[Kristen]

The aforementioned eclipses an age where the economy is beginning to convalesce, and with this recovery, oil demand is rising ever so slowly. China is the second largest consumer of oil, and its thirst is akin to an alcoholic just sitting down for their first drink. Most Americans are traumatized by the price shocks in the latter half of the 0’s. The United States energy policy is ambiguous at best, offering very little insights or conclusions to an idea with such magnitude.

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/alanbannacheck/32506/the-next-oil-ride

This pretty much sums it up.

[Ludi]

This is probably that "undulating plateau" some of us love so much. It's not dramatic, not exciting, but it gives both the doomers and the cornies opportunities to say "I told you so!" depending on if we're undulating up or down.

[Plantagenet]

YUP...I agree with Ludi 100%. Its as clear as it can be. We're just barely out of the recession and Oil is already headed back up and pushing $90/bbl.

THIS is definitely the undulating plateau before the long descent!!! No doubt about it.

So why the politicans haven't figured out yet what is going on?

[dorlomin]

Most Americans are traumatized by the price shocks in the latter half of the 0’s. The United States energy policy is ambiguous at best, offering very little insights or conclusions to an idea with such magnitude.

http://smirkingchimp.com/thread/alanbannacheck/32506/the-next-oil-ride

Can anyone show me a clear indicator that US consumers, or others round the world are 'traumatised' by the memory of the oil prices hikes of 07, 08?

[Outcast_Searcher]

Can anyone show me a clear indicator that US consumers, or others round the world are 'traumatised' by the memory of the oil prices hikes of 07, 08?

+1

The clearest indicator is just the opposite, IMO.

When people aggressively went back to buying large trucks and SUV's ramped up so much that American car companies (at least for Ford and GM as I recall) cranked up additional shifts to meet the demand for the gas guzzlers, I just threw up my hands and got REAL PI!!ED OFF! This happened in 2009 as soon as gas got cheap and the economy appeared to have bottomed (for the near term).

Frankly, I like lemmings better than the consuming human hordes. At least lemmings don't whine as they sow the seeds of their own destruction...

What really gets me is that driving a small car like a Yaris is relatively unsafe due to all the stupid large SUV's, trucks, etc. out there (made much worse by safety issues like texting and cell phone usage while driving). So it makes even an energy conscious consumer (with a brain) need to consider buying something larger, like say (at least) a Corolla, just for safety's sake.

[Lore]

What really gets me is that driving a small car like a Yaris is relatively unsafe due to all the stupid large SUV's, trucks, etc. out there (made much worse by safety issues like texting and cell phone usage while driving). So it makes even an energy conscious consumer (with a brain) need to consider buying something larger, like say (at least) a Corolla, just for safety's sake.

I find this to be a somewhat specious excuse. I have a friend that says the same thing all the time about his SUV and then rides his Harley almost daily. When everyone starts parroting the same line, you can be suspicious of the true motive. Like corporations crying about uncertainty is the reason they are not investing, rather then admitting it to be lack of demand and a poor allocation of assets problem.

[Pops]

Ya just gotta shake your head, the IEA went from denying peak oil, to saying it's demand peak to we've peaked and everything's fine.

SOS would be proud.

[Outcast_Searcher]

What really gets me is that driving a small car like a Yaris is relatively unsafe due to all the stupid large SUV's, trucks, etc. out there (made much worse by safety issues like texting and cell phone usage while driving). So it makes even an energy conscious consumer (with a brain) need to consider buying something larger, like say (at least) a Corolla, just for safety's sake.

I find this to be a somewhat specious excuse. I have a friend that says the same thing all the time about his SUV and then rides his Harley almost daily. When everyone starts parroting the same line, you can be suspicious of the true motive. Like corporations crying about uncertainty is the reason they are not investing, rather then admitting it to be lack of demand and a poor allocation of assets problem.

So feel free to ride that motorbike or Smart Car or whatever, and when you get crushed and end up in a nursing home or dead -- be sure to blame folks like me who are intelligent enough to look ahead and make what you call "specious" agruments about safety. I would never ride a bike on a public road. I ALWAYS wear my seat belt and am a defensive driver.

Try reading about safety statistics some time. That will work better than making ill informed comments based on "a friend" and his behavior.