This is a guest post by Jan Lundberg. It originally was published in Culture Change.

Upon the first global recession influenced by the peaking of oil extraction and record high prices, the question for "peak oilers" arises: does peak oil and energy decline mean great profits for modernizing industry, or is peak oil the beginning of huge changes in lifestyle toward sustainability after societal collapse?

Those were the two main concerns at play at the fifth annual meeting of the U.S. chapter of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO-USA), in Denver, Oct. 11-13.

ASPO-USA has extended its early registration until tomorrow, Friday, August 21. To let as many people know about this as possible, they have asked me to publish the following article:

August 20, 2009

International Experts to Speak at ASPO Conference

DENVER, Colorado – With our world at the convergence of peak oil and climate change, ASPO's 2009 International Peak Oil Conference, titled System Reset: Global Energy and the New Economy, brings together experts from around the world to offer timely perspectives on the future of oil and its impact on the global economy. The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, Denver, Colorado, October 10-13, 2009; early registration ends Friday, August 21. Details can be found at http://www.aspo-usa.com/2009denver/matrix.cfm

This is a 26 minute video, featuring four speakers at last fall's ASPO-USA conference in Sacramento. One of them (shown on the opening screen) is our own Jeff Vail, talking about Geopolitics. The others are Morey Wolfson, showing a google earth video of oil's planetary choke points, an interview with Tom Whipple in which he mentions that oil scarcity is already being felt around the world, and talk by Representative Terry Becker on how to bring peak oil as an issue to a legislature.

Ed's Note: The intent of this thread is to combine two different discussion items:

1. A one-hour special on the oil situation, The Hunt for Black Gold. It features a discussion of peak oil, an interview with Sarah Palin, Matt Simmons, Randy Udall, and a closer look at oil company profits, and a discussion of alternatives. It was shown on CNBC yesterday, and will be shown again today, Thursday, Sept. 25 at 1 a.m. ET and on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 10 p.m. ET.

2. Heading Out's discussion of Day 2 of the ASPO-USA conference, which can be found below the fold.