I came across an interesting article while I was away last week, and thought it would be worth sharing.

In an interview (here) with the French publication Le Monde (and which unfortunately already seems to have lost the attention of most),  the Energy Information Administration director of International, Economic and Greenhouse Gas division at our Department of Energy admits to at least the possibility that we may “experience a decline” of global liquid fuel production within the next four or five years.

Without acknowledging Peak Oil, which the DoE does not support, Glen Sweetnam did suggest that this potential decline in production could be the first stages of an “undulating plateau,”—leading to peak oil production (although another spokesperson did not use the term “Peak Oil”).

The government’s apparent reliance on still-“unidentified” sources of supply and unspecified “investments” to offset a gap between increasing demand and acknowledged depletion of current resources seems to be overly-optimistic, if not simply foolish. That kind of political-speak is at best disingenuous. We already have enough of this obfuscation from the Peak Oil deniers who conveniently overlook most production-related facts about whatever reserves might still lie underground or under water.

The Le Monde article also contains other information suggesting that the DoE has not only revised its forecasts, but is engaging in some delicate tiptoeing around the truth about near-term oil supply and looming energy resource problems.

If we’re this close to reaching “undulating plateaus” prior to an official recognition of an unceasing decline in oil production just a few more years down the road, then we’d better get moving on major plans to re-create our infrastructure and transportation plans, because that clock is ticking faster and louder.