April 4, 2004: Oil Dependence - Richard Heinberg
Podcast: The Art Bell ArchivePublished On: Fri Aug 08 2025
Description: Art Bell welcomes Richard Heinberg, author of The Party's Over, for a sobering examination of global oil depletion and its consequences for industrial civilization. Heinberg explains that worldwide oil production will likely peak between 2006 and 2016, after which no amount of investment can reverse the decline, and that 24 of the world's 44 major oil-producing nations have already passed their production peaks.The discussion covers the geopolitics of petroleum, including how pricing oil in U.S. dollars has kept American gasoline artificially cheap, why OPEC nations inflated their reserve figures in the 1980s, and how the Iraq war fits into a broader strategy of securing remaining oil supplies. Heinberg warns that competition between the United States and China for dwindling resources could lead to armed conflict unless international cooperation agreements are reached.Art and Heinberg explore practical responses for individuals, from energy audits and compact fluorescent bulbs to growing food locally and driving fuel-efficient vehicles. Heinberg describes running his own diesel car on biodiesel made from vegetable oil. He dismisses hydrogen as a realistic replacement fuel and notes that North American natural gas production has already peaked, threatening both home heating and the fertilizer supply that sustains modern agriculture.
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