The way I see it, energy is pretty much the master resource. If yoou don't have it, none of the other resources (fresh water, arable land, iron ore, skilled workers etc) will be of any use. On top of that, energy can, if not entirely then at least to a high degree, substitute lack of other resources. If you lack fresh water, add energy to sea water and you get it, if you lack hordes of skilled farmers add energy and farming machinery and so on.

Energy is the big thing. The others can be dealt with if we have enough energy. And then I believe it pays to look at one of the most important graphs from M.K. Hubberts groundbreaking 1956 paper.

Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.