Peak oil v climate change - The Guardian

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 03 Apr 2011, 22:33

Hmm going back to the daft virgins, does this mean that if you're buying petrol on the Day of Judgement, you're stuffed

?

Keepz · Post by **Keepz** » 08 Apr 2011, 05:55

foodimista wrote:
Others – including many governments and energy companies – believe the peak to be decades away and argue that as oil becomes more expensive to extract, the market will naturally redirect investment towards alternative energy sources.
The only teensy weensy ickle problem with that argument is that it usually takes decades for new technology to make an effective economic difference and it's not as if we suddenly decide on Monday that oil has become too expensive and we then have a whole new energy system in place by Friday. There is the not insignificant issue of economic collapse and loss of R&D and investment money associated with the expensive oil - inflation - recession sequence. But then, those advocating, and with an interest in the continuation of, BAU know all that don't they?

But nobody is saying that it will happen overnight that some tipping point will be reached and "we" all suddenly decide together that oil has become too expensive. It's a gradual process. We all have different priorities and views as to what constitutes "too expensive" and hence the point at which we stop using any given product. It's already too expensive for some, but others will continue to pay prices even as they go higher. In the meantime the process by which new technologies are developed to enable more value to be got out of less oil is already under way, and has been since the oil shocks of the 1970s - look how much petrol efficiency in cars has improved since then, for example.

What sort of examples do you have in mind with "it usually takes decades for new technology to make an effective economic difference"? It hasn't taken that long for the Internet to make an effective difference to the economics of manufacturing CDs, or for mobile telephony to make an effective difference to the economics of installing telephone cables.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » 08 Apr 2011, 22:17

We burn all the oil, then we all meet Jesus.

There's logic there.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 09 Apr 2011, 05:46

More from HorseCents:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HorseCents# ... kaih4OiwLI

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 17 Apr 2011, 09:58

The latest video clip from that good 'ole boy, HorseCents:

Peak Oil myth scientifically disproved (there is no oil shortage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isRIMZi0SB0

Priceless!

Andy Hunt · Post by **Andy Hunt** » 17 Apr 2011, 12:05

Thanks for the link Aurora!!

"This theory has never been disproven."

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 17 Apr 2011, 12:15

Andy Hunt wrote:

Thanks for the link Aurora!!

"This theory has never been disproven."

You're welcome Bubba.

Shucks, I'm just tryin' to keep you geo-socialist, global warming paranoids informed.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 17 Apr 2011, 22:51

Catweazle wrote:We burn all the oil, then we all meet Jesus.

There's logic there.

Given the analogy of a wedding night, we burn all the oil and then we're (THAT'S ENOUGH OF THAT)