MTII (Cobb Articles)

Question 1

What are the two objectives of the communications plan suggested by Cobb?

Answer 1

a. Objective 1: To develop relationships with reporters and editors working for major media outlets, both electronic and print, in order to encourage the inclusion of the peak oil perspective in applicable stories.
b. Objective 2: To provide materials and information for public education purposes aimed at policy makers and general audiences

Question 2

How should the organization efforts be organized?

Answer 2

a. “…need to be organized around a set of consistent messages that are easy to communicate and easy for the listener to understand.”

Question 3

An audience expects what?

Answer 3

a. “Since ASPO will primarily be focused on an American audience, it is important to understand that the audience is accustomed to happy endings.”

Question 4

What assumption do ASPO members share?

Answer 4

a. “… as a matter of consensus we share a view that something can be done to mitigate the effects of oil… ASPO does believe as an organization that vast changes are in store for the world and for American society in particular.”

Question 5

Audiences are accustomed to what?

Answer 5

a. Happy endings

Question 6

What are the two scenarios described by Cobb?

Answer 6

a. “Do-Nothing” Scenario which would outline the many tragedies that will befall us if we simply do nothing to prepare… will be dismissed as improbable because we won’t just sit around and do nothing as a society
b. “Sensible responses” scenario can provide a basis for action that will lead to what feels like a happy ending, that is, happy on comparison to “Do Nothing.”

Question 7

Be familiar with the Official Story suggested in the article.

Answer 7

a. There is a problem with oil but there is enough left for the transition to alternative fuels to be seamless. It needs to be undermined for the public to act on the peak oil story.

Question 8

What are the three legs of the ASPO storyline suggested by the author?

Answer 8

a. 1st leg: the undermining of the official story
b. 2nd leg: explanation of oil – explain the idea of peak oil simply and clearly
c. 3rd leg: two-scenario scheme – allows people to find a path to action without giving them unrealistic expectations about a post peak world

Question 9

What are the three parts of the suggested communication program?

Answer 9

a. Public Education
b. Event Publicity
c. Media Relations

Question 10

What does the author conclude about crisis publicity?

Answer 10

a. ASPO is convinced oil will peak soon and that the run-up to the peak will be punctuated with crises… If ASPO cultivates a network of peak-oil aware reporters, crisis publicity will be much easier to manage.”

Question 11

What does the author claim about the role of free media?

Answer 11

a. “It has more credibility and it’s cheap. (Free media is seen as more credible because what receives news coverage is determined by reporters and editors who are presumed to be independent of their sources)

Question 12

What is the main point of this article (see first three paragraphs).

Answer 12

a. World’s energy optimists usually use a different lexicon (or word bank) to state their case and basically their arguments cannot be easily implemented.

Question 13

What is the problem with “above-ground factors”?

Answer 13

a. Above-ground factors – optimists argue that there is plenty of oil, usually for many decades to come, as long as “above-ground factors” don’t prevent it’s extraction. These include wars, social unrest, lack of investment, environmental restrictions on drilling, and political restrictions.
b. The problem with this is these factors are easily fixed or solved. On top of that, the oil industry is both an above-ground and below-ground system.

Question 14

What are the two problems with “at current rates of consumption”?

Answer 14

a. First problem is the rates of consumption are not steady and they are growing exponentially.
b. The second problem – fossil fuels are finite and that means that their rate of production will peak long before we run out of them. This decline in the rate of production after the peak poses serious problems for world society whose systems are based on ever-increasing rates of energy consumption.

Question 15

Why is “clean coal/carbon capture and sequestration” a troublesome set of phrases?

Answer 15

a. “Clean coal” is often used to mean only the removal of harmful pollutants, but not the sequestration of carbon dioxide. This means the green house problem is still in effect.

Question 16

The phrase “demand destruction” disguises what?

Answer 16

a. Demand Destruction – simply put, it means individuals, households, businesses and even governments stop using something or use less of it when it becomes too expensive.
b. Disguises that some people, particularly in poor countries, simply had to forgo the benefits of oil altogether or use far less of it. For some poor areas which rely on diesel-generated power, it meant little or no electricity. Loss of services like that can be life-threatening.

Question 17

What is the author’s issue with “resources”, and what is the rate of extraction issue?

Answer 17

a. “Even when a resource has actually shown to exist, this does not necessarily mean it is recoverable using current technology and at current prices.”
b. Rate of extraction issue – world economic growth depends not on the size of the resource, but on the rate of extraction. TO date we have exploited the resources that are easiest to find and extract which is an entirely rational approach.
i. The harder to extract resources have a lower rate of extraction.
c. Another issue – be aware that “resource” and “reserve” are often used interchangeably; but the different between them is the different between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea.

Question 18

Review the many issues the author has with the term “substitution”?

Answer 18

a. Substitution can take place wh en prices of existing energy sources rise. Higher prices encourage development of alternatives and enhance demand for them.
i. But there is no gauarantee
1. That substitutes will emerge
2. That they can or will grow to a large enough scale
3. That in financial or energy terms they will be as cheap as current energy sources
4. That they will be deployed in time to prevent significant disruptions to world society

Question 19

“Technically recoverable” means what?

Answer 19

a. Rocks on the moon are “technically recoverable.” But we wouldn’t mine the moon for roadway aggregates. Many resources that are technically recoverable are actually energy sinks.

Question 20

“Technology” has up and down sides. What is the author’s view?

Answer 20

a. “While it is true that there have been impressive advances in energy exploration and production technology in the last few decades, it does not appear to be enough.”
b. But there will come a time when depletion outpaces technology and that time may be near if it hasn’t already arrived

Question 21

“Unproven/undiscovered” is problematic, too, why?

Answer 21

a. It is not reasonable to assume that these resources will come in quantities we require, at prices we like and at the rates of extraction we desire. Since we have gotten to most of the easy-to-get energy resources, the harder stuff comes next.