More Doom!

Iraq has proven reserves enough for half a milennia at current rates of production don't they?

Dear deane,

I still think MUCH more neads doing about reshearch into a post fossil fuel world. We don't have to wait till they have gone to have the solutions in place, I would think. Two reasons. One is that fossil fuels will almost certainly have a big impact on the weather and nature, and it would be nice to keep the option open of have a back up for any new energy systems developed. Two or more viable alternatives is always good...

Fredrik

Personally I think it's a little alarmist - this whole running out of oil thing. The prices will spike soon but with every shift upward in price it becomes more economic to extract oil from more difficult places. eg: The OPEC crisis and the consequent economy of extracting oil from the North Sea fields.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik H:
In no way does it surprise me that my apocalyptic vision on the Envi, Ego Thread has stopped it, but does anyone here think that the human population is sustainabble without oil?

Equally is the modern city capable of surviving the change to a non fossile fuel world, even if the world survives the effects of using up all the fossile fuels?

Mono-sylabic answers will do, of course!

Fredrik

Is the human poulation sustainable without oil? Yes.

Can a modern city survive without fossil fuels? Well, not at the moment. Provided an alternative energy source was available to generate electricity then all would be well.

The technology required to survive without fossil fuels exists; what is lacking is the fiscal incentive to use it.

I fear it'll only be implemented when it's too late.

EW

Culinary speaking - I need olives and peanuts to exist......

Yes. We already have enough technological knowledge to do without oil for fuel. But if all our oil were instantaneously discomblitzerated* by well-intentioned aliens, bent on saving us from ourselves, I suspect we'd be in very serious trouble because of the effect on the chemical industry.

*PS I meant once we'd stopped using oil for fuel.

Deprive a country of fuel even temporarily and no food reaches the supermarkets. Thin skin of civilisation.... anarchy in under a week?
The mere rumour of shortages is enough to send panic into overdrive as the supermarket shelves are emptied. I've seen it myself after the Danish storm of Xmas 1999. No bread, no water, no milk, no butter (or oil based spreads) the very first morning after the event. No basics at all left on the shelves. I managed to buy a single tin of baked beans after touring the three supermarkets in the village at ten am. One hour after they opened. No petrol at the pumps because there's no electricity for the pumps or payment systems. So if you're tank is dry you can't tour the local towns looking for food or fuel. Do hole in the wall machines work without electricity? The supermarket machines certainly didn't. Cash only, lit by candles. Are you ready for any emergency?

I have a cat, a wok and enough peanut oil.

Does the cat understand the deal? Fredrik

Ah. Isn't that nice? cooking a meal for the cat in difficult times.

Dear Nime,

I am not sure... Fredrik

For sure - you have to think of your pets. Might even get some more ......

Would this be like Amundsen's Huski's. When they die you feed them to the others, or is that too Scandinavian a view?

Fredrik

Similar in a selfish way .......

Anybody touches my cat and they're breakfast (dinner and tea)!

quote:

Originally posted by long-time-dead:
For sure - you have to think of your pets. Might even get some more ......

I see cats are becoming your insurance policy. Hmmm... I might consider investing

Andrew