Peak Oil

[Ziggamafu]

[url="http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/"]http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/[/url]

This is a kind of doomsday website, and obviously makes its money off of clicks and purchases for prep-gear linked plentifully on the full left hand column of every page.

However...I must say, this is the most thorough and convincing presentation of the "peak oil" problem that I've ever come across and it has left me a *little* unsettled about the not-to-distant future in our own lifetimes.

Notice that every solution and objection that is commonly tossed back at "peak oil" paranoia (indeed, every objection I've ever heard) seems to be addressed; facts give sources, quotes are cited, etc. The only thing I didn't notice (and I'll be honest, I did not read everything word-for-word) was mention of fusion technology and the possibility of moon-mines.

Anyway, I would be very much interested in any critiques or rebuttals to the information linked above - particularly any rebuttals to the sites own contentions with common objections to the idea of peak oil. Most objections are handled on page 2.

Thanks, Phatmassers.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Ziggamafu

[CatherineM]

I don't know if we are near, or past, peak oil yet. I'm disinclined to base my beliefs on the opinions of the Dale Gribbles of the world. However, a few weeks ago, someone that I do respect, who has access to information in the oil world that I would deem to be as good as it gets, T. Boone Pickens, has said that we have reached peak oil. He believes it so strongly that he is investing a couple of billion dollars in building America's largest wind farm in Texas.

[dairygirl4u2c]

solar is expensive. if you got wind, i dont think it's too bad. wind is one place where it's at. other technolgie are speculative but not wind. even when other technolgies come,,, wind will sill be there putting out free energy preventing you from paying even the new fuels etc.
jus sayin.

[Ziggamafu]

The problem is that renewable / "clean" sources of energy put out very little power compared to oil and currently depend on oil for their manufacturing. As the population grows (and the consumer demand of energy grows even more), once at peak oil, we are effectively screwed and will (apparently) be quickly plummeted into wars for resources as the hospitals and government buildings lose power. Since there will at that point be little alternative energies to fuel the manufacture of more alternative energies, we could quickly find ourselves living in pre-industrial revolution days; private farming and medicinal gardening, etc.

See...it certainly seems as if the site's info checks out - at first and second glance, anyway. Again, I've not been freaked out enough to actually do a thorough reading or source-check. If true, it seems the only real hope would be that we perfect fusion within the next ten years.

Interestingly, St. Olaf pointed out that the last time man was reaching beyond God's intent, his informational (and thus technological) abilities were scattered to the winds at the Tower of Babel. Considering our aspirations now - martian / moon bases, genetic engineering, human-animal hybrids, cloning, bio-technological immortality, nano-technological invulnerability, etc. - it would not seem surprising that we would once again require a good "scattering".

Very scary stuff...

Edited August 6, 2008 by Ziggamafu

[dairygirl4u2c]

see i'm an optimist and think something will come along. at the current time though yes we are screwed if we want to maintain our current level. gasoline is just so powerful.
nuke's could power electric cars,, but that's a lot of waste. as long as we did sound waste, even shot it into space, something. when pushed to the edge, it'd seem we'd find a solution.