Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Radical Environmentalists have…

True.
SDF — (archived)

However, radical evironmentalists and the global warming nutcases don't realize that oil is going to run out before any other catastrophe happens. The annual BP Statistical Review of World Energy doesn't show a global decline yet, but it's happening to all the smaller oilfields, so it's only a matter of time before the pattern shows itself. If one uses a declining balance method on world oil reserves, and assuming consumption grows at the same rate as the last 10 years, we've got about 30 years left. I've been optimistic and said 50-100 years because there may be acceptable alternatives that people might switch to. But they won't be as good... Coal liquefaction requires coal, which is strip-mined. Tar sands also must be strip mined. And the yields aren't as good. Ethanol is limited by the land area to grow biomass, and competes with food supplies, and has less energy per gallon. Hydrogen requires huge expansion of nuclear power to produce the stuff and can't be shipped long distances, even before we talk about the technical problems and the cost.

People are simple. As long as people can afford big vehicles, that's what they'll get. That's what makes it so predictable.

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