system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
Can someone please explain Peak Oil?
gpt
Peak oil just means we've reached a point when you can no longer extract oil faster than we previously could.  Given that demand for oil has traditionally increased over time, if we reach a point where we can no longer pump more oil in response then we will need to have alternate energy sources available or risk global oil shortages.  The US reached peak oil on internal sources in 1970, which has lead to the US importing increasing amounts of foreign oil.  Global peak oil prediction range significantly, but generally within the range of "sometime soon" and "sometime in our lifetime".  There are some technologies (tar sands extraction, shale oil, biofuels) that could significantly delay the onset of peak oil, as well as alternate fuel sources that could decrease demand and lessen any effect that peak oil might have.