The Spoils of Oil

摘要

If you're like me, your head will be spinning reading Jim Motavalli's cover sto-ry this issue ("The Outlook on Oil," page 26). How can so many "experts" and "industry analysts" have such varying opinions as to when we will-or when we did-reach the world's peak of oil production? What with predictions ranging from right now to 30 years hence to 30 years ago, I can only conclude one of two things: (a) only one of them is right; or (b) none of them are right. But as I see it the whole debate about when oil might peak or run out is not unlike that proverbial argument about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Even if we have 10 thousand years' worth of oil still beneath our feet we should still move quickly to find alternatives and mark an end to our petroleum century.