The Peak-Oil “Die-Off”

“The World’s population has grown in parallel with oil production to its present level of 6.4 billion. … It is hard to avoid the conclusion that this Century will see the population fall to close to pre–Oil Age levels.”

—C. J. Campbell, leading peak-oil geologist

“The recent fossil-fuel era has seen so much growth of population and consumption that there is an overwhelming likelihood of a crash of titanic proportions. …. Verbal and mathematical logic, joined with empirical evidence, make an airtight case: we’re headed toward a cliff.”

—Richard Heinberg, most prolific peak-oil author

“Perverse as the comment may seem, I don’t think collapse, in this instance, would necessarily be such a bad thing. As Tainter points out, collapse really just means a return to the normal pattern of human life—life, that is, in tribes or villages. …. Perhaps peak oil at last provides the word ‘sustainability’ with teeth.”

—Richard Heinberg