How are you preparing for 'Peak Oil' / The coming oil crisis

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by DRoseDARs
Supply and demand can't magically create oil, it can only expedite its depletion.

Supply and Demand will raise to fore other methods of extracting oil or other sources of energy.

If these people (and I guess you) were around 70 years ago, they'd be decrying that we were going to have a Peak Coal crisis!

[Kuciwalker]

People did think there would be a peak coal crisis.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
People did think there would be a peak coal crisis.

Well then... that serves to bolster my point. Thank you, young Kuci, you have been most... helpful.

[DRoseDARs]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui




Supply and Demand will raise to fore other methods of extracting oil or other sources of energy.

...which still depletes a finite resource. What's so hard about that concept?

If these people (and I guess you) were around 70 years ago, they'd be decrying that we were going to have a Peak Coal crisis!

If you want to put words in my mouth, that your prerogative...

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Well then... that serves to bolster my point.

That was my objective...

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Kidicious


I don't imagine this to make a big difference. I imagine that you will still see a lot of SUVs on the road thoughout the crisis.

Yeah, I gess that for a period people will suffer in other places before they will cut on gasoline consumption, but when they figure out that driving vehicehles using at least thrice of others cost them a fortune, the will change.

In some ways, americans are idiots, in others they aren't - they just need a lagre kick in their arses to become sensible.

[Imran Siddiqui]

...which still depletes a finite resource.

Which also means we aren't going to the Dark Ages. Which means that there may be more oil we'll be able to extract with modern and near-future technology than we've used so far in human history.

That was my objective...

That's why I thanked you, young Kuci.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui




It may happen tomorrow!! Or 5 years from now!! Or 10 years from now!! You never know! It's coming, dammit!! Listen to us.... please?

No wonder commies believe this claptrap. It's like Communism. Oh, it'll eventually happen. One day... yeah.

Nope. It may happpen, but not in the next 30-50 years. The treat about no more oil has been told for several years, but each time they have been proven false.

Admitted, it will happen, but noone has a clue about when - though one thing is surem none of current claims are true.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by BlackCat
A possibility, but yet unproven..

Hmm, maybe later, our specters can hang over your grave and gloat: see, I told you so.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It may happpen

But it won't be a Peak Oil CRISIS. It won't immediately spring upon us, with us wondering what to do. If oil production hits its "peak", we'll have moved on already or will be in the process of doing so.

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


Hmm, maybe later, our specters can hang over your grave and gloat: see, I told you so.

Somehow I think that we are at equal age, so I am not that worried that your ghost will haunt me

[BlackCat]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

It may happpen

But it won't be a Peak Oil CRISIS. It won't immediately spring upon us, with us wondering what to do. If oil production hits its "peak", we'll have moved on already or will be in the process of doing so.

Exactly my thoughts. No doubt that oil will decrease as the major source of energy, especially when it increases in price and thereby make other sources valid (may be the wrong word).

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by BlackCat


Yeah, I gess that for a period people will suffer in other places before they will cut on gasoline consumption, but when they figure out that driving vehicehles using at least thrice of others cost them a fortune, the will change.

In some ways, americans are idiots, in others they aren't - they just need a lagre kick in their arses to become sensible.

Sometimes even a kick in the ass doesn't help, because they would sooner go broke than drive around in one of those little cars.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
If oil production hits its "peak", we'll have moved on already or will be in the process of doing so.

What on earth makes you think so? How are we to know when the peak is coming? You seem to not even care at all. Experts are predicing it's coming soon and you just laugh. Who do you think is preparing for this crisis?

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui

It may happpen

But it won't be a Peak Oil CRISIS. It won't immediately spring upon us, with us wondering what to do. If oil production hits its "peak", we'll have moved on already or will be in the process of doing so.

I partly disagree.
If the current situation is anything to go by, the energy companies will cling to oil for as long as possible, and lobby their way for it to last as long as possible (thus pushing back in time the transition, and thus making it more brutal).

In order to reduce oil consumption, you don't merely need a better price for other energy dources. You also need an infrastructure that can create and transfer that energy. Nuke plants take quite a few years to be built (and I bet fusion plants would take even longer): the later you start building these plants, the more brutal the transition. Alternate fuel for cars and trucks would rock, but they mean nothing if you can't find them at your local fuel depot. If the oil companies resisst the change (which would be perfectly reasonable, as they'd be protecting their profits), they'll do everything to avoid the spread of alternate fuels on the territory.

Point is, when we reach the "peak oil", whenever it is, we won't be prepared well in advance. Like we often do, we'll act only once in deep ****, hich means the crisis will be about as important as the 70's oil shocks were for Europe. Not a dark age, but a genuine economic crisis.

The difference between Europe and the US on fuel consumption is indicative of my point BTW. Since we had barely any oil on our territory, the crisis was much worse for us than for the US. And even today, we are extremely advanced wrt fuel-efficiency (in cars, but also in other consumer goods), whereas the Yanks continue to be as gas-guzzling as ever. If it's not a proof that we only do things when forced to, I don't know what it is