About Matt Simmons, Contributor to “Renewable Energy Facts and Fantasies”
Matthew Simmons contributed to the book’s chapter on Peak Oil. Simmons served as energy adviser to U.S. President George W. Bush. His landmark book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy points to the idea of “Peak Oil” – the concept that we’ve passed the peak at which the world’s supply of oil can be extracted.
I’m deeply saddened that industry colleague and true visionary, Matt Simmons, passed away August 8th, 2010. He will be sorely missed by all of us who follow this industry and care about the quality of the planet we will leave to our children.
Why is everyone so “sold” on Oil? I guess the same reason people are sold on Movies, Sports, and Religion, these things serve a function in our needs as a People. A child sucks his thumb because he can, and it works and no need to do otherwise, and then…..habit! There is a whole lotta support to continue too! I also will bring in the schoolyard bully concept for a lose analogy. He is on top and strong enough to keep it that way. If he was into everyone having equal power he would have no superiority. It is a tuff job but someone has to do it? In most interactions, the actuall task is not the actual task, winning is, for those who can! and for those who can’t, they lose/pay. This pecking order is what “Makes a great Country” ? I am not suggesting the “Will nots” and the “Have nots” issue is not existent. I fully agree that the “Will nots” are the bain of a culture, and we have too many. Another issue there.