Peak Oil

[BNF]

I just saw a movie about "Peak Oil". Briefly, it examines what and when oil production will be at it's maximum - a point that will never be reached again.

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It was not pretty.

The worst part, and it leaves the idea open but clear, is that we are already (probably) at peak oil. The evidence, politics aside, comes from the mouths and actions of oil men themselves - people that are extremely conservative in the first place.

It also points to the oil rich middle eastern countries who have been busy for a decade rebuilding their economies around financial services, and away from oil.

I'd always been "well there are scientists and inventors so they'll figure something out" . There apparently aren't solutions that are yet capable of filling in the transport gaps that are coming. The US is going to have it bad because of a miserable (because it wasn't necessary) transportation and decentralized system of distribution. Europe looks to be better off because of a relatively strong public transport system, rail logistics and centralized populations. (I'm not casting any stones.)

Computers and their manufacture are almost worse than a car for energy consumption...

I'm not political, I mean in a party system of government, and I quite honestly despise political talk - almost as much as "market" talk. But this topic has me thinking and, frankly, has me a bit on edge. This is coming and it is going to happen in our life times - as if the continual, record price of a barrel of oil hasn't already shown the future.

 

[free4440273]

As I said in the thread Are you worried about the economy?, I think we could see $100 oil very soon: possibly by year-end.

 

[Friday on my mind]

I'd always been "well there are scientists and inventors so they'll figure something out" . There apparently aren't solutions that are yet capable of filling in the transport gaps that are coming.

This is something I debate with a younger friend of mine all the time.He beleives the idea that somehow technology will save us and I contend that is a notion that we had in the 50s and 60s that now seems to be way to optimistic.There are limits to what the planet can provide and sustain from mankind IMO.A while back I started a thread called "World of Tommorow as forcasted in the past" which was a collection of early 60s films that depicted how we would exploit the seas and artic regions to maintain our way of life.
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The view then was that science and tech would solve all problems,since then it has become apparent that their is no magic silver bullet that will somehow allow us to exploit and damage the planet without facing repurcussions which most agree with global climate change we are now seeing.I think finding a lot more oil would probably not be so great for the planet.But most think we have found most of the major oil fields the world has and so yes the future is diminishing supplies with rapid growth in demand when people like China and India really get their economys going.

 

[AFA]

Dubai is a case in point. Virtually no income from oil, but a thriving economy based on service to oil producing nations.

Sweden has about the highest gas tax possible, and uses that income to find alternate sources of power. Americans however, seem to feel it's their right to waste as much of non renewable resources as possible while ignoring the potential exhaustion of those resources.


Sweden to kick fossil-fuel habit by 2020
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LET’S RAISE GAS TAXES AND LOWER INCOME TAXES
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[Aegis]

This is why the next big war will be for the North Pole. :tongue:

 

[Facetious]

I'd always been "well there are scientists and inventors so they'll figure something out" .

√ As I

Europe looks to be better off because of a relatively strong public transport system, rail logistics and centralized populations. (I'm not casting any stones.)

I suppose America, being as widespread / vast as it is, this would / could be difficult (?) I don't have an answer

Computers and their manufacture are almost worse than a car for energy consumption...

Intriguing ! Care to elaborate a bit ?

I'm not political, I mean in a party system of government, and I quite honestly despise political talk - almost as much as "market" talk.

Yes, indeed ! Roughly, in the last approx 4 years, I've come to the conclusion - 6 of one / A half a dozen of the other.
I'm a pessimist on the surface, however, deep down inside, I have a fairly strong sense of man's ability to overcome said obstacles.

We (Americans) procrastinate . . . due to political pressures. That has me worried !

Back to the oil, I don't recall precisely where I read this report . . . ?
IIRC - From the ruskies I believe . . . Anyway, it made a strong case that there's plenty of crude to last for at least 300 years. FWIW -


I always *** people . . . "Why the sun doesn't finally burn out"

Ha ha ! Could it be that both are infinite ? Hope so ! :o

 

[AFA]

The view then was that science and tech would solve all problems,since then it has become apparent that their is no magic silver bullet that will somehow allow us to exploit and damage the planet without facing repurcussions which most agree with global climate change we are now seeing.I think finding a lot more oil would probably not be so great for the planet.But most think we have found most of the major oil fields the world has and so yes the future is diminishing supplies with rapid growth in demand when people like China and India really get their economys going.

That is true. It's irresponsible and takes an almost Darwinian approach to current problems and suggests given enough time, a monkey with a typewriter will write War and Peace. It also fails to recognize irreversible damage to the planet mankind has made in the past. Destruction of the rainforest, destruction of the flora and natural fauna, (evident in Hawaii and elsewhere), by the introduction of non native species. Even the vast oceans and reef systems are suffering irrecoverable damage. Selfishly that impact on future generations is ignored.

I mentioned plankton and Caulerpa taxifolia a pretty aquarium seaweed here;
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[D-rock]

I think too many people feel that if they are not the ones that will have to face the worst burden from it they don't care. To them they will be dead and gone by the time the worse scenarios hit and will leave the problems they created to somebody else. If that isn't selfish I don't know what is.

 

[Dean Wormer]

Take these projections as a loose guideline. I'm old enough to remember when the forecasts were for oil to run out in the early '80's.

 

[McRocket]

It's not average Americans fault that they waste so much gas. If their gas prices were as high as Europe's, they would be far more frugal with it. But since it is not, they are not.

It's not their fault - not directly - IMO.

Why is America's price of gas so cheap? Low taxes on it? Government subsidies? Why?

 

[Friday on my mind]

It's not average Americans fault that they waste so much gas. If their gas prices were as high as Europe's, they would be far more frugal with it. But since it is not, they are not.

It's not their fault - not directly - IMO.

Why is America's price of gas so cheap? Low taxes on it? Government subsidies? Why?

Compared to every other country very low taxes Mc.Our country it has been said was built on cheap oil.The US was actually blessed with a large amount of its own oil but after ww2 we developed an economy and way of life( increased suburbanization) that required us to start buying foreign oil to where we now buy 60% of what we consume.Oil of course is really at the heart of our interest in the middle east.The truth is that the most important oil countrys govt's are very much under our protection as shown by the gulf wars and what would happen if they were overthrown is that the price of oil would rise significantly as it is being sold due to our influence at a reduced price so as to keep world prices down for the benefit of the industrial capatalist countries led by the US.Many Americans think they have a right to cheap gas, big cars, large houses etc. and there will be hell to pay if that is truly ever threatened which it will be probably will be when demand negates all the influence we have.

 

[BNF]

It's not average Americans fault that they waste so much gas. If their gas prices were as high as Europe's, they would be far more frugal with it. But since it is not, they are not.

It's not their fault - not directly - IMO.

Why is America's price of gas so cheap? Low taxes on it? Government subsidies? Why?

One of the points is that it doesn't really matter much why it was, but how the US is going to react. There could be a complete revolution in the way that America lives coming. I mean, just heating a large house becomes a huge cost, let alone driving whatever is in the driveway.

 

[Legzman]

We're running out of oil in the earth. I feel we've already ****** "peak oil"

 

[senob44]

We're running out of oil in the earth. I feel we've already ****** "peak oil"

you cannot pass the peak! that would mean we were up in thin air! and that the economy is about to collapse back down to earth! Oh....

 

[Legzman]

I mean past the peak and falling down the other side

 

[Roughneck]

Take these projections as a loose guideline. I'm old enough to remember when the forecasts were for oil to run out in the early '80's.

Ditto that...


cheers,