What happens when we run out of oil?

‘The problems have to be taken seriously’, says Professor Kjell Aleklett.

‘The problems have to be taken seriously’, says Professor Kjell Aleklett.

No army can stop an idea whose time has come. This quote from Victor Hugo comes at the end of Professor Kjell Alekletts new book “Peeking at Peak Oil”. The book sums up ten years of research on what will happen when the world’s fossil fuel production begins to wane.


How long have you been doing this research?
‘For ten years. To do research into the world’s oil resources you need information that isn’t so easy to get hold of, so there was no academic research. I discovered there was a vacuum, even though this is one of the world’s most important issues.’

‘Today “peak oil” is a known concept. We’ve built up a unique database, produced four doctoral dissertations, and more than 30 academic articles that have been widely disseminated. Now the world’s first professorship is being established at Uppsala in the subject of “global energy resources”, focusing on sustainable development, specialising in global energy systems. I’m extremely proud.’

How do you go about tackling the problems?
‘The problems have to be taken seriously. We need to alter our entire lifestyle. The slowdown in oil production is one of the causes of the economic problems we’re facing in Europe.’

The subject is controversial because not everyone agrees about how long the world’s oil reserves will last. How has it felt to be called into question?
‘The final chapter is called “the inconvenient Swede“. I don’t mind being called that. Swedes are usually so diplomatic, but that doesn’t apply to me.’

‘If you put forward something entirely new and are not chopped to bits and pieces, then you didn’t have much to say. That’s why all the resistance has been an inspiration. Now it seems as if many people realize how serious this is, and this helps to disseminate the ideas more quickly.’

To whom is the book directed?
‘Everyone, but of course you have to be interested in the issue and in the importance of energy to society. Each chapter starts with a story from real life, so in a way it’s also a biography of the last ten years.’

Annica Hulth

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