Journal Journal: The Wise and Foolish Virgins (adapted for Peak Oil)
The Wise and Foolish Virgins (adapted for Peak Oil)
Jesus told a story about the kingdom of heaven that relates to peak oil and the decline of western civilization.
There were ten young women whom Jesus described as virgins, or pure, undefiled young ladies, who took oil lanterns into the night to await the coming of the bridegroom. They all were to participate in the wedding ceremonies and were very happy to be included in the wonderful festivities that were about to occur. They had heard about the wedding which was to be the grandest that ever had occurred in the whole world. The splendor of the arrangements would be breathtaking. The ceremony and the feast were to be beyond imagination. This was to be the most magnificant event of all time.
Five of the young ladies, considering that the bridegroom might not come early in the evening, invested in alternative energy sources and designed their appliances to use less energy and designed their communities to reduce car trips and invested in energy efficient public transportation so that their oil would not run out. The other five who were foolish created suburban spawl and SUVs and priced oil so that it made alternative energy too expensive creating a demand for 80 million barrels a day of oil for their their lamps and things. They felt safe because they believed it when the House of Saud told them there was plenty of oil in reserve despite the fact that they had no proof of this.
The bridegroom was delayed in his coming and so the ten young ladies fell asleep while they were waiting. At midnight an advance messenger rode up to the ten ladies and called, "Look! The bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!"
All of the young ladies arose and began to trim the wicks in their lanterns. The five foolish young ladies cried in dismay, "Look! We are running out of oil and our lamps are flickering. House of Saud, please give us some of your oil so that our lights will not go out."
The five foolish young ladies ran back into the village to get more money to buy oil for their lamps so that they could join the wedding party. While they were gone the Bridegroom came and the five wise young ladies joined him and went to the wedding. After they had entered the wedding pavilion the door was shut so that no more people could enter.
After a while the five foolish young ladies came and pounded on the pavilion door, calling, "Please let us in to the wedding. We are supposed to be in the wedding party!"
Nevertheless the bridegroom answered, "You knew that I was coming and that you were supposed to wait for me with your lamps trimmed and full of oil. I am sorry, no people can enter into the wedding pavilion because the door is closed and locked."
The five foolish young ladies were extremely sorry and went away weeping.
Journal Journal: the Internet is the equivalent of SUVs
Matthew Simmons is the CEO of the world's largest Energy Investment Bank, Simmons & Company International. It has a web site located at www.simmonsco-intl.com. Its clients include Halliburton; Baker, Botts, LLP; Dynegy; Kerr-McGee; and the World Bank. Since 1993, it has underwritten or financed 18 transactions valued at more than $350 million. Of those, six were valued at more than $1 billion. Simmons is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the National Petroleum Council's Natural Gas Task Force. He has a lot to say about the Northeast power grid blackout, its causes, and what they imply for the future. He also has a lot to say about Peak Oil and Gas. FTW interviewed Simmons via telephone from his home in Rockport, Maine on August 18, 2003 source
The interview goes on to say this:
If you want to compare [electrical consumption] to vehicles and roadways, air conditioning is the interstate highway system and the Internet is the equivalent of SUVs.
