Oil Has Peaked, Says Poll

Most people believe oil is running out and governments need to find another fuel, an international poll has found.

On average, 70 percent of respondents in 15 countries said they thought oil supplies had peaked. Only 22 percent of the nearly 15,000 respondents in nations ranging from China to Mexico believed enough new oil would be found to keep it a primary fuel source.

“What’s most striking is there’s such a widespread consensus around the world that oil is running out and governments need to make a real effort to find new sources of energy,” said Steven Kull, director of WorldPublicOpinion.org, a global research organization that conducted the poll.

In the United States, 76 percent of respondents said oil is running out, but most believed the U.S. government mistakenly assumes there would be enough to keep oil a main source of fuel. “Americans perceive that the government is not facing reality,” Kull said.

Whilst the fact that so many people believe that oil has peaked may come as a surprise, the fact that Bush is not facing reality… well… no surprises there…