Ludwigl Demand is not flat but production is flat.
This apparent contradiction becomes possible because many of the poorer
countries are cutting back on their consumption.
Many of the power stations in Africa are oil fired and cannot purchase
all the oil they need for uninterrupted service, hence the widespread
blackouts. The same also applies in Pakistan and others.

Sooner or later we will run out of poorer countries.
Bit dismal isn't it ?

I agree with many posters that we cannot continue with perpetual growth. However it is obvious to me why politicians don't want to talk about it.

The reason is that when growth ends, so does full employment. What we face is a permanent depression, with 40 or 50% of people unemployed, and with considerable social unrest.

About they only way the politicians may be able to keep us in line would be to show us on television what is happening overseas, as things will be very much worse there.

Remember that Australia is the only country with the four vital things that will see us through a very rough and brutal century. These are:

1. A surplus of food.

2. A surplus of minerals.

3. A surplus of energy.

and, most important of all,

4. A sea boundary.

Plerdsus;
I am not sure your list is correct.
There is a problem with food. It requires, at present, a lot of oil
to get it from the seed to your table.
Fertiliser will also be a problem. Phosphorous is in short supply
already.
We will need to restructure our whole food chain and become largely
vegetarians.

Large scale agriculture will only survive it it can be electrified.
If you are talking about to the end of the century then for energy
we had better stop selling it off overseas. Our own demand on other
energy forms such as coal and gas will increase by several times
to make up for the loss of oil supplies.
Other renewable energy forms will require very large investment of
funds which may just not be available from the economy as it will be
when it is needed.

It all gets back to the denial by politicians of the rapidly
approaching depletion of oil supply.
If you deny it you cannot mitigate it.
It really is as simple as that.