Classic Hirsch Report Revisited

This is the classic Department of Energy report on peak oil that disappeared for a while. Nobody really knows why it vanished, but everyone has their theories. Well, it’s back…so read it while you can.

Here’s a snapshot of where this report takes the reader:

The peaking of world oil production presents the U.S. and the world with an unprecedented risk management problem. As peaking is approached, liquid fuel prices and price volatility will increase dramatically, and, without timely mitigation, the economic, social, and political costs will be unprecedented. Viable mitigation
options exist on both the supply and demand sides, but to have substantial impact, they must be initiated more than a decade in advance of peaking.

PEAKING OF WORLD OIL PRODUCTION: IMPACTS, MITIGATION, & RISK MANAGEMENT
Robert L. Hirsch, SAIC, Project Leader
February 2005
(Click for PDF)

I’ve also included a more recent interview with Robert Hirsch, which took place in 2008. Here’s a synopsis:

Energy expert Robert Hirsch says the world would need 20 years to prepare for peak oil. But declining global oil production could just be a few years away. Read how we can prepare and ultimately “beat” this problem.

(Click for PDF)