Are we screwed? - oil/wheat/water shortages - Page 2

mr_whomp · #1 12-02-2005, 06:42 AM

Read the first post in the thread. If you buy what those websites say then it looks like humanity has f-ed itself and its too late for us to fix it. In that case what I said above about high oil prices not being a problem as long as there is enough oil o supply all potential buyers holds true. AND the US having control over Iraqi oil is good as well since it ensures that oil is coming West and not East to China.

Il_Mostro · #2 12-02-2005, 07:10 AM

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The real problem will be in 40-50 years when the oil is dried up

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The problem is not running out of oil, the problem is to adapt to a world where we produce less and less oil every year. You cannot produce at full speed until all is gone, at some point there is a peak, after which there will be less and less oil. Meaning higher and higher prices.

And if we are a bit unlucky, the peak in produciton is now, as we speak.

mr_whomp · #3 12-02-2005, 07:24 AM

Right, but i believe the articles say that the amount of oil being produced is going to decrease by 1-3% per year, which because of compounding will create quite a problem. But lets say that through energy saving initiatives the western world reduces they oil use to 1990 levels or even just stops usage from increasing, and we cut off the eastern world, that would buy us an extra couple of decades. Which would give us the time needed to bring alternatives online.

I also thing hydrogen is BS, and wont be useful as a widespread system since we would have to build an entirely new infrastructure. I think it's much more likely we will go with electric since the infrastructure is already in place.

purnell · #4 12-01-2005, 02:26 PM

Ever see a ball of bread dough as the bacteria in it gradually consume the sugars in it and pollute it with alcohol until they are all dead? Why is our situation any different?

#5 12-01-2005, 04:23 PM

Intelligence and awareness of our environment...

Except the world is beholden to the economic and industrial giant that is the USA...

Next time, vote for a President that will ratify the Kyoto Agreement.

Although, just to keep everything even with the corporations, they'll probably nuke Afghanistan back into the stone age (and all the Afghani's go "Oooh, upgrade!").