Matthew Simmons (1943 – 2010)

[JihadJane]

Investment banker, Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, energy advisor to Bush/Cheney and author of the iconoclastic book Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy (http://www.twilightinthedesert.com/) has died.


A tribute from a friend, by Michael C. Ruppert:

http://www.collapsenet.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&Itemid=107&id=185%3Amatthew-simmons-1943-–-2010

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Who?

[paximperium]

Who?

[NWO Sentryman]

:confused:

[Sledge]

... ok. :confused:

[TragicMonkey]

Not Richard Simmons, then.

[portlandatheist]

Michael C. Ruppert is 9/11 truther celebrity and Simmons is a peak oil celebrity. He's also a republican and has worked with Bush and company which for some very odd ironic reason, gives him extra clout with people like JJ

[ectoplasm]

I expect there is some kind of conspiracy to explain his untimely death.

Arthur Berman, a geologist who lives near Houston and writes for the Oil Drum energy website, said he shared Simmons’s views on peak oil. Simmons did have “some peculiar ideas” on the BP Plc spill such as the size of the disaster, Berman said, and he’d hoped to talk with Simmons about the reasons for some of his thoughts.

Simmons was a frequent critic of BP’s efforts to stanch its oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, suggesting at one point that the best option would be to detonate a small nuclear bomb undersea to kill the well.


bloomberg (http://http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-09/matthew-simmons-investment-banker-peak-oil-theory-advocate-dies-at-67.html)

[JihadJane]

Anyone read Twilight in the Desert?

[Sword_Of_Truth]

A tribute from a friend, by Michael C. Ruppert:

How many women were sexually harassed writing that "tribute"?

[Pardalis]

Not Richard Simmons, then.

I think we're stuck with that one for a long while.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Anyone read Twilight in the Desert?

Is that the vampire book?

[Number Six]

Matthew Simmons was on the wrong side of a very foolish (for him) long term public bet that will be settled on Jan 1, 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons%E2%80%93Tierney_bet

[portlandatheist]

Anyone read Twilight in the Desert?

yes I read it.

[MikeMangum]

yes I read it.

Let me guess, she has to choose between a vampire and a djinn?

[ectoplasm]

Matthew Simmons was on the wrong side of a very foolish (for him) long term public bet that will be settled on Jan 1, 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons%E2%80%93Tierney_bet

I think that might explain his unexpected death.

[portlandatheist]

I think that might explain his unexpected death.

Are you suggesting suicide so he wouldn't have to pay out for his bet? He has plenty of money to cover for it (currently in escrow) and its almost certain that he would have lost the bet as its very unlikely the price of oil will go up from $77.35 to $200 in the next 4 1/2 months.

[portlandatheist]

Let me guess, she has to choose between a vampire and a djinn?

The little known prequel of the Twilight Saga :)

[Travis]

I think that might explain his unexpected death.


What? He was going to lose handily.

[ectoplasm]

What? He was going to lose handily.

yes and he didn't want to face the music.

[JihadJane]

yes I read it.

And...?


~~~~~~~~

Another tribute, at The Oil Drum, outlining more of Matt's important contributions to our understanding of the world's oil supply - some interesting comments follow the article:


Matt Simmons, Author of "Twilight in the Desert" and Peak Oil Speaker, Dies at Age 67 (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6831)



Thanks, in advance, for any further intelligent, thoughtful contributions to this thread ;)

[ectoplasm]

Hubbert came up with the idea of peak oil in 1956. It wasn't Simmon's idea, he just used it for grandstanding. He did have a point about how vague our knowledge of oil reserves is, and there is an incentive for countries to overstate reserves. I will give him credit for that.

Judging from Simmon's comments on the BP oil spill he'd lost the plot some time ago.

[MikeMangum]

Are you suggesting suicide so he wouldn't have to pay out for his bet? He has plenty of money to cover for it (currently in escrow) and its almost certain that he would have lost the bet as its very unlikely the price of oil will go up from $77.35 to $200 in the next 4 1/2 months.

That wouldn't do it. The price has to average >= $200/barrel for 2010.

[portlandatheist]

That wouldn't do it. The price has to average >= $200/barrel for 2010.

Good point. I'm too lazy to do the math right now but in order for him to win the bet oil prices would have to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $500/barrel from now to the end of the year for him to have won the bet.

[geni]

Matthew Simmons was on the wrong side of a very foolish (for him) long term public bet that will be settled on Jan 1, 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons%E2%80%93Tierney_bet

He was kinda unlucky with the credit crunch mind.

[portlandatheist]

And...?
I loathe to admit that I liked the same book as you but I did. I agree with ectoplasm. He had a good understanding of the politics of reserve estimates and the situation in Saudi Arabia. It's a fool's errand to predict when peak oil will happen but it will inevitably happen and likely very soon if not already. There's probably one thing we can actually agree on. Where we differ dramatically is in both the consequences and mitigation of the challenge facing us. It's not going to be the end of the world as we know it but we will have to adjust and come up with alternatives, socialism and totalitarianism not being one of the better solutions that many peak oilers seem to think will be a good way to deal with the challenge as evidenced with their love of Cuba as an guiding light of perfection of how society should organize itself.
We will have oil over $200/barrel someday as Simmons predicted but nobody knows when that day will come and it serves all of us for not only the consequences of less oil available than we are used to, but because of global warming, energy independence, and so on. Looking to Cuba for guidance as a shining light and believing 9/11 conspiracy theories, obsessed with the destruction of Israel, and so on as many peak oilers obviously do, will not accomplish anything beneficial for anybody.

[Thunder]

one less scumbag to worry about

[The Central Scrutinizer]

And...?


~~~~~~~~

Another tribute, at The Oil Drum, outlining more of Matt's important contributions to our understanding of the world's oil supply - some interesting comments follow the article:


Matt Simmons, Author of "Twilight in the Desert" and Peak Oil Speaker, Dies at Age 67 (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6831)



Thanks, in advance, for any further intelligent, thoughtful contributions to this thread ;)

:s2:

[JihadJane]

Good start but then you drifted off what looks like right-wing, paranoid fantasy land.


I loathe to admit that I liked the same book as you but I did. I agree with ectoplasm. He had a good understanding of the politics of reserve estimates and the situation in Saudi Arabia. It's a fool's errand to predict when peak oil will happen but it will inevitably happen and likely very soon if not already. There's probably one thing we can actually agree on. Where we differ dramatically is in both the consequences and mitigation of the challenge facing us. It's not going to be the end of the world as we know it but we will have to adjust and come up with alternatives, socialism and totalitarianism not being one of the better solutions that many peak oilers seem to think will be a good way to deal with the challenge as evidenced with their love of Cuba as an guiding light of perfection of how society should organize itself.



Widespread economic collapse appears to have started already and barely any mitigation efforts have begun.

The "peak oilers" focus on Cuba is because, with the collapse of imports from the disintegrating Soviet Union, it experienced an advanced version of what a global decline in energy supplies might look like. It is hard to imagine that the US would have been able to transform its agriculture as effectively as Cuba did in response to its emergency.

Representing this focus as "love" smells like latterday McCarthyist dementia!


We will have oil over $200/barrel someday as Simmons predicted but nobody knows when that day will come and it serves all of us for not only the consequences of less oil available than we are used to, but because of global warming, energy independence, and so on.

Looking to Cuba for guidance as a shining light and believing 9/11 conspiracy theories, obsessed with the destruction of Israel, and so on as many peak oilers obviously do [bollocks! - JJ], will not accomplish anything beneficial for anybody.

Why do you feel so threatened by Cuba?





one less scumbag to worry about

In what way was Matt Simmons a "scumbag", Thunder?

Your comment is bizarre and idiotic.

[WildCat]

In what way was Matt Simmons a "scumbag", Thunder?

Your comment is bizarre and idiotic.
:p

[JihadJane]

"In the days following Simmon's death some 400 obituaries appeared on the web, on television broadcasts and in hard copy publications around the world. Some of these were written by people and organizations who understand the threat of peaking world oil supplies and praised Matt for his leadership in analyzing and publicizing the issue. Others were written by hostile skeptics who sought to play down his significance or focused on those instances in his voluminous pronouncements where he was wrong. A few even attributed his death to assassination at the hands of the CIA or BP because of recent anti-BP comments on the Gulf oil spill.

Many of the obituaries however were prepared by mainstream and financial news organizations that are either agnostic about peak oil or hold plainly hostile attitudes towards the concept because of the threat a falling oil supply holds for the American way of life or perhaps even to capitalism. Forced to say something because of Simmon's position in the business community, it is interesting to see just how peak oil treated is in the various obituaries that appeared in the financial press."

On the Death of Matthew Simmons (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7177-on-the-death-of-matthew-simmons.html)

by Tom Whipple.

[Alt+F4]

Are you suggesting suicide so he wouldn't have to pay out for his bet? He has plenty of money to cover for it (currently in escrow) and its almost certain that he would have lost the bet as its very unlikely the price of oil will go up from $77.35 to $200 in the next 4 1/2 months.

Why the heck would anyone with more than two brain cells think that the price of oil would be over $200 by 2011?

[Alt+F4]

[quote=JihadJane;6222374]Widespread economic collapse appears to have started already...]

No.

[The Central Scrutinizer]

"In the days following Simmon's death some 400 obituaries appeared on the web, on television broadcasts and in hard copy publications around the world. Some of these were written by people and organizations who understand the threat of peaking world oil supplies and praised Matt for his leadership in analyzing and publicizing the issue. Others were written by hostile skeptics who sought to play down his significance or focused on those instances in his voluminous pronouncements where he was wrong. A few even attributed his death to assassination at the hands of the CIA or BP because of recent anti-BP comments on the Gulf oil spill.

Many of the obituaries however were prepared by mainstream and financial news organizations that are either agnostic about peak oil or hold plainly hostile attitudes towards the concept because of the threat a falling oil supply holds for the American way of life or perhaps even to capitalism. Forced to say something because of Simmon's position in the business community, it is interesting to see just how peak oil treated is in the various obituaries that appeared in the financial press."

On the Death of Matthew Simmons (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7177-on-the-death-of-matthew-simmons.html)

by Tom Whipple.

So?

[Sword_Of_Truth]

In what way was Matt Simmons a "scumbag", Thunder?

His friends include at least one sexual predator (http://screwloosechange.blogspot.com/2009/09/troofer-mike-ruppert-guilty-of-sexual.html).

He could have kept better company.

[portlandatheist]

His friends include at least one sexual predator (http://screwloosechange.blogspot.com/2009/09/troofer-mike-ruppert-guilty-of-sexual.html).

He could have kept better company.

It gets even worse. Michael Ruppert is also a truther.

[JihadJane]

It gets even worse. Michael Ruppert is also a truther.

I'm sure you will have educated yourself about the case against him. Otherwise you yourself might be mistaken for a gossip truther, a fate worse than measles!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peak Oil Workhorse Matt Simmons: 1943-2010 (http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6868#more)

[Soapy Sam]

Why the heck would anyone with more than two brain cells think that the price of oil would be over $200 by 2011?


What is a dollar actually worth?
How many bills would you have to burn to get your car to go a mile?
How many hundred dollar bills?
Is the energy content of a $100 bill any higher than that of a $1 bill?

How many promissory notes a gallon of oil is "worth" is a matter for buyer and seller to arrange.
One more offshore screwup, possibly eight well placed bombs along thousands of miles of pipeline and one Iranian tank battalion could double that $200 in a week.

[paximperium]

Who?

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Who?

Who?

Ahem...

[JihadJane]

No.

Yes.

[EHocking]

Matthew Simmons was on the wrong side of a very foolish (for him) long term public bet that will be settled on Jan 1, 2011.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmons%E2%80%93Tierney_betI would have thought that his 8000 BP share short sale scheme (http://blogs.barrons.com/stockstowatchtoday/2010/06/15/bp-simmons-still-sees-bankruptcy-massive-hole-at-the-well-bore/)would have covered it.

Current price is around $34 and he short-sold at $37 and $48 a couple of months ago i.e. $340K total with a current potential gross profit of $68,000.

This may well explain the idiotic statements he had been making recently about the Deepwater Horizon spill.

[ectoplasm]

This may well explain the idiotic statements he had been making recently about the Deepwater Horizon spill.

He says he talked over the weekend with scientists on board the Thomas Jefferson, a research boat used by the National Oceanographic Administration.

The chat confirmed his suspicion that the leak that BP is focusing on at the “riser” is not the problem. The real problem is a gaping hole at the “well head,” 8 miles away.

“The riser leak is a deception,” says Simmons. “The hole is in the well head — it’s the well bore.”

How did he ever figure the riser was 8 miles from the wellhead? He was clearly off his rocker.

[EHocking]

How did he ever figure the riser was 8 miles from the wellhead?Because he didn't take his own advice?

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/48550
My thinking: do your analysis first; second, check it again; third, don’t rely on a third party; then, if that’s what you conclude, go ahead and speak out with the courage of your convictions.He was clearly off his rocker.That too.

[funk de fino]

Michael C. Ruppert is 9/11 truther celebrity and Simmons is a peak oil celebrity. He's also a republican and has worked with Bush and company which for some very odd ironic reason, gives him extra clout with people like JJ

Ruppert is also a sex pest and been conned by a nutjob conman.

Simmons had some idiotic utterings recently. Real schoolboy stuff.

[The Kilted Yaksman]

Let me guess, she has to choose between a vampire and a djinn?
If Robin Williams does the voice of the CGI djinn I'll be first in line at the opening of the movie adaptation.