Understanding peak oil theory, 2007 U.S. House hearing
[What follows are excerpts from the 95 page transcript of this hearing, the only one about peak oil and the possibility that peak production may happen soon. And also the only hearing where most of the speakers explaining peak oil, including Representative Roscoe Bartlett, were scientists. From now on think-tank experts and CEO’s of large companies, not scientists, promise peak oil production is decades away and that the U.S. has 100 years of energy independence. Has Congress only invited bureaucrats rather than scientists and engineers since 2005 so that after the next energy crisis they can say they knew nothing? Though of course they know we’re in deep trouble — see the March 7, 2006 “Energy Independence” Senate hearing. Alice Friedemann www.energyskeptic.com ]
RALPH M. HALL, TEXAS. We are having this hearing today to learn more about peak oil theory, to hear different opinions, and to learn what we can do about it, if anything. While some theorists believe that we have reached our peak, the point at which the rate of world oil production cannot increase at any time, there are others that tell us that we are not going to peak any time soon, and others who still believe oil is continuously being created and will therefore never peak. We have not been ignoring a possible peak in oil production and this energy bill that was signed into law in August had provisions that address oil usage by promoting conservation and conventional and unconventional production. Whether or not we are reaching our peak, it seems responsible to continue in the vain we are going in by continuing to work on ways to conserve energy while increasing our domestic supply of oil and using research to develop substitutes for conventional oil.
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