A special "future documentary" on the impending energy crisis will be 
broadcast on CNN at 7 p.m. this evening, Saturday 3/18, and at the same time 
tomorrow, Sunday.

Yesterday evening I viewed the first broadcast of this program, which 
"documents" events that could happen, starting on September 24, 2009, when a 
hurricane wipes out much of the oil production and refining capacity on the US Gulf 
coast and then is followed by attacks on Saudi oil facilities. 

Along with too many commercials, the program includes interviews with experts 
as to what is now happening with oil production (at or near its peak, 
according to Matthew Simmons, author of Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil 
Shock and the World Economy) and what we could do about it.

Simmons is one of those interviewed in the course of the program, but do to 
poor editing and even worse photography, much of what he is saying will be lost 
to the average viewer. During his discussion of oil production peaking he 
illustrates with his hand the shape of the global oil production graph, a bell 
curve as we all know, but the camera is in close-up on his face, so we see only 
a fragment of the shape he is showing.

This show is worth watching anyway.

Ethanol plays a major role in the progam discussion. What's going on in 
Brazil with ethanol production is fascinating, but no mention is made of the rain 
forest.

Tom

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