges, and that there’s little likelihood that the nation’s infrastructure can change quickly enough for the peak oil timetable.

And when is peak? "Realistically, we’re probably at peak now...."

To read the entire article, go to Culture Change Magazine.

Richard Risemberg, on 06.25.06 @ 21:44PST