Everyone knows oil’s running out
A new poll has found that majorities in 15 out of 16 nations surveyed around the world think that oil is running out.
People think governments should make a major effort to find new sources of energy.
Most think that future oil prices will be much higher.
So why do so few governments publish peak oil policies?
minority unconcerned
On average, a 22 percent minority believe that “enough new oil will be found so that it can remain a primary source of energy for the foreseeable future.”
Only in Nigeria does a majority (53%) think that governments can rely on oil in the long term.
Instead, an average of 70 percent think governments should assume that “oil is running out and it is necessary to make a major effort to replace oil as a primary source of energy.”
The largest majorities endorsing this view are found in South Korea (97%), France (91%), Mexico (83%) and China (80%). The smallest are in Russia (53%) and India (54%), while in Nigeria only a minority (45%) holds this view. See full report (pdf)
replace oil
“The widespread consensus that oil needs to be replaced as an energy source may be prompted by concerns about the effect of oil on climate change as well as the belief that oil will run out,” said Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org.
Bush wrong
Politics is very much in evidence. Government leaders are watched for their response on Peak Oil.
A majority in the United States (57%), the world’s biggest consumer of oil, believes their government is acting on the assumption that oil can remain a primary source of energy. However, most Americans believe their government’s assumptions are wrong.
“People around the world also assume that these higher prices will go even higher,” the director of WorldPublicOpinion.org said.
Opinion:
Conspiracy theorists would say that most governments have already prioritised “energy security” and don’t want to alarm the public. Other theorists would say that too many governments have ignored it.
The circulating theory about the USA’s government action is that the recent war was only an initiative to secure oil supplies, and the delay in agreeing the Kyoto proposal is to secure power - both for the incumbents and for the USA. Being the only super-power allows such selfish behaviour, but it doesn’t win friends and promote teamwork!
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April 26th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
And a day later, we hear via Reuters:
“Nearly 900 scientists at the Environmental Protection Agency have experienced political interference in their work in the last five years, the Union of Concerned Scientists reported on Wednesday.” [more at http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSN2327629320080423}