1. THE ENERGY DESTINY OF MANKIND
Peak oil is an inconvenience. If you want to get scared about something, try "Peak Energy". That's the point where all energy sources, totaled together, reach their peak and begin a grim decline. Obviously, we're not at that point now, and we never will be, as I will explain in a moment.
The fact is, the solution is staring everybody right in the face: coal and nuclear. The reason the peak oilers can't get over the conceptual hurdle is that peak oil isn't about energy depletion. How could it be? Coal and nuclear aren't going to run out for a loong loong time, so there is no energy depletion problem. QED.
But wait, what about the wastes? you say, like Campbell and all those other patte-eating European twits from ALPO at their posh climate-controlled meetings in Switzerland. "We're afraid people might turn back to nuclear or coal… " Wake up Nimrods! Of course we're going to turn back to nuclear and coal.
After all, what's the alternative? "Power-down" back into quaint eco-peasantry?
Peak Oil isn't a technical problem, it's an insane environmental agenda draping itself in the robes of science. Fact is, oil is only tangentially related to the whole concept. The core is that the greenies want to shrink the human "footprint" on the earth. That's greenie code for their elitist human mass extermination program. Sorry everbody, you all have to starve and die because coal and nuclear produce dangerous wastes, and, well, we just can't risk it. Somebody might get hurt.
These people are sick. Don 't believe me? Check out this from the "What to Do" flyer over at postcarbon.org:
Triage:
• What and who "must" be saved.
• What and who "should" be saved.
• What and who "can" be saved.
• What and who "can't" be saved.
Print that out and distribute it to all your cool "in-the-know" PO greenie buddies. Can you believe that elitist crap? God help us all if those self-righteous stooges ever seize control. Sure the overlords who run the world now are a crew of vile greedy swine, but at least they have the decency to *try* to save us all.
First it was global warming, then it was peak oil, next week it'll be something else. The main thing is to prepare for the inevitable "die-off" (read: "kill-off") by making sure everybody retreats back into a little hovel made out of old PET bottles, stops moving, and eats acorns because the greenies shut off that icky coal and nuclear.
Don't get me wrong. I myself lived a semi self-sufficient lifestyle in the country for about 5 years until just a few years ago. Oddly enough, I have a lot more practical experience than most people growing gardens, composting, butchering animals etc.
But I will tell you one thing: mankind did not come all this way, just to crawl back into a hole and retreat. Screw the earth. It's like the egg we hatched out of. We suck its resources dry, and then we step out of the nest and fly into the wild black yonder. As my hero, William S. Burroughs, said: man is an artifact designed for space travel. Can you imagine anything stupider than a being, hatched into an infinite universe, wringing its hands about the finiteness and limits of its environment?
I trust that our upcoming look at Titan, the hydrocarbon moon, will have a salutory effect on the imagination of the common man. With any luck, it'll be a PR disaster for the peak oil central committee, you know: "sending the people the 'wrong message' at this critical time" etc. etc.
We will never run out of hydrocarbons or energy, because they are the basic building blocks of the universe, and the universe is infinite. Yes, folks, contrary to the solemn word of ALPO, there is an infinite supply of energy. and all we have to do to tap it is stop listening to those cowards, and get focused.
posted by JD @ 4:11 PM
15 comments
15 Comments:
I wouldn't go far as saying "Screw the Earth", but you're right, I'm not gonna be hiding in some bunker in the likelihood that the worst happens. In that case, a bunker would be the last place I'd want to be, as you'd be all alone, isolated from any communities until the hoards come to rip you to pieces.
Having said that, a Mad Max world is something nobody wants, and rational thinking people from around the world will come together in the coming years to avert just that.
I wouldn't go far as saying "Screw the Earth"
Hi james, welcome to POD.
Of course, you are right. Protecting the environment of earth is critically important. On the other hand, the earth is not so important that we need to "cull the human herd" or doom ourselves to the fate of the dinosaurs in order to protect it. We need to protect the earth, not revere it.
Thanks dukat. That's precisely the sort of well-reasoned comment we've come to expect from your camp.
James, I think you're mostly right.
Our civilisation is not going back to hand-farming the vegie patch by the end of 2010, however the days of cheap petrol, V-8 cars /SUV's etc. are going to be very limited (to the very well off).
So, after reading most of the entries you've made, plus the books by Simmons, Defeyyes, and Kunstler's web site, it seems to me that;
- Oil is going to get more expensive and so are its derivative products, due to demand at least meeting supply.
- Diesel and Jet A1 are going to become more expensive, pushing up heavy transport costs a lot, however at the same time, alternative fuels will then start to become more viable. Some people will move their vehicle (truck, plane) to the alternatives.
- Petrol will become incredibly expensive, as it is mostly available from attractive crude such as "West Texas Intermediate". People (esp. the USA/Canada/Australia) will have to substantially change their work and living habits....in this sense, Kunstler's points have value. Motorbikes and pushbikes will become common (they already are in Asia and Italy).
- Electrical generation and petrochemical products will move to alternatives in a similar way to heavy transport. They will almost certainly cost more for a toothbrush or plastic bank note.
I think that there are things we as members of developed society should do;
- encourage public transport (that uses electricity or CNG) and pushbike paths. Encourage businesses and traders to be co-located with train stations and similar. Discourage the building of any more parking lots.
- Encourage electrical generation away from petroleum based boilers.
- Encourage more research and fund pilot programs into the alternative fuels.
- Impose graduated taxes on vehicles, based upon engine size (eg 6 cylinder car > 4 cyl. etc.).
- Finally, accept that there will not only be significant changes, but that the overall standard of living will drop as the cost of living rises without a commensurate wage increase.
Anyhow, thanks for an interesting blog site.
regards,
Ross.
You're a fucking greenie, greenie.
This site shows nothing more than an ignorant, reactionary, right-wing thug mouthing off about things he simply does not understand.
I think you're right about the right, anon. But honestly, what do we expect from them?
He's the one starting off the entire site without any supporting data and he's the one starting off with the name-calling:
"patte-eating European twits"
"Nimrods!"
"those cowards"
At least you're not breaking the all-to-familiar pattern, JD
People are warning about peak oil not because it represents the end of human civilization or the "grim decline" of all energy, but because it calls for a radical shift away from dependence on oil. The Oil and Auto Industries, as well as our government, seem to be fighting this change. It's important that people be working hard on alternative ways to power our cars.
I wouldn't exactly say that the auto industry is fighting the change to cars powered by alternative fuels. For example, Honda and Ford are experimenting with hydrogen cars (Honda has one going to the market in 2008). Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Ford, Mercedes all have hybrids (maybe some others, cant remember). The changes to alternative fuels are happening, and will continue to rise.
Why even bother with coal when we've got extracting uranium from seawater for fast breeder reactors?
Nuclear? are you an idiot?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=BUL20060122&articleId=1777
If you have problem with depleted-uranium weapons, take it up with the Department of Defense instead of using it to bash peaceful nuclear power.
"Screw the Earth"? I'm sorry but that just goes too far. You say that once Earth becomes uninhabitable, we'll populate another planet. And what are we gonna do if we end up ruining that planet? I'm no New-Age/hippie/enviro-Marxist type fellow, but I do care about Earth. I believe that future technological developments will allow us to maintain a modern lifestyle while protecting and benefiting the environment. Plus, rising living standards will give people more incentive to protect Earth, since wealthier societies are better equipped to handle environmental laws. My point is; it's not necessary to forfeit our technology and high living standards in order to keep the Earth green. I've been bombarded with enviro-wacko propaganda my whole life, but now I know that technological advancement is not Earth's enemy, but its greatest hope.
You seem to be overlooking the point that nuclear can't run cars (as yet). The worry is that we will run out of oil before other technologies are fully available to the same standard.
And coal available for a "loong loong time"? It's lifespan barely exceeds that of oil and gas.
You make good arguments, but your childish language reduces respect and there are gaping holes in the theory/ideas.
Cheers,
Richard
JD, thanks. ecoglobe.ch - under new positivist management - can only and wholeheartedly agree. Cheers on the growthslope ... Horace
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