[Ayoob_Reloaded]

featuring quotes from Deffeyes, Simmons, Campbell... it's like he got his news from reading this board.

Here's a link to a list of his articles, some PO related and some not... there's a bunch there that really lay it out like a doomer would.

Booya

New man in the Experts section?

[JoeW]

The big one that stands out is from September 9, 2004, and I think it's called "How long will the oil last?" For a while, Msnbc placed a link to that article inside of every article that they published related to gasoline & oil.
When I look at his articles prior to that, it almost seems like he had no peak-oil awareness until September 9, 2004 (or he hid it very well).

[JoeW]

I would be interested in knowing if there are any other journalists out there who appear to be peak-oil aware.

[BabyPeanut]

Aware or at liberty to speak?

http://www.energybulletin.net/2721.html
[quote]If we concentrate, for the moment, on the mainstream media, there is a very limited number of outlets that I would broadly describe as “freeâ€

[bart]

I think BabyPeanut and others on this board have a mistaken idea about how censorship works in the media.

1. If news stories would directly harm a specific corporate interest, then there can be pressure to have those stories squealched. This pressure can be effective on local media for local problems. But media from other locations are not subject to those pressures and can gaily report on horrible corporation X.

Corporations are more sophisticated in handling publicity than relying on direct pressure and censorship. Instead, they turn to public relations and disinformation campaigns.

2. Peak oil is not a local problem, nor does it obviously directly harm the interests of a specific corporation. In fact, some business interests will profit from PO publicity, such as ethanol producers and PV manufacturers.

If there is no obvious harm being done by a news story, corporations don't waste their time. It may be that the long-term implications of the PO story will be damaging to capitalism, as people on this board suggest, but corporations don't pay attention to vague, long-term threats.

The same analysis applies to censorship for political reasons. PO by itself is neither left nor right. Matthew Simmons is a Bush Republican and the neo-cons could use PO as justification for many of their plans.

I see no evidence AT ALL of organized media resistance to Peak Oil. Newsweek, NY Times, Rolling Stone, Business Week, Fortune, National Geographic and Scientific American have all covered Peak Oil. You can't get more mainstream than those publications.

There is inertia, yes, because PO is so contrary to the prevailing worldview. Also the media have become so superficial and entertainment centered, that they avoid consideration of any serious issue (not just PO).

In general, though, the field is wide open to anyone with the knowledge and ability to tell the story of PO.

(My background is in journalism, as a reporter, editor, and h.s. teacher of journalism.)

[threadbear]

The media may be defaulting to honesty, because they have no other course they can follow. They artlessly dodged the oil issue while "covering" a war where oil was the central issue. So there's 3 wasted years where they purposely diverted attention, until they could do so no longer.

But if the US is getting pumped for another war, expect the peak oil issue to be used as propaganda, by govt, oil companies and arms merchants and as a way to possibly get kids ready to be drafted. Peak oil is the first trial balloon to test public attitude.

Art Bell show last night--Peak oil. Would you be willing to take another country's oil if things got tough enough? That was the question on the phone in line. Expect more of the same.

[threadbear]

Bart, Why would a journalist necessarily be on the front lines when it came to direct corporate pressure? It would be the owners of the paper, not the editors or journalists who would get the direct heat. The editors may just get a little warm.

And, what is a local newspaper, anyway? With media consolidation "local" no longer exists. It's all corporate, right down to tiniest community paper
Same with radio, television. It is myth that a reporter in Boston can lambaste a corporation based in LA, as their parent company may own a sister publication in that area.

[NeoPeasant]

But if the US is getting pumped for another war, expect the peak oil issue to be used as propaganda, by govt, oil companies and arms merchants and as a way to possibly get kids ready to be drafted. Peak oil is the first trial balloon to test public attitude.

Wouldn't it be kind of hard politically to sell the idea of sending your sons and daughters to thier possible deaths for the blatant purpose of securing oil without having first suggested maybe carpooling, buying a bus pass, riding a bike and/or putting on a sweater? It's easier to tell the rubes that evil bearded men are trying to kill us cause they hate our freedom.

[BabyPeanut]

PO by itself is neither left nor right. Matthew Simmons is a Bush Republican and the neo-cons could use PO as justification for many of their plans.

So what democrats are talking about it?

Roscoe Bartlett and Gilcrest are republicans.

[bart]

Why would a journalist necessarily be on the front lines when it came to direct corporate pressure? It would be the owners of the paper, not the editors or journalists who would get the direct heat. The editors may just get a little warm.

Our paranoia to the contrary, media owners have many more important things to worry about than censoring news stories. It would take energy to monitor everything that appears in the news columns for ideological correctness. So, the owners don't tend to get involved in the details, the exception being news organizations that are frankly propagandistic, like Fox.

Owners would set the general policy, which in most case would be: "Print whatever gets us readers and doesn't cause too much of a stink." Some owners will cave in to outside pressures and others will stand up to it.

Editors are good at understanding the unspoken taboos and knowing how much they can get away with.

Reporters are young, adventurous and don't earn much money. They are curious and willing to investigate crazy ideas like Peak Oil. That's why you see so many articles in small and regional newspapers about PO. You can often get good coverage by cultivating young reporters.

In general, you can get things into the media if you understand how it works and play the game. For example, before you submit an article for a publication, study its style and policies. Don't write a philosophical rant for a small town weekly; instead, find a local angle to the story (local group, local author, local project) and capitalize on that. About a month ago, a Maine reporter wrote some dynamite articles on PO by using this strategy:
http://energybulletin.net/4439.html

Another way to get into the media is in special interest publications (websites, etc.) For example, I read a forthright description of PO in a construction trade journal by a contractor who told how he was changing his business to capitalize on PO.

And, what is a local newspaper, anyway? With media consolidation "local" no longer exists. It's all corporate, right down to tiniest community paper
Same with radio, television. It is myth that a reporter in Boston can lambaste a corporation based in LA, as their parent company may own a sister publication in that area.

It would have to be a very big issue for corporate people to expend the issue to squash a story in a subsidiary publication. Really, they don't care that much. In fact, news coverage often improves when a chain buys a local media outlet -- they can be more professional, less interested in taking sides in local stories.

The big problem is that the media have become more bottom-line oriented, and news departments are cut.

[bart]

So what democrats are talking about it [Peak Oil]?

I haven't heard any Democrat or Republican politician mention Peak Oil, but many of them are starting to talk about the problem of foreign reliance on oil, and the need for conservation and (gasp!) higher taxes on gas. (That would put us up to where Jimmy Carter was 20+ years ago.)

A few months ago, there was a national conference on energy in NY that came to conclusions like these, with both Republicans and Dems in attendance (Clinton was a speaker).

NY Times columnist THomas Friedman (liberal hawk, a centrist, maybe a Democrat) is pushing this agenda, as are some of the neo-cons.

In terms of PO commentators who are Democrats, I think Kunstler has identified himself as a Democrat, although one with several thousand words of criticism for the Democratic leadership.

FWIW, I think Green but vote Democrat.

[BabyPeanut]

I haven't heard any Democrat or Republican politician mention Peak Oil

Read Peakoil.com much?

http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic5847.html

http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic6107.html

Roscoe Bartlett stood beside, pointed to and read from a series of charts with the words "Peak Oil" on stickers attached to every one. He said the words "Peak Oil" over and over. He is a Republican.

What Democrat is talking about Peak Oil?

[bart]

You're right, BP. Roscoe Bartlett, the conservative Republican, spoke about PO in Congress. Slipped my mind. As far as I know, he's the only Dem or Rep politician to speak out.
http://energybulletin.net/4733.html

I remember doing some googling to see if there was any follow-up reaction to Bartlett's speech. Couldn't find anything. Has anybody run across anything further on that story?

According to Global Public Media, the first mainstream politician to speak out about Peak Oil was Labor representative Andrew McNamara in the Queensland Parliament (Australia), a few weeks earlier. On other thread, Liamj (an Australian) said he didn't think the speech was particularly significant for Australian politics.
http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/lectures/360

[AdzP]

Hi all...<ego on! ego on!> What I love is the way my work is reproduced by everyone from Monbiot (the day after the BBC piece) to the Seattle Post Intelligencer the other day ( http://www.energybulletin.net/4926.html ) so much so that I have to reguarly check to see if I'm being ripped off (Tehran Times I'm looking at you!). Last month a chap from a southern african country just happened to use quotes from four separate pieces of mine which was a co-incidence he assured me, he hadnt noticed. And I've never once been accredited by name. <ego off! ego off!>

Still...as you will find out im about to be one step ahead again...bookmark www.oilcast.com.

fyi

2003 - http://www.newint.org/issue361/empty.htm other stuff not online...

04/05
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3777413.stm

and...(date order bottom up)

IEA proposes brakes on fuel consumption
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 144333.htm
OPEC fails to calm record market
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... E992EF.htm
US report acknowledges peak-oil threat:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 5A9DBE.htm
Oil prices confound experts:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 8E0782.htm
Matthew Simmons says `We may have already passed peak oil`
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 0FB067.htm
Noam Chomsky: Budget Attacks America's Majority
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 98B869.htm
Iraq shows US how to build homes in a warming world.
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 62B3A1.htm
Oil producers set to reap winter windfalls:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 21ABD0.htm
Runaway debt spells tough times ahead for US economy:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... F3B004.htm
Greg Greene, director of End of Suburbia, announces new oil film to Aljazeera:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... BFA248.htm
Saudi Arabian fairy tales? Are Saudi figures correct?
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 0FA478.htm
UK government tell pensioners to switch energy providers. Fiddling while Rome burns?
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 9816DB.htm
Oil Will Fail To Meet Demand (Inc interview with Jim Meyer of ODAC)
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... FCEA09.htm
An interview with me. (Yes...they must be desperate!)
http://www.gnn.tv/articles/article.php?id=864
Report Says Global Warming May Aid Oil Industry:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 0E01BD.htm
Oil Market Myths Shattered: Is The 'Terror Premium' Nonsense?
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 0D48A2.htm
Instability Looms As Currencies Slide:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 75AAEA.htm
Oil Price Bonanza:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 6E4ABE.htm
Interview with Ali Bakhtiari:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 5CEB84.htm
OPEC loses control of market:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 9540BE.htm
US reserves under pressure?
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... D22B06.htm
States in decline? http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 5C6096.htm
Market mired in confusion:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... C429E9.htm
The elusive truth about oil reserves:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... 9C147E.htm
The end of cheap oil?
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/ ... D6EB39.htm

[BabyPeanut]

I remember doing some googling to see if there was any follow-up reaction to Bartlett's speech. Couldn't find anything. Has anybody run across anything further on that story?

Google much?

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=27855

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/03 ... tt_pe.html

http://www.evworld.com/general.cfm?sect ... llink=1590

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/3/242005h.asp

[bart]

Hi BP,

Have you found any articles on Bartlett's speech in the mainstream news? Like Newsweek, NY Times, etc. Or even local newspapers?

I'm not worried about the blogs and obscure newswires that are already aware of PO; they are not the problem. The challenge is to leverage something like Bartlett's speech to make PO a respectable news topic. More than that, to make it a topic about which intelligent things are said.