Jason Giambi's Decline: A Peak Oil Analogy

[maxsmom]

From Matt Savinar at www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

For over a year now, I've been using a baseball player on steroids analogy to explain the ramifications of reliance on petrochemicals on agriculture. It goes something like this:



"Think about a baseball player who at 25 years old is capable of hitting 20 homeruns per year. He starts taking steroids and by the time he is 28 he is hitting 40 homeruns per year.



For a while, everything is great - he's hitting 40 homers a year, making millions, getting endorsement deals, dating models, appearing on Leno, etc. . . Under those circumstances, why would he ever consider stopping or even weaning himself off the chemicals?



Then, for whatever reason, he is forced to stop pumping himself full of chemicals. Because his body is totally reliant on the chemicals, he doesn't just go back to hitting 20 homeruns per year. Rather, his production and career abruptly plummet as his health fails.



All of a sudden, 'The Party's Over', as Richard Heinberg might say.



Our land has the same problem. We've been pumping it so full of petrochemicals that when the supply is halted, we wo'n't just go back to the days of the 1800's. Rather, the land will stop producing all together."



Take a look at Giambi's statistics in 2000-2002 when he was using the petrochemicals. Then take a look at his 2003 statistics - his first year off the chemicals. Then take a look at his 2004 statistics - his second year off the chemicals.



We can expect a similiarly drastic decline in production when we are deprived of our petrochemicals.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?statsId=5386