The media is shifting. National Geographic published this article this month.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/print/2008/06/world-oil/roberts-text
They do not directly state there is a crisis but indicate that "A peak or plateau in oil production will also mean that, with rising population, the amount of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel available for each person on the planet may be significantly less than it is today. And if that's bad news for energy-intensive economies, such as the United States, it could be disastrous for the developing world, which relies on petroleum fuels not just for transport but also for cooking, lighting, and irrigation."
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I find it very interesting that the media is suddenly opening up to this issue. It is curious that the former head of an oil company is admitting to peak oil; this shows that the problem has really reached a critical point. I would be very interested to know if any events occured recently that may have triggered such a change of heart, if anyone knows of any.
I think it is really great that powerful, respected leaders are finally acknolwedging the oil crisis; I think this will definitely help foster belief in the problem and maybe even determination to solve it or at least do some damage control. Having an oil company official own up to the validity of peak oil is a very big deal, and I think this article will show to the public that we really are running out of oil, and that something must be done. However, I think all of this progress is completely lost at the end of the article, when the same official who claims that peak oil is imminent and unavoidable if it has not occured yet already was quoted as having said that change is far off. You cannot acknowledge a devestating problem and then just nonchallantly trow in that nothing will be done to fix it any time soon. ALthough he isn't saying this directly, it comes across as though he is ok with nothing being done--by not showing any signs of urgency, the direness of the situation he presented is lost. He explains that peak oil is real, and then says that we wont do anything about it any time soon. Personally, if I did not know what I already do about this topic, would read this article and think there is nothing to worry about, simply because he says at the end that no change will be made. He doesn't acknowledge that this is wrong either; he doesn't say that a change SHOULD be made. He simply says that it wont be.
I think it sucks that such a promising article had to end on such a bad note, but I think it is still a step in the right direction. It is great that the media is finally turning some meaningful attention to the energy crisis; maybe soon it will do so wholeheartedly, and the published material will not be so easily undermined by empty comforting statements.
i see that the media is opening up to this idea, but the general public is still not aware of it enough.
i don't hear about peak oil on the news... ever. granted, i don't watch the news every night, but since it is such an important issue, you would think that I would hear something about it.
Peak oil probably isnt talked about a lot in the news because of the immense amount of control advertising has on the media.
Hopefully, this will change soon, but I doubt it.
I think the media is doing its job by not recognizing the impending oil crisis. The media is used to pacify the masses, and by disregarding all the facts, it does just that. I think the peak oil concept is too scary for people to readily accept it and change their habits. Historically the media has hid the truth from the masses in order to maintain calm. Even now, the wrong doings in the Iraq – American War haven’t been uncovered. After the Vietnam War, the public just began to learn of the horrors that occurred overseas. I think by covering up peak oil information (and imminent end to the “modern lifestyle”) the media and the government are going all the can to delay the shocking and the hysteria that will soon ensue.
I feel as though it's a good thing that the media is opening up to and covering the issue of peak, seeing that this is the only way to raise awareness. However, I am a biy skeptical as to what such disemination of this information can do at this point. It seems that as a society, the majority of people are inclined to protect only their own interests and their own lives. As a result, i don't see people recieving such information about peak oil with much interest. People may be concerned about it, but I don't know if people will take the initiative to solve the problem which will require some alteration in their own life styles. I also see many people take another
approach to such information.
Many people i know choose to ignore such information all together. For example, my parents, when i talk to them about peak oil, they respond as if the oil crisis is some myth. They ignore information about peak oil all together, claiming that as a society we have plenty of oil. As a result of such attitudes, I don't see much change occuring just because the media has decided to cover this issue.
What the ariticle tells me the most important thing is that "since Saudi Arabia and other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries control 75 percent of the world's total oil reserves, their output will peak substantially later than that of other oil regions, giving them even more power over prices and the world economy. A peak or plateau in oil production will also mean that, with rising population, the amount of gasoline, kerosene, and diesel available for each person on the planet may be significantly less than it is today." It's true that we are facing a very tough time of petroleum today and the concept of "Peak oil" really makes people aware the tesions of oil energy. However, what Sadad I. Al Husseini tells me that many oil experts were either misreading the global reserves and oil-production data or obfuscating it. Many countries such as Russia and Iraq, they have a huge amount of reserve but they don't produce that much. Also the control of these OPEC member contries hold their petroleum reserves for many purposes, they could be either ecnomical or political. The people in the U.S are even suffering so much, then what about the developing countries and the people in the thrid world. Recently, I am so upset with the people are starving in the Africa. As the price oil increases swiftly, all the price of other major daily supplies will increase too. It's going to be a disaster for the world.
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