Energy Crash Fears Come to Houston Along with an Oilman Sour on Crude

Dude, We're Peaking

The irritation with governmental inaction started years ago for Nan Hildreth, a co-founder of the Houston Climate Protection Alliance, but she found herself piqued again when Houston Mayor Bill White’s environmental and health advisor Elena Marks told a crowd gathered at a Global Warming conference that Houstonians “don’t say Global Warming.” What is said instead, she politely told the crowd gathered at Rice University a year ago, is “sustainable development.” 

That may still be true. Despite joining an international advisory group dedicated to helping cities identify and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the response of the Mayor’s office could still be termed something akin to “Climate Compassion,” to rob from the success of Karl Rove’s “compassionate conservatism” catchphrase. 

Politicians here are free to talk about doing the right thing with greenhouse pollution without evoking the Bogey Man of Global Warming salivating behind the door. Into this gawdawful equation rides a little riddle known as “peak oil,” the long debated but increasingly popularized concept that the world’s supply of oil is at, passed, or passing the height of achievable production. 

What’s on the other side of this hump (or is it a sharp silvery spike?) is unknown, but if the peak oiler’s are right in their figurin’ it’s bound to be bumpy on the way down. It all leaves Houstonians plenty to fret over. 

The good news is, thanks to the enormous amount of wealth peak oil would mean for the petro goliaths and those that straddle their summits, money will flow to segments of Houston. The bad news is, climate compassion or no, we may not be in a position to enjoy it thanks to predicted rising oceans, continued drought, disease, etc. Glug?