5 REASONS WHY OIL COMPANIES GET AWAY WITH OVERBLOWN FIELD ESIMATES

"1. Hype ... 2. Most people don’t understand basic mathematics ... 3. The bystander effect ... 4. Keeping business as usual ... There is a concerted effort to downplay the occurrence of peak oil and to reinforce that there is plenty of affordable oil left in the world. Because if people really start getting spooked en mass then governments could be forced into seriously looking into alternative energy, the last thing any oil company really wants. By reporting overblown field estimates oil companies keep people passive and unconcerned about their future. This means oil companies can get on with making as much money as they possibly can while cheap oil is still relatively accessible ... 5. Warding off effective action on climate change ... So next time you see an article proclaiming a huge amount of oil or gas in an area, stop for a second and think about how those companies might be benefitting from such positive press. Because more than likely the truth might be buried a little more deeply than the provocative headline." 

Zum Artikel von Andrew McKay, erschienen auf Southern Limits (4. April 2013) »