Steep decline in oil production brings risk of war and unrest

Steep decline in oil production brings risk of war and unrest

www.guardian.co.uk

· Output peaked in 2006 and will fall 7% a year
· Decline in gas, coal and uranium also predicted

World oil production has already peaked and will fall by half as soon as 2030, according to a report which also warns that extreme shortages of fossil fuels will lead to wars and social breakdown.

The German-based Energy Watch Group will release its study in London today saying that global oil production peaked in 2006 - much earlier than most experts had expected.

(visit the link for the full news article)



[edit on 21-10-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Interesting and somewhat alarming report.

With growing tensions in the Middle East and a possible war with Iran, could this report be highlighting the true agenda in Middle Eastern policies from the west, particularly the U.S.A.?

As oil production continues to decline, global economies will no doubt be affected. Dependence on Middle Eastern oil could possibly motivate the west to secure this oil rich region. Super Powers such as Russia, China and the U.S.A. all have great interest in these oil producing nations. How long before the conflicts in the Middle East broaden to involve these "super powers"?




www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

I agree oil peak should happen but I guess it was engineered to show up earlier in order to increase the revenue of the elites . Also I guess smaller cars in the US would reduce the demand for Oil imports/wars .But again, this is not in the benefit of the elites..

I feel that is not necessity for such a gloom outcome and war predictions.

We can have alternative fuel.

I don't want to believes on the Domesday and war for energy resources predictions because the only ones to be losing are the countries that will go into war to steal other nations resources.

Just look the mess in Iraq.

Originally posted by marg6043
Just look the mess in Iraq.

Yes and just look at the potential mess in Iran following any war with them.

Either way, the U.S. "interests" in these middle eastern nations clearly goes beyond military objectives alone.

Alternative fuels, while it may sound great, are simply not a viable option at this point. Most people are unaware of just how much of the U.S. economy is tied directly to the cost of oil.

A new awareness may come soon in that regard as oil prices continue to rise far above record highs. Sadly most most people will only discover these issues when they are confronted with insanely high costs in fuel for their personal vehicles.

Sadly UM_Gazz, I fear we will soon see how ardent the "non" supporters of war really are....

My guess is they will fold like cheap cards when they are paying 5 or 10 dollars a gallon for gas... Their nonsense talk will evaporate and they will again be blaming everyone except themselves... I am sure President Bush will get a lot of the blame, he is to blame for everything anyway, at least if you listen to many.. LMAO

You are correct in that alternative fuels will not become a real viable solution for many years now, we are simply not advanced in that area enough.

So we do what many are crying, leave the Middle East to it's own accord, and the radicals take over, which they will, and let's see how long before the crying starts...

Semper

Yes the resource wars are very much underway. This is very clear on multiple levels. All you really have to do is look at what the super powers are doing.

Russia has claimed the vast oil and natural gas resources in the North pole, with clear objections from the US.
Russia has consolidated its domestic oil companies into one mega corporation with direct ties to government policy.
Russia has threatened to cut off oil supplies to multiple European countries as well as former Soviet states.
Russia is working very hard to undermine US military activities in the Middle East.
www.rferl.org...

China has expanded its trade tremendously, with a very obvious hunger for Oil.
China is working to undermine US activity in the middle east.
www.washingtonpost.com...

Obviously the United States is working very hard to ensure domestic oil companies can keep milking American citizens of every last penny. This is evident in our Middle East policy, where 2/3s of the World's oil supply resides.

currently the resource wars between super powers are manifesting in trade policy, land grabs, and proxy military conflicts. I think its only a matter of time before a full scale military conflict occurs. There is still plenty of money to be made from oil, and countries are likely to begin fighting over it.

Thirty years ago they said that the oil wells would by dry by the year 2000 and high energy prices gave us a taste of the price of dependency on foreign oil . As we all know in the interim western countries did nothing to tackle the problem at hand. A big part of the problem is that those who advocate the likes of alternative fuels the most are often exposed as hyper critics when they oppose the likes of wind farms being constructed and Nuclear Power.

reply to post by xpert11


iT BECOMES OBVIOUS THAT THE BULK OF THE REMAINING OIL RESERVES WILL BE CONSUMED IN FIGHTING OR POSTURING OVER THEM.
THE REMAINING STOCKS WILL BECOME INSUFFICIENT FOR PRODUCING FOOD ENOUGH FOR US ALL RATHER QUICKLY.....
AN ANSWER SEEMS TO LIE IN REJECTING THE FEAR AND PREDJUDICES WHICH ARE USED BY THE POWERS THAT BE TO CONTROL US, AND OPTING FOR DIRECT ACTION AND TRUST BETWEEN THE ORDINARY PEOPLE OF ALL THE EARTH.
INFORMATION IS THE UNIVERSAL MEDIUM OF REVOLT.
FREE SHARING OF INNOVATIVE AND NON GOVERMENTAL SOLUTIONS RAPIDLY AND THOROUGHLY OVER THE INTERNET FOR AS LONG AS THIS IS POSSIBLE.......
IT REQUIRS OIL TO PRODUCE EVERYTHING WHICH WE CONSUME AS A CIVILIZATION....THAT MEANS NO NEW tvS OR cARS OR DELIVERED FOODSTUFFS OR LARGE FOOD PRODUCTION LIKE THE ag biz CAN CURRENTLY PROVIDE...
FROM TRUCKED HOG FEED TO CALIFORNIA ORANGES, DELIVERY WILL BE CUT TO AN EXPENSIVE TRICKLE...
HOW LONG DOES ANYONE SANE ACTUALLY THINK THAT THINGS WILL REMAIN NORMAL FOR THE AVERAGE HUMAN BEING?

Sempterfortis, so in your mind is ok to go and kill, destroy and annihilate entire nations as long as is for the sole purpose to keep America oil barons with their hands on available resources so they can keep their outrageous oil profits.

If you think I am going to fold like a chair and support this type of corruption you are very wrong.

Originally posted by marg6043
oil barons with their hands on available resources so they can keep their outrageous oil profits.

Oil companies make about 8% return on investment. That's a fair and reasonable amount when compared with any other industry. How are they making billions in profit? Because they invest billions and billions into their business.

The U.S. government gain more from oil production, through taxes, than the oil companies do.

When everyone wakes up and realizes that there is no comparable energy source, that alternative fuels will cost even more and produce less energy. Only then will they accept the fact that life is changing. Until then people will keep preaching the "Pie in the sky" alternative fuels and ignoring the facts around them. Who here actually believes that the war in Iraq was to prevent terrorism? In a way it was. It was a war to prevent terrorism against America's oil supply. Imagine someone shutting down the Straights of Hormez, cutting of 25% of the world's oil. Now that would be a WMD.

Originally posted by dbates
The U.S. government gain more from oil production, through taxes, than the oil companies do.

All the more reason to expect more wars in the Middle East and continued rise in tensions between super power nations.

Originally posted by dbates
When everyone wakes up and realizes that there is no comparable energy source, that alternative fuels will cost even more and produce less energy. Only then will they accept the fact that life is changing.

Most people do not think beyond the needs of their own personal vehicles.

Anyone who reads this, take a moment to look around you right now, look at EVERYTHING and then ask yourselves... How did all of this get here?

As a commercial driver I can tell you I just filled the fuel tanks in a tractor trailer with diesel last week for a trip, the total cost in fuel for the fill $768. The average MPG if lucky will be about 5.5 miles per gallon.

Trucks, trains, ships, all require fuel, usually diesel, and everything around you including your food all was made available to you after being transported by fuel burning methods. So the cost of nearly everything is affected by the cost of oil.

The battle over control and perhaps domination of global oil resources is beginning and can only intensify exponentially. Wars ultimately over oil are assured.

Alternative fuels are a pipe dream, a means of pacification, have no way at this time to cover even the smallest percentage of global oil demands.


[edit on 22-10-2007 by UM_Gazz]

Guess what Dbates I hope the pill will be a very bitter one to swallow.

And bitter it will be, not country in the world should be force to give away their natural resources like we have done with ours to private greedy corrupted elite.

I lived through the 70s oil crisis, guess what we didn't learn from that time and we will never will, because is not about what the people wants but what corporate ridden governments want.

I will have no problem sitting down looking at greedy nations braking apart.

That is what survival will come very handy.

I wonder how many Americans will give away their sons and daughters to die for profits.

A crisis indeed when the people will raise to demand the corporate greedy governments for accountability.

But wars will not be what the people will be asking under an economical crisis, that is what the corporate elite wants.

Originally posted by marg6043
But wars will not be what the people will be asking under an economical crisis, that is what the corporate elite wants.

Perhaps, but when people are faced with shortages and fuel costs that prohibit their perceptible 'freedom' the revolution will go into hyper mode.

Do not underestimate the people's demand for oil.

Gazz that is the thing, people are not blind, they see what the invasion of Iraq has brought to our nation, our soldiers moral, the standing of US in the world.

They have seen how our best jobs has been outsourced do to corporate greed, our dollar devalue, china our communist enemy now sleeping with American elite.

Iraq has not brought anything to the people in America, is not blooming economy but a outrageous deficit, is not oil relief at the pump but an increasing and steady rate of hike oil prices.

The geopolitical wars are nothing but for the benefits of the ruling elites in the world at the expenses of citizens blood.

I predict that before citizens in this nation starts screaming for wars they will demand the release of our own natural resources and oil supplies now under the thumb of private companies.

In an economical crisis people's loyalties will be with the doers not the oppressors.

Economical crisis most often than not brings regime changes from within the countries.

Civil unrest will bring wars within our own citizens, the ones being controlled against the controllers.

Wars with other nations for energy resources will be the last thing in the minds of the population.

But no necessarily out of the minds of the ones pursuing them for their own personal agendas and benefit.

The problem is how to convince the population that wars are needed and to ask for cooperation while oil prices are over the roof and not linked to any threats to our own nations security.

Right now after Iraq I find that very difficult to sell.





[edit on 22-10-2007 by marg6043]

Without a doubt there is going to be war over resources.

Right now we are being conditioned to accept war in the middle east through fear. Fear of terrorists, fear of Iran having nuclear weaponry and fear of what these religious extremists will do to our way of life if they are not stopped.

Most people could not accept "our good government" could be so cruel as to wage a sophisticated and technologically advanced war on countries who cannot defend themselves against the greatest war machine the world has ever known.
All in the name of profit, and maintaining the balance of power in the world today.

Its a terrible reality, and its a certainty, that the U.S and its allies WILL do whatever is necessary to maintain this. Most people will buy it, those who don't have little choice but to sit back in shock/horror and watch the destruction from the comfort of their living rooms.

Is there another way?

If the western powers don't make a play for the remaining resources, then what?
Already things are not good right across the board. Currency is suffering with talk of recession. China and other developing nations are growing at rates never before seen. Unemployment, MASSIVE debt right across the board, all points a grimly dark picture of looming conflict.

Originally posted by marg6043
Iraq has not brought anything to the people in America, is not blooming economy but a outrageous deficit, is not oil relief at the pump but an increasing and steady rate of hike oil prices.

True, but Iraq is a perfect base from which to launch a military campaign to gain more control over the Middle East oil reserves.

Originally posted by Burginthorn
Right now we are being conditioned to accept war in the middle east through fear. Fear of terrorists, fear of Iran having nuclear weaponry and fear of what these religious extremists will do to our way of life if they are not stopped.

Exactly, but how far can this conditioning go in motivating the people for war?

Americans are more likely to favor military actions when their livelihoods and fuel sources are threatened by growing declines in oil production and greatly rising costs ultimately having profound impact on individuals personal lives.

I still believe that it will need a lot of shady government inside jobs and attacks against our nation to influence public opinion to accept another disastrous war.

Because with just being tide at the pump is not enough for public support.

Beside people will blame our own government for the failure to maintain our nations economy power.

I see Crisis indeed but within our nation first. Occurs before our government allows that to happen. . . and I believe also that they have contingency plans they will create a very good scenario to bring another conflict this time with Iran.

I still can not believe that Mr. Cheney has the face to be in Public calling for Iran next.

The purpose of this people that are in charge of our nation is just without shame or boundaries and we the citizens are nothing but numbers and expendable.

Originally posted by Burginthorn
Is there another way?

i believe there is....

just one example of the many companies that will take advantage of the rising oil prices, and falling oil supply is MPI inc.

GENIE generators with no moving parts can be made in many of the world's
electronics factories. Household units will produce power 24/7. Larger units will
replace automobile engines. GENIE will eliminate any need for fuel to run a vehicle.
It can also allow future cars to become income producing power plants when parked...........

A near-term MPI goal is a 1 kW self-sustaining generator perhaps 5"x5"x16" in size.
In 2008, a plug-in hybrid car, with a pair of these 1,000 watt GENIE prototypes, is
expected to demonstrate that a connection to the grid is not necessary in order to
recharge the battery. That will herald the beginning of an end to the need for fuel.

source: www.magneticpowerinc.com...

granted there are plenty of companies out there. the point is, there are plenty companies working on it.

it will just take a political administration with the stones to move us away from where we are now, and into the future. maybe post Hillery, maybe...

reply to post by JSR


Once again people believe the magic cure to the growing oil crisis will be alternative energy sources. However there is no viable alternative, or combination of alternative energy sources that can come close to replacing a very small percentage of the current global demand for oil.

The power oil has over global economies is quite profound, past wars throughout history have been fought over much less power.

Imagine the power one nation could have if that nation had control over the majority of the world's oil supply.




[edit on 22-10-2007 by UM_Gazz]