Eleison Comments

Peak Oil

By Eleison Comments in Eleison Comments on February 2, 2008

Today’s Western way of life, imitated now all over the world, is under sentence of death. One may or may not believe in Almighty God, in sin, in God’s justice or warnings or punishments upon sin, but it is impossible to believe that planet earth’s resources of oil can or will sustain indefinitely a way of life consuming 84 million barrels of oil a day, and every day thirsting for more.

A while after oil-wells have been discovered, their production reaches a peak, and then steadily and inexorably declines. In the USA, discovery of oil peaked in 1930, and production peaked in 1970, a period coinciding with the USA’s greatest economic power. As its own oil declined, so the USA changed from being the world’s greatest oil exporter and creditor nation to being its greatest importer and debtor nation. Global oil discovery peaked in 1964, global oil production is peaking anywhere from now to around 2015, and from then on it must decline. There are few new oil fields. Three times more oil is now consumed each year than is discovered. 53 countries are past their producing peak.

Over the last 150 years since rock-oil (petr-oleum) began replacing whale-oil in the USA, rock-oil has become an incomparable source of dense and cheap energy, versatile and powerful. As such it has been the engine of global economic growth, and there is no replacement in sight. What will happen to the West’s industry, agriculture, transportation, military forces and even electricity when there is no more oil? It has been central to developing the “freedom” of Western ways. The imminent necessity for these to change radically is a theme no democratic politician cares to touch.

Yet the governments know. That is why it makes complete sense that 9/11 was organized to make possible (amongst other things) the invasion of countries where military bases could be built amongst, and all around, the present most important sources of world oil. Such governments seem to envisage no alternative to oil, but the writing is on the wall – the party will soon be over!

Any individual, nation or world that builds on anything other than on the Gospel is building on sand, said Our Lord, and he might have added, even sand soaked in oil.

Kyrie eleison.