2nd Annual Houston Peak Oil Conference, 8/13

[PDittie]

(We attended the first conference last year; watched "End of Suburbia for the first time. Talk about getting your attention...)



Second Annual Peak Oil Mini-Conference
Houston, Sunday August 13 1 p.m. -- 5:15 p.m. (Registration begins 12:30 p.m.)

First Unitarian Universalist Church, 5200 Fannin at Southmore in the Museum District of Houston

$10 donation, no one turned away for lack of funds. Space is limited, so please pre-register at the website. Discuss "How can we cope with peak oil?" with:

** Jeffrey J. Brown, independent geologist in the Dallas area, author of "What the mainstream media are not telling you about the run-up in oil prices" and "Texas and lower 48 oil production as a model for Saudi Arabia and the world"
** Alan S. Drake, a consulting engineer, former accountant, and professional researcher based in New Orleans and author of "The electrification of transportation as a response to the peaking of world oil production".
** Karl Pepple, City of Houston, Director of Environmental Programming
** Fred Yebra, Austin Energy, Director of Demand Side Management
** Chris Boyer, Vice President of Houston Renewable Energy Group, a non-profit organization for citizens.

See Conference Agenda (.pdf) for a list of workshops. Sponsored by: Houston Peak Oil Progressives, First Unitarian Universalist Church Community Involvement Committee, Oil Patch Democrats, Houston Climate Protection Alliance and Harris County Green Party.

[cosmik debris]

1. That looks just like the stuff we saw in the early 70's

Gas went up to $.50 a gallon and we were told that the oil supply was almost gone.

I agree that we need to end our dependence on fossil fuels, but be careful what you believe about oil supplies. In 1972 there was very little oil available at $3.50 a barrel. But at $35 a barrel there was plenty of oil. Today there is not enough oil at $70 a barrel, but at $140 a barrel, there will be plenty.

[PDittie]

2. Are you saying it's possible that

we're being deceived in some way?

I'm shocked.

[cosmik debris]

3. There is more than one side to the story.

There are different opinions on the subject. Here is mine.

Until the 1970s the US stifled the free market in oil by setting artificially low prices and demanding that they be held. Remember, we made the Saudi Royal Family what they are today because they agreed to sell us oil at $3.50 a barrel. The same is true of the Shah of Iran. We used political and military force to cap oil prices for our advantage.

Then along came OPEC. Some people believe that OPEC set the price of oil at an artificially high price by establishing supply restrictions, but another point of view is that they simply broke the US stranglehold on the free market and allowed prices to fluctuate. OPEC was unable to enforce production quotas so supply fluctuated with price and demand. That is why we had that little roller coaster ride in the late 70’s and early 80’s. Oil went from $3.50 to $35.00 and back to$17.00 and lower by 1984. Production responded to price. It shows clearly on your graph. (Coincidentally the number of drilling rigs looking for oil went from 3500 in 1980 to 1100 in 1984)

This used to be personal for me. I worked in the oil patch until the crash of 84. Now it has become personal again because the moron in charge of our country is pissing off everyone in the oil-producing world just so he can live his PNAC dream of world domination. If we want steady, reasonable oil prices, all we have to do is bring peace and stability to the oil producing countries. That means regime change in Washington first and foremost.

And that’s my opinion.

Edit: Note how your graph follows the price of oil since 1975 as well as it tracks the production of oil since 1975. And Yet the makers of the graph predict that production will go down as the price rises in the future. Maybe they are missing something. Do they expect the law of supply and demand to be repealed?