Scary but educational reading

[Mikeus Caesar]

Life after the oil crash

This is an essay that explains in alot of detail how screwed we really are. We need to find other forms of energy, quick.

[Zharakov]

I dont own a car... Or anything ells that uses Oil... I believe...

I think I will be ok.

[Kanamori]

How do you think everything gets to your city and stores? People certainly don't peddle it there.

[Zharakov]

There are no citys in Volenks...

[Kanamori]

You are only dependent on the area around you? If that is the case, you are quite alright if we never start using alternative energy.

[BDC]

All my clothes are made from oil...

I don't want to go back to woolen blazers really, so someone best find an alternative!

[AggonyDuck]

Hmmmmm, that kinda confirmed what I had speculated with my friends a time ago...anyways thanks for the link.

[PanzerJaeger]

More scare tactics. This guy seems to have taken a page from the Global Warmers - "Dont explain the reality of the situation because people wont act fast enough, you must scare them into agreeing with you!"

As a result, the price will skyrocket, oil-dependant economies will crumble, and resource wars will explode.

Not exactly.. The only reason we are still using so much oil is because its there and relatively cheap for all it can do. (Think: Whale Oil)

Recession, even depression? Maybe. Global wars and crumbling economies? Hardly.

Weve got plenty of alternatives to oil, they are simply more expensive and hard to impliment. However, when oil becomes no longer economically viable - ie: when the production drops enough to raise the price to unmanagable levels - governments will be forced to transition to another form of energy.

It will be a lot of trouble, and it will certainly hurt worldwide economies, but theres no need for such hysterics that are found in the article.

[Kongamato]

I skimmed the article, but I did not see any mentioning of my pet topic, post-oil militaries. How will we even fight these "resource wars" when our war machines will cost too much to operate? What plans do Western militaries have for maintaining armed supremacy in this new age? Are there even plans?

[Aenlic]

That is a very good question! And as far as I know, the answer is no, they have no plans. None. And that could make Einstein's statements regarding how the fourth world war will be fought rather prophetic.

[Papewaio]

It would make foot troops more valuable... horses in kevlar?

Explosive tipped lances...

I spend too much time at Games Workshop Online

[Papewaio]

Surely it would cripple most of the despotic governments that rely on oil wealth and not a strong middle class?

[Zharakov]

You are only dependent on the area around you? If that is the case, you are quite alright if we never start using alternative energy.

Well... Not exactly...

[Marcellus]

I dont own a car... Or anything ells that uses Oil... I believe...

I think I will be ok.

How do you think the electricity you are using for your computer is produced?

[AntiochusIII]

How do you think the electricity you are using for your computer is produced?

Probably in Russia they used more Nuclear power plants than others...

[Zharakov]

Genorators. We do have power.

There is a wind farm not to far from where I live. And the Neuclier plant is about 100km away.

There are telephone wires, and power cables running to my town.

Now, after thinking about it, truks do bring food and supplies to the nearby town about 35km away, where we get most of our food.

[Marcellus]

Probably in Russia they used more Nuclear power plants than others...

I thought someone might say that.

I suppose I was talking more generally than just Russia.

[GoreBag]

Recession, even depression? Maybe. Global wars and crumbling economies? Hardly.

It's really not that far-fetched. I'd hate to bring up the Iraq invasion again... so here's an article about bananas.

How United Fruit Killed and Robbed the People of Central America

[bmolsson]

The alternatives are already here, we just need to start to use them.....

[Xiahou]

Surely it would cripple most of the despotic governments that rely on oil wealth and not a strong middle class?

Wouldn't that be a shame?

[bmolsson]

Unless I'm missing something, none of the alternatives will pay off enough to repay the energy expended in extracting them.

Wrong.

Nuklear power - Already the cheapest source of energy available.

Biodiesel/ethanol - More expensive than oil products, but will rather soon have a commercially viable price when oil prices goes up and the volumes of alternatives goes up.

Solar power - Still limitations in the usage, but already its viable for smaller need of electricity as well as heat.

Wind power - Well, here you have a point. Still hard to get economy in to it.

Hydro power - Already establised. Limitations due to locations.

Garbage disposal - Turning garbage and spill in to energy is something that has economy in areas where you can combine it. Very possible alternative for cities and densely populated areas.

Just to mention a few...

[Zharakov]

We could turn western Europe into one gigantic fire ball... that would keep people warm, AND make people happy

jk

[PanzerJaeger]

If you actually read through it, and clicked on the any of the multitudes of links provided as sources, you would not be so quick to disregard it as "Scare Tactics".

The end theory--that this will create massive global strife--might be exaggerations, but common sense dictates that it cannot be an exaggeration of all that great magnitude. And certainly it is common-sense that common energy sources in general cannot last much longer.

What leads you to believe I didnt read the article? Was it the fact that I quoted it or the fact that I used examples out of it to make my point?

You yourself admit to the obvious exagerations in the article. Simply because you like what you've read does not make it any less of a piece designed to scare people.

[PanzerJaeger]

So you're in favor of using exagerations to push a political agenda, as long as you agree with the core content? Dually noted.

[Aenlic]

I wonder why those who predicted the disaster in New Orleans, or something similar, aren't being accused of saying the "sky is falling!" which is the usual tactic for the Bushista apparatchiks around here? Perhaps because it wasn't an issue before now? Back before Katrina, if someone had posted a story about how all levels of the government were woefully unprepared for a disaster such as this, would the usual suspects around here have trotted out their tired old and rather trite "the sky is falling" response?

[GoreBag]

Wrong.

Nuklear power - Already the cheapest source of energy available.

Biodiesel/ethanol - More expensive than oil products, but will rather soon have a commercially viable price when oil prices goes up and the volumes of alternatives goes up.

Solar power - Still limitations in the usage, but already its viable for smaller need of electricity as well as heat.

Wind power - Well, here you have a point. Still hard to get economy in to it.

Hydro power - Already establised. Limitations due to locations.

Garbage disposal - Turning garbage and spill in to energy is something that has economy in areas where you can combine it. Very possible alternative for cities and densely populated areas.

Just to mention a few...

Most of these sources of power are addressed by the article and require oil to manage.

[Xiahou]

Didn't we just have a big long thread on the oil markets?

[Aenlic]

Yep, I think this thread has to be officially renamed:

Revenant Equine, the Return.

[Bartix]

I skimmed the article, but I did not see any mentioning of my pet topic, post-oil militaries. How will we even fight these "resource wars" when our war machines will cost too much to operate? What plans do Western militaries have for maintaining armed supremacy in this new age? Are there even plans?

Military will always get top priority, no?
Our people have not what they need, but we spend money instead on weapons of plenty destruction and using them on other peoples.
Always like this. Now. History. Future.
Power corrupts.
(Nuclear power corrupts your core?)

[Phatose]

Well, I read it.....

So, OK, assume this guy is dead on target. We're doomed.

Can't help but be reminded of the brain from gremlins 2. "I'm recommending my clients put everything they've got in canned food and shotguns."