NumbersGuy

The Energy Efficiency Paradox

As someone above pointed out, using automobiles as an example for efficiency doesn't really cut it. In fact, MPG's on average went down over the last decade or so thanks to the popularity of the SUV, which was driven by strange exemptions to CAFE standards for light trucks. Market distortions at work,

I don't have the hard data in front of me, but California has had hard efficiency standards for 30 years. The argument that they haven't decreased energy use is solid, but the energy per capita use is much lower in California than the rest of the US and they have, as a result, avoided building power plants they would otherwise have needed.

Oil Bull Market on Hold, Demand Should Keep Growing

So subtracting out the US, it looks like demand worldwide grew by 1 million barrels per day per year in 08 and is forecast to do the same in 2009. How reliable, typicallly, is EIA data?

Is the Peak Oil Theory Valid?

You can't be serious in thinking the the "geological rate of petroleum production" could possibly be equal to or higher than our rate of consumption? The oil we're consuming accumulated over millions or billions of years! And even your optimistic estimate stated that US reserves could supply the world for 30 years. Come on now....

I've heard a lot of arguments against the Peak Oil theory - and your argument that there are reserves out that we're not touching isn't totally unreasonable, though you don't address the increased cost of getting to those reserves. I believe we could get at them, but probably not fast enough to make up for the dropping supply from other sources. (OK maybe if we had started earlier...)

But drop your first argument - that's just ludicrous.