Peak Oil & the Future of Energy

[MrGuitar]

Possibly the most important challenge the current generation of human beings faces in regards to the future of our species on earth. Oil production, in our lifetimes, is going to reach a peak at which the demand exceeds the rate of extraction and global oil supplies are in decline. There has thus far been no intellectual or actual realization of this coming phenomenon amongst the American public, despite it's extremely scary implications. On top of that, the problems of climate chaos, deforestation and unsustainable extraction of other resources, degradation of agricultural land/soils, increased pollution of our waterways and air, exponential population growth, and of course world governments unconcerned about peoples' interests is pointing us in the direction of a very dim future.

The Hirsch report has officially stated that global peak oil is unquestionably going to occur, and most likely will be abrupt and create serious adverse effects on global economies. The UN estimates 50 million climate change refugees by the year 2010. Food insecurity is growing each year with increasing crop failures, super-pests resistant to chemicals, rising food prices, and desertification of once productive lands. We are perpetuating a state of "biodevestation," what scientists refer to as 6X, or the sixth major extinction of lifeforms on earth in it's history. And of course, the consequences of an economic model based on infinite linear growth are catching up to us.

I don't think people realize the full power of how the culmination of all these crises is going to end up changing the world. There are a number of different scenarios possible, but unless a localized grassroots movement for sustainability and self-sufficiency is enacted, by us, the people, we are fucked. There is a lot that could be said about this subject, so I will stop this post here and continue in another post below for anyone who cares to read.

So anyhow, what is your opinion on the future of energy and the peaking in production of oil (and other fossil fuels we are dependent on, like natural gas)? What do you see as possible scenarios for the future? What to do about it? What are we doing about it?

[joe.momma]

As much of a tool Al Gore is, you gotta hand it to him for at least attempting to get this through to the generally retarded American public. Unfortunately, he chose to concentrate on the lesser of the two related evils, and that is partly why, I fear, the general public has ignored this so long.

[Anpass]

[MrGuitar]

i think it's all connected. if people really understand the implications of peak oil, then i don't see how consumption and waste keep on climbing as if there's no end in sight. the peak in u.s. production in the 1970s brought a couple of years of decline in consumption because prices ran too high, and then it just started growing again when we figured a way to steal oil from other countries. people in the u.s. pay about 1/4 of what europeans and most of the rest of the world pay for petrol and they expect it to be that way. oil literally fuels the lives of the majority of americans. communities and cities are designed for cars, not people. food production and distribution is completely dependent on abundant, cheap oil. energy in homes, for heating/cooling, cooking, electricity, even flushing the damn toilet is dependent on cheap and abundant fossil fuels. people do not know how to live without fossil fuel.

as far as food shortages go, it is not a matter of who is presently unable to provide all their food needs, it's a matter of the agricultural system in practice. it is another system which is completely dependent upon unlimited cheap fossil fuels: for equipment, fertilizers, pesticides/herbicides/fungicides, transport, processing, and distribution. it is a system which is continually in decline. anywhere it is practiced, it will without question fail. the rest of the world i'm sure is more aware of food scarcity but there seems to be little effort to alleviate this problem in a way that makes sense.

in my travels i saw patterns of behavior which eerily mimic the behavior of americans during the late 1940's, which is one of increased movement away from rural areas into cities and increased reliance on an unsustainable method of raising food. the fact that companies like monsanto come into these countries and present these great package deals to poor struggling farmers, acting as if they have all the answers to their problems of insecurity, makes things all the worse.

personally, i think disease and epidemic is completely related to all these issues. we are unhealthy because our soil and food is poisoned, our air and water is poisoned, our medical care is insufficient, our bugs and diseases are growing stronger because we are breeding them to do so, our diets are idiotic, our lifestyles are sedentary, our ignorance is bliss. no one issue can be singled out as the great cause of the problems we are facing today. we have forgotten the practice of not shitting where we sleep long ago. so because these problems are all related to one another, they must be addressed with a holistic solution which meets all the challenges posed. localized, self-sufficient economies which provide all of their own needs and comforts in a sustainable or regenerative way. the principle of redundancy suggests all needs be met in a diversity of ways.

permaculture

[Orion]

Yeah, seriously. Petrol reached $2.10NZ per litre, and that was just the basic stuff. Premium was $2.25NZ or something.

Edit: Last year when just before the big ecomonomic crisis.

[Anpass]

[Orion]

100% serious. Twas expensive. Then it dropped late last year. Was really, really strange.

[corrections]

[MrGuitar]

[MrGuitar]

[Ochotres]

I've never understood this myself either, but who am I to say? If it really is as serious as you say though, it's a real shame that nobody cares about it.

[rockvirtuoso]

How can anyone not believe in Peak Oil? Every year since like 1975 or something we have used more oil than has been discovered, and also of importance is that many of the recent discoveries of decent size are under ocean shelves or in other tenebrous locations where the cost of production alone is between 50-70 USD a barrel (ie they arent even running the pump atm). When you throw in to the mix hedge fund and energy traders squeezing every last cent out of the market oil could easily be trading at over $200 a barrel in near future bull market times.

[Guest]

A lot of my old friends from high school who are now Randian businessmen send me Peak Oil e-mails every fucking day. Their attitude is more along the lines of "We are all going to die and there's nothing we can do about it so we might as well do nothing but cocaine off hooker's legs all day" though.

[Pat Friend]

mr g,

antibiotics are for bacterial infections (and are a last ditch effort -- for preventative bacterial remedies see: Probiotics), so they would do nothing against any kind of flu, bird, superbird, or other.

bacterial infections can be eradicated. viruses cannot be removed from the body, only put into remission. so --

anpass,

it is interconnected. if everybody ate like mr g, very few viruses would be active and commingling. if a select few didn't run energy industries like oil for their and their cronies' gain, small scale agriculture would take root again (as cheap production means are really the only justification for large scale agribusiness). more people would eat like mr g and fewer people would eat teh plastic'd garbage that lowers pH's and immune systems to begin with.

dr sebi cures aids?
http://www.assatashakur.org/forum/afrikan-wholistic-health/34308-who-dr-sebi.html

HIV, like any other virus, can be put into remission and it can be kept there. why do you think magic johnson's still alive? rich people don't die from AIDS. but medication is not the only route.

[monga18]

[corrections]