Classic revelation about a doom-and-gloomer

ARTICLE: “The only way is down: The high priest of ‘peak oil” thinks world oil output can now only decline,” The Economist, 12 July 2008, p. 77.

Matthew Simmons is the classic, on-his-way-out-the-door doomsayer: spent a life in the business and now sees only doom ahead.

The clincher for me:

In the meantime, Mr Simmons is taking no chances. He plans to start up a farm near his house in Maine, in case the supply chain that provides America with food breaks down for lack of fuel. He plans to fertilize his fields with manure, rather than chemicals derived from oil and natural gas. He thinks globalisation must stop, and that as much trade as possible should be conducted by boat, to conserve whatever oil remains.

Mad Matt, here we come!

Still, the guy’s company is investing in alternative fuels, so maybe we’ll survive after all.

My point: the personal bent on this subject never ceases to amaze me.

Frankly, I don’t think the oil price hike could have come at a better time.

Comments

[Louis Heberlein]

Housing & tricky financial related industry investors grow cautious after surprises. Consumer interest earning options also go lower. Then, curiously, interest in domestic energy developments increased by an unexpected crisis. Sounds like a good TV plot.

[stuart abrams]

Where does he get the manure from? Feeding large quantities of grain to cows strikes me as a very inefficient way to produce fertilizer.

[large]

Hmmm, as far as trade being conducted by "Boat" . . What's the problem? I think it is, isn't it? The greatest number of seagoing vessels are Container Ships and the largest Ports are unloading facilities for those same ships . .

If it weren't for Container Ships and Railroads, you wouldn't be getting your Rice Krispies and TV sets . .

So the guys behind on trade, and now wants to set the clock back on everything else!