March 8, 2006 marks the fifty year anniversary of M. King Hubbert’s seminal speech in which he accurately forecasted the 1970 peaking of United States oil production. Few heeded Hubbert’s warning and many, including the director of the United States Geological Survey, actively sought to discredit his work. The lack of preparation for this peak on the part of the United States government contributed to the severity of the oil shocks in the 1970’s and has led the country to become perilously dependent on foreign oil for daily survival.
In honor of M. King Hubbert’s courageous stand, Post Carbon Institute and Global Public Media have created an online tribute that can be found at MKingHubbert.com. The tribute features interviews with King’s nephew Michael Hubbert and former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. The tribute also includes Hubbert’s Successors I, the first of a series of compilations of brief audio commentaries on Hubbert.