I don't worry about peak oil because I'm fairly certain that these technological advances have prolonged our supply of oil long enough that when we do hit peak oil we won't really be relying on it anymore.
It seems to be working out.
I think it's entirely fair to speculate that the housing bubble and 2007/2008 crash had
a lot to do with taking endless oil for granted, building in the most disposable, short-sighted, wasteful manner possible to take "advantage" of that, and at the first hint that the gravy train wouldn't last forever and supply matters, folding like a cheap tent.
Now, the Kunstlerian prediction of peak oil = post-apocalyptic Judgment Day, no. There's enough room for technological advancement and the dismal science in general to prolong the horizon, to let us muddle through for the time being, and
if we're not dumb about it to let us switch over in time. But we have to
actively learn our lesson and not be dumb about it. If we just blindly put our faith in "the market" and "technology", there's going to be another Lehman Bros. coming down the pike, and another, and another– and in the meantime, we'll waste resources that could go towards that technological advancement, or to creating a truly durable improvement in the lives of real people, chasing the dragon of another 90s-style exurban boom mirage. It won't be an all-at-once crash, it'll be a slow, bumpy roller coaster down. And it'll be a
damn shame.
