A survey - Peak Oil.

[the_real_38]

Poll question: A survey - Peak Oil.

I want to get a feel for how many have heard of Peak Oil , and what they think about it.

[bahrbearian]

1. I plan on planting lots of corn,

does anyone have plans on how to make a still?

[the_real_38]

2. need to research that...

n/t

[NormanConquest]

5. I'm moving back home to grow industrial hemp

Oh yeah, I'll need lots of guns, too.

[cprise]

8. Soy yields more energy per acre (biodiesel)

And it's easier to process than corn.

And you run it in diesel engines, which are at least 35% more efficient than gas engines.

And the byproducts are: a) glycerine (for soap), and b) soy meal (edible protein)

[Solon]

10. Why do we need a "Magic Bullet"?

We need to look at all alternatives and through practical experience, implement the ones that are the LEAST energy intensive. Combine the expertise and experience of all the current known alternatives and weigh the benefits and drawbacks. Hemp has many uses, besides as fuel, and so does soy, why not use both for what they are best at. Soy for fuel and food, hemp for fabrics, paper, food, medicine, ect. All alternative must be explored for us to survive the coming decades, so never exclude one in favor of another. That includes techniques and technologies that can be developed to aid in energy production, (Wind, Solar, etc.). We already rely on too few sources for our power and food production (Coal, Oil, Natural Gas) lets not repeat those mistakes.

[cprise]

12. So corn is best for... ??

Being corny, I suppose.

Never plant corn for producing energy. It's a waste.

[Solon]

13. I was mostly responding to the hemp vs. soy.

Corn is a staple crop for food, and its fibers could be useful. All I am saying is that we should not waste anything, we do need to prioritize but it should come through real world experience, and to never rely on only one or two sources for most of our energy or produce. Diversification is the key, without it we will not survive. I just hate so called "Magic Bullet" theories, replace one product with another, wholly, without thinking of the consequences.

[mhr]

3. Learn About Peak Oil Here

Websites of interest include:

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/Home.html
http://globalpublicmedia.com/
http://www.oilcrash.com/
http://www.wolfatthedoor.org.uk/
http://www.asponews.org
http://www.gulland.ca/depletion/depletion.htm
http://www.dieoff.org/
http://www.oilanalytics.org/
http://www.greatchange.org/
http://www.oilcrisis.com/
http://www.after-oil.co.uk/
http://www.hubbertpeak.com/
http://hubbert.mines.edu
http://www.museletter.com/archive/cia-oil.html

Energy Resources
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/energyresources/

Alas Babylon
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AlasBabylon/

Running on Empty
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RunningOnEmpty2/

[bahrbearian]

7. I've read Peak Oil ,but Thanks for the links book marking them.

[Kazak]

4. Scared sh*tless!

:scared:

[blurp]

21. It will make things harder

Oil has been a huge lever for workers to push on. The incredible productivity we have is in large part due to the availability of cheap energy.

Give us a long enough lever and a place to stand and we move the Earth.

Well, the lever will now begin to get shorter and shorter. Soon it will take more and more effort to produce the same amount of goods.

[Solon]

6. Substinence Farming here

Not building a compound, I would say build or buy a small farm. Enough to feed you and close family, because when the downward slide occurs, none of us, unless we are rich, can afford to eat. You do realize that it takes 400 gallons of crude to feed each one of us don't you?

[bahrbearian]

9. I don't have time for this, I want to watch NASCAR.

[Solon]

11. OK, who voted conspiracy?

How can a problem that while human caused, requires nothing more than our overdependance on one or two sources of fuel involve a conspiracy?

[bahrbearian]

14. Mother Nature ?

[Solon]

15. Then she must be stopped!!!

We must declare war on Gaia NOW!!!

hold on a sec...

[AZCat]

16. I already have an eye patch and a one-armed leather jacket!

Now I just need to find a mangy yeller dog and a comedic sidekick!

[politick]

17. How can it be a conspiracy theory?

We are digging oil OUT OF THE GROUND! Its a finite source of fuel. It MUST RUN OUT sometime.

Besides all that, and admitting I know nothing about geology, has anyone investigated the effect of draining all the oil from the earth? Won't it have some effect on the basic structure of strata that makes everything run? You know, delicate balance and all that...?

[the_real_38]

18. The ground does feel kinda soft these days...

...n/t

[blurp]

20. Hopefully

We are digging oil OUT OF THE GROUND! Its a finite source of fuel. It MUST RUN OUT sometime.

Well, if we allow the market to function properly, then the supply of oil will get smaller and smaller, but at a slower and slower rate.

That is, if we allow prices to go up.

On the other hand, we could do a Nixon and freeze prices. That way, we make all the oil in the ground too expensive to pull out, while at the same time, encourage the rapid consumption of existing, under-priced supplies.

Hey, just like 1970's. Whooo whooo!

[blurp]

19. Peak may already be behind us

What worries me the most is that we'll go back to 1970's style denial by setting price controls on oil. This will allow people to continue to over-consume and it will leave more expensive sources of oil unprofitable and hence unavailable.

History suggests that the voters will clamor for such things and we'll go back long lines at the pump.

The last time we did that it took about 10 years to free up price controls on oil.

[Old and In the Way]

22. Plus you have rapid industrialization of China.....not just manufacturing

but 300MM new consumers that want cars/roads/stuff just like us. The demand for energy/oil could grow faster than what the experts are projecting.

Kerry's speech tonight address this very issue. He talked about weaning ourselves from an energy policy that entangles us in wars of occupation and liberation (oil). He wants to create new programs that develop alternative/renewable energies and he put a 500,000 jobs creation component on that....it is smart politics on so many levels.

[htuttle]

24. There's the elephant in the room...

Nobody wants to really think about the fact that over a billion people in China, another billion in India, and another billion in Africa and Latin America have all been told that they can live American-style 'uber-consumption' lifestyles if they just go through a little neo-liberal 'restructuring' (ie., corporate looting).

So. Who's going to break it to them that they are shit out of luck and will never get what they've been promised, because there just isn't enough to go around?

Maybe some of them figured that out already?

[el_gato]

23. economics won't save us from reality

[John_Shadows_1]

25. I guess the wonders of the market ...

... will solve the problem - but I've got a feeling that buzz won't create more fossil fuels.