From In From the Cold:
ADDENDUM: The JFCOM study is merely the latest to warn of a coming oil shortage. The Guardian reports that the U.K. Energy Minister convened a meeting with top industrialists two weeks ago, apparently reversing his previous position that peak oil was not a short-term problem. Officials at the Paris-based International Energy Agency have voiced similar concerns, though the organization has (officially) stated that energy supplies will remain sufficient.
It's also worth noting that General Mattis, the commander who put his signature on the controversial report, has a reputation for being blunt--sometimes a little too blunt, as evidenced by his famous remarks about how much "fun" it is to shoot terrorists. This time around, Mattis seems appears willing to stake his reputation and credibility on the report, which goes against the "official" U.S. government position on the issue. If no one else is willing to sound the alarm, Jim Mattis has no qualms about stepping up to the plate.
Anyone else running around with the sensation that the govt's REAL official position is that 'if the people really understood what the hell what going on they would kill us'?
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1 comment:
Over the last several years, conflicting reports explain differing views of how and why oil prices rise and fall.
Four years ago, the price of a gallon of gasoline soared to nearly five dollars here in the NE. It was clear then, that Congress wasn't about to permit drilling for domestic crude despite the fact that cost/profitablity margins were much improved by the combination of technological advancements juxtaposed against skyrocketing imported oil costs.
Realizing my SUV's daily consumption of fuel inevitably funded ME interests which enable global jihad, I opted to trade down from a 13mpg SUV to a 24-30mpg cross-over and further committed to consolodate trips to cut down on fuel consumption.
Clearly, I wasn't alone in this effort as many folks traded their larger vehicles for similar political or economic reasons.
Fuel prices fell rapidly.
The cash for clunkers program continued to remove gas guzzling vehicles from the road and fuel prices fell from near $5 to under $4 and under $3 and even briefly fell as low as $1.88 per gallon in some NJ full service fuel stations. For some unclear reason, the price of diesel rose far more rapidly and remained high for longer but eventually fell below the cost of gasoline as well. Reserves and supply exceeded demand. Locally, fuel prices remained relatively stable for nearly two years.
This confirmed that price was determined by availability and demand.
There has not been any major weather related damage to oil rigging around the globe - as one would expect with hurricanes or earthquakes. Violent turmoil (Iraq burning their own rigs) has not taken place on a global scale. Unlike the 1970's, the supply of oil is not limited to OIC sources, and the US has issued drilling leases to off shore interests to foreign countries. There is evidence of plenty of opportunity to drill and improved technology and costs make oil shale a profit bearing possibility, yet domestic drilling efforts are being blocked wholesale by powerful political interests. Why?
These latest government reports of shortages are difficult to believe since the shortages, if they truely exist, appear intentionally self inflicted by political interests.
This is all so incredibly frustrating.
HRW
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