Hubbert's Peak, 1956

This article sketches out M. King Hubbert's presentation of his American peak oil theory. This is useful stuff, not least for the echoes of our present:

Hubbert also plotted oil on a scale of 10,000 years - 5,000 years ago to 5,000 years in the future – showing how mankind’s use of petroleum is “a unique event in human history, a unique event in biological history. It is non-repetitive, a blip in the span of time.” He then posited nuclear power as a possible substitute.