This essay hits very close to home for me. When I left the chemical industry and came to the oil industry, I couldn't help but note that the average age seemed to be quite a bit higher. I have seen lots of age distributions, and we are going to have a tough time ahead as we lose numerous people to retirement.

This also ties in to something that I was asked about a couple of days ago, and something I am often asked about: How can you support sustainability and work for an oil company? I think my response is topical to the essay here. Here is part of what I wrote:

The situation right now is that we are very dependent upon fossil fuels. If we just stopped producing them, people would die. There would be no fuel. Your grocery store would run out of food. The cars and planes would stop. We have a society that can't go cold turkey on fossil fuels. As oil production declines, we are going to need a lot of smart people working on this problem as we attempt a difficult transition. I would also add that it isn't like my company is not involved in alternative energy efforts. hint, hint

I get e-mails every day - someone asking for advice, input, sanity checks, etc. So, I am doing what I can, and making sure my family is provided for at the same time. I believe that in a post-peak world, my current job is very stable and I will have taken care of priority #1 - my family. Personally, I feel like I have struck the right balance. There will always be those who disagree. But next time you wonder why someone would continue to help provide fossil fuels to the world, ask yourself what would happen if we all decided not to.