Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil”

postcarbon.org 05 Jul '12, 9am

Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil”

George Monbiot announced in the Guardian on Monday “We were wrong on peak oil. There’s enough to fry us all “, an article which concluded “peak oil hasn’t happened, and it’s unlikely to happen for a very long time”. Several people have written, and even stopped me while I’ve been out shopping, to ask for my take on his piece, so here it is. It has been a tricky thing to write, as in the time it took me to compose it, so many other interesting analyses of it have been posted, many of which I have tried to reference here. In a nutshell, I think Monbiot’s piece swallows an over-optimistic take on peak oil, and there are things in his piece that I disagree with and things that I agree with, although I don’t for a moment consider myself a peak oil expert. What he does prompt is a rethink in terms of how we present peak oil. Let’s start with the things I disagree with.

Full article: http://www.postcarbon.org/blog-post/990004-some-transitio...

Tweets

@SCVIndy » 06 Jul '12, 3am
RT @daniellerch: "One consequence of [peak oil] is, in our desperation we create even more challenges for us and for our descendants." [link]
@daniellerch » 05 Jul '12, 10pm
"One consequence of [peak oil] is, in our desperation we create even more challenges for us and for our descendants." [link]
@daniellerch » 05 Jul '12, 10pm
@josiahfood @GeorgeMonbiot BTW great @robintransition followup today: If Saudi was hot chocolate, Bakken is a brownie. [link]
@daniellerch » 05 Jul '12, 10pm
Reports of the death of #peakoil have been greatly exaggerated. [link]
@daniellerch » 05 Jul '12, 10pm
Saudi oil was like "hot chocolate thru a straw", Bakken oil like getting liquid chocolate "from a chocolate brownie". [link]
@ZerowGrowth » 05 Jul '12, 7pm
RT @TTOrangevilleON: Some #Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that: “we were wrong on #PeakOil” - [link] - #ERoEI
@TTOrangevilleON » 05 Jul '12, 7pm
Some #Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that: “we were wrong on #PeakOil” - [link] - #ERoEI
@ptatenz » 05 Jul '12, 7pm
@robintransition reflects on @georgemonbiot assertion that “we were wrong on #peakoil” [link]
@PostGrowthBot » 05 Jul '12, 1pm
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link] #postgrowth
@NZFoWL » 05 Jul '12, 9am
RT @GaianCollective: Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@GaianCollective » 05 Jul '12, 9am
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@drmatthewhardy » 01 Aug '12, 9am
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@jon_martin90 » 07 Jul '12, 10pm
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@jasonloyet » 05 Jul '12, 6pm
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@Quaker_Diane » 05 Jul '12, 11am
RT @GaianCollective: Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@LowCarbonSG » 05 Jul '12, 10am
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@spitfirepilot1 » 05 Jul '12, 9am
RT @GaianCollective: Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@havantacluOTMP » 05 Jul '12, 9am
RT @GaianCollective: Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@havantacluOTMP » 05 Jul '12, 9am
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@femacampinmate » 05 Jul '12, 9am
RT @GaianCollective: Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil” [link]
@jaypeg » 05 Jul '12, 9am
Some Transition reflections on George Monbiot’s announcement that “we were wrong on peak oil… [link]