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Chris Skrebowski comments on BP's Statistical Review of World Energy 2007 (Audio)
Global Public Media
Chris Skrebowski, editor of the UK Petroleum Review, discusses yesterday's Independent article on peak oil and BP's Statistical Review of World Energy 2007 with Julian Darley of Global Public Media.

Chris Skrebowski said about the Independent article:

The mainstream media has been very chary about tackling peak oil. At intervals they sort of mention it, but they then tend to immediately offset it with a doubter's view. And they've clearly seen it as an issue that is somehow dangerous to them. So the fact that the [UK] Independent was prepared to unequivocally go for the subject, making it the whole front page and all the second page, I think it represents something of a breakthrough, because it means it may be easier to talk about this rather major challenge to our societies.

(16 June 2007)

Jeremy Leggett comments on the Independent (Audio)
Global Public Media
Jeremy Leggett discusses the Independent's feature on peak oil with Julian Darley of Global Public Media. Also discussed is the likelihood of other UK newspapers to follow suit, and the disconnect between peak oil and climate change activists.

Jeremy Leggett said:

The Independent has over the period of the peak oil debate been mildly interested, I would've said, up to now but just the other day when the BP report, the statistical review was published I got a call from one of their correspondents saying, "they're saying the same as they've always said, there's 40 years of supply, the new regime is no different from the others and we think that there's an interesting story here."

"The fact is a British newspaper has now run a major front page story and they tell me that they intend to revisit this subject regularly in the same way that they did with climate change- in other words they're going to turn it into a bit of a campaign.

(18 June 2007)

The Day "Peak Oil" Became a Household Word
Dave Gonigam, Whiskey & Gunpowder
Matt Drudge has just taken Peak Oil mainstream.

Up until today, you could randomly ask 10 people on the street what "Peak Oil" is and you'd get a blank stare from at least nine of them. I'd wager that as of yesterday, Drudge himself would have been among that vast majority.

Up until today, the idea that there's only a finite amount of oil in the world that can be recovered, and that once you reach the halfway point there begins an irreversible decline, simply hasn't been in most people's awareness.

Of course, geologists and oil industry insiders have been familiar with it. Whiskey & Gunpowder readers are certainly familiar with it. And so is a subset of Lexus liberals who like Peak Oil because it dovetails nicely with their Malthusian and anti-capitalist worldview.

But all of a sudden, awareness of Peak Oil is spreading exponentially. It started today, and will only grow from here.

...[The publication of the article about peak oil in The Independent] was not a particularly big deal by itself. But then Drudge linked to it. Fairly high up on his home page, too -- "PAPER: A WORLD WITHOUT OIL COMING SOONER THAN PREDICTED."

In the space of just a few hours, millions of Internet users have become familiar with Peak Oil through the Independent article.

...I can't emphasize strongly enough how this signals a shift in public awareness -- not just because Drudge has a wide readership, but because he helps set the agenda for mainstream media coverage.

...Look for Peak Oil stories a few days from now in the New York Times and the Washington Post. Awareness will spread. Then look for Peak Oil stories a few days after that on CNN and the broadcast networks, and in your local newspaper. Awareness will spread further.
(14 June 2007)
I hope Dave's prediction is correct, but we've gone through these cycles of hope and disappointment before. Still, the mention in the Drudge Report can't hurt at all. -BA

Peak Oil - BusinessWeek tells the harsh truth
Jerome a Paris, Daily Kos
For the second day in a row, a major news publication prints an important article on peak oil. After the Independent's strongly worded criticism of the numbers in BP's yearly statistical almanach, it is Business Week's turn to provide a stark assessment of the oil situation. The article is short and an excellent introduction to the issues surrounding peak oil; I can only recommned that you read it in full
(15 June 2007)

Lies, damned lies and BP statistics
Euan Mearns, The Oil Drum: Europe
I almost choked on my whisky when I heard on the UK national television news (13/06/07), a story about peak oil and questions asked about oil reserves figures quoted in the newly published BP Statistical Review of World Energy.

The news item was referring to a story in Thursday's Independent (14/06/07) (a national UK newspaper) by Daniel Howden titled "Scientists challenge major review of global reserves and warn that supplies will start to run out in four years' time."

...So what is this all about? If you are unfamiliar with the Middle East OPEC reserves reporting scandal and the culpability of BP and OECD institutions in perpetuating myths about global oil reserves then this is explained below using Saudi Arabia as an example.

...The main reason for writing this short piece is to add my voice to Skrebowski, Campbell, Leggett and others and criticise the BP Statistical Review of World Energy for once again reporting without question the validity of ME OPEC official reserves figures. BP is not alone in perpetuating the ME OPEC reserves myth and the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Energy Information Agency (EIA) are equally culpable.

...For so long as BP, the IEA and EIA go on reporting ME OPEC reserves without question then the leaders of the major OECD economies will continue to ignore the energy peril that they are confronted with.
(18 June 2007)