Richard Heinberg on Megaprojects Update (Peak Oil)

[chlamor]

Published on 19 Apr 2005 by Global Public Media. Archived on 27 Apr 2005.


Richard Heinberg on megaprojects update

by Richard Heinberg

You mentioned some of the countries which look as if they’re going to be moving into the decline phase. What do you make of Mexico’s situation, after all an incredibly important supplier to the U.S.?

Yes, and Mexico has basically said that Cantero – which is its largest field in the Gulf of Mexico, and really the most important field right now in the Americas – is likely to enter decline this year, which is – that’s very significant. Because we’re seeing the list of exporting nations grow shorter with each passing year and the list of importing nations grow longer.

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That’s a difficult question to answer. Yes, at a certain level, Americans are getting very concerned about high energy prices. But they really don’t know how to think about the problem. They haven’t been educated very well to understand where their energy comes from or why the U.S. is dependent on oil imports. I think if you asked 100 Americans, you know, about the state of U.S. oil production they’d stare at you blankly. They have no idea that America was the world’s foremost oil producer only a few decades ago and went through its own oil production peak in 1970.

Can you be a little more specific? Because a lot more people are becoming very worried about these restless ways.

Yes. Well, I think the U.S. Federal government has been busily putting in place a kind of authoritarian infrastructure over the last four years with the Patriot Act and various other measures. And I think ultimately these are intended – at least partially – for domestic use, to control social disorder, as the economy starts to come apart.

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