End of civilisation? (peak oil)

If you have 15 minutes to spare, I urge you to watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auHJlWwwTKk

For those who are unfamiliar with the term, peak oil refers to the point in time at which global oil production reaches the highest possible point, prompting a decline. Since oil is such an essential commodity for the world economy, demand will continue to rise, however once it becomes evident that supply cannot keep up then prices will skyrocket, and then we will be at the mercy of a global financial catastrophe.

Before I get negged for fear-mongering and somebody points out that "we are x-hundred years away from running out of oil", this is not about running out of oil, as we will have stopped drilling for it long before we even come close to exhausting all known reserves. This is about running out of cheap oil.

Once you think about how many things oil is used for (both in regards to transport and production), it becomes evident that we are doomed unless we start taking drastic steps to shift away from an oil-dependent economy.

Reply 1

xMr_BrightSide

When it becomes economically unviable, firms will naturally turn to alternatives in order to maintain profits - this will be nuclear, renewable etc. There will be a shift if the prices rise too high - that's the way free market economics works.

Reply 2

Kiss

Renewable energy, geothermal energy, other resources = problem solved.

Reply 3

aryjr

Original post by xMr_BrightSide

Original post by Kiss

Renewable energy, geothermal energy, other resources = problem solved.

Which energy alternatives come anywhere close to being as efficient as oil?

Everyone talks about moving away from oil like it's the easiest thing in the world but it really is anything but that.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4

xMr_BrightSide

Efficiency isn't a static concept - it's not like the efficiency we have now with nuclear and solar is the highest we can ever achieve :rolleyes:

Once firms see it as a good alternative to invest in and develop, efficiency will naturally grow as firms look for technological advancements. How do you think we got so efficient with oil mining? Through decades of development and dynamic efficiency improvements. The same will happen again if the economic situation necessitates it.

Reply 5

Kiss

Original post by aryjr

Which energy alternatives come anywhere close to being as efficient as oil?

Everyone talks about moving away from oil like it's the easiest thing in the world but it really is anything but that.

Sexual energy should be harnessed at some point - generate electricity from the act of love..................

Reply 6

Bill_Gates

All im saying is shale gas.

Reply 7

username234673

Love how people are worried about energy being the problem here.

What about plastics? What about everything in this list?

Reply 8

Greenlaner

Peak oil? I say, bring it on. I'm looking forward to seeing what new and exciting innovations will emerge to take the place of place of oil. Personally, I will go with biogas for my own fuel needs. Anybody can build a biogas digester out of just scrap material, they are incredibly simple devices, and you can produce gas from food waste, garden waste such as grass clippings, manure. The gas can even be used to run an internal combustion engine, usually with little or no modification to the engine's internals.

It is also a little known fact that you can produce diesel from waste plastic, using pyrolysis. Imagine how much fuel we could produce from the billions of tons of plastic waste that is currently clogging up the world.

So we have options, and I don't believe for one second peak oil will bring about anything even remotely close to the "end of civilization". Humans survived and thrived for tens of thousands of years prior to the oil age. We will simply move into a new era of human civilization. Hopefully one that is less wasteful, more innovative, more self sufficient and more in tune with nature and the land. Hopefully :moon:

Reply 9

flyingarmbarman

Original post by aryjr

If you have 15 minutes to spare, I urge you to watch this video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auHJlWwwTKkFor those who are unfamiliar with the term, peak oil refers to the point in time at which global oil production reaches the highest possible point, prompting a decline. Since oil is such an essential commodity for the world economy, demand will continue to rise, however once it becomes evident that supply cannot keep up then prices will skyrocket, and then we will be at the mercy of a global financial catastrophe. Before I get negged for fear-mongering and somebody points out that "we are x-hundred years away from running out of oil", this is not about running out of oil, as we will have stopped drilling for it long before we even come close to exhausting all known reserves. This is about running out of cheap oil. Once you think about how many things oil is used for (both in regards to transport and production), it becomes evident that we are doomed unless we start taking drastic steps to shift away from an oil-dependent economy.

oil price has plumetted in last few months. and new deposits are being discovered in various parts of the world almost on a monthly basis as are new ways to harvest it. the bigger point is that alternative energy sources are becmoming far more real

Reply 10

Umar1

There are large untapped reserves of oil left in the world. East Africa (Kenya Somalia), the arctic are just two examples.

Then there's shale gas, oil...

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Reply 11

aryjr

Original post by Umar1

There are large untapped reserves of oil left in the world. East Africa (Kenya Somalia), the arctic are just two examples.

And, like all the other oil reserves, they too will run out some day.

We need something to keep us afloat until a breakthrough in renewable energy/nuclear fusion happens.

Original post by Umar1

Then there's shale gas, oil...

Both highly inefficient compared to conventional oil...

Reply 12

Dirac Delta Function

One way or another, we will run out of Earth-Based fuels, be it nuclear or fossil.

Luckily, there's a massive fire-ball only 8 minutes away at Warp 1, and it will be around for a few billion years yet.

Reply 13

Umar1

Original post by aryjr

And, like all the other oil reserves, they too will run out some day.

We need something to keep us afloat until a breakthrough in renewable energy/nuclear fusion happens.

Yes but we do have time.

Original post by aryjr

Both highly inefficient compared to conventional oil...

At the moment, yes. Who knows if new technology will be available in the future which can make them as efficient as conventional oil.

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Reply 14

Xotol

The point is that oil (and fossil fuels) are currently the most economically favourable energy resources for all of the energy corporations to invest their money in. Not only that, you'll find that these corporations aren't doing renewable energy any favours as governments will side with them due to the huge lobbying efforts (USA and climate change springs to mind)

However, once this "peak oil" point is reached, or once oil becomes so economically unfavourable, they will shift their attention to other resources. We can only hope this will be renewable energy because, as inefficient and expensive as it seems now, I doubt we have barely tapped into its huge potential. I am honestly more worried about the state of climate change. I am sure we can move through an economy crisis (I highly doubt civilisation will end), but irrevocable changes to the climate might devastate our agriculture and living land areas among other things.