World's Oil Supply

I was just reading something about the world's oil production peaking and is now on the downturn. Thier ultimate prediction was the world's oil might be a lot sooner than we think. Then they of course talk about the massive societal destruction that will turn the world into a mad max meets water world movie.

I think we have plenty of time till we find no use for oil, because theoretically we will NEVER run out of oil because in a free market, the oil prices will rise and rise to take advantage of the high demand. We may have plenty of oil, but who would want to pay $20 a gallon? I would when I want to drive my antique 2004 caddy when I am 70.

People complain about gas prices, but they have consistantly stayed below the inflation adjusted amount from the 50's, it should be like $3 a gallon.

Also, there are a lot of non hippy ways to reduce our use of oil. When Hitler's oilfields were bombed his war effort found a way to produce gas through COAL. We still have plenty of coal today. Also, diesel engines can burn practially ANYTHING because of the extreme compression ratios within the combustion chamber (diesels don't have spark plugs because of that).

In addition, science has reciently discovered that old oil wells which were once empty are back to producing oil. Turns out the oil producing rocks producces oil at a steady rate, instead of the millions of years that scientists thought. Plus, there are oilfields that are not in liquid form. In Ft McMurray Alberta Canada they MINE oil from the ground, extract it, and make plenty of money, and they have hundreds of square miles of these oilfields.

Problems that might be faced is that every economy is structured on oil and somehow the big bill has to be passed around for a while until technology finds us a way out. How are our farm tractors suppose to function or our big rigs, our power plants, or our train locomotives at such a high price?

When high prices hit, people of the world would inevitably cry to their government for a bail out. Taxing the people to prepay gasoline so it's cheaper for the orphans and shut ins is not the anwer. We would create an artificial market where eveything is fine, people don't learn how to conserve, they still buy the old technology and the civilian scientists don't see a need to find a solution. Then all of a sudden we really do run out and then we are all screwed cause we were getting kissed by the government lol

Though the end of the world is scarey it's still pretty far off, and technology can sure as hell come up with some mind boggling stuff in the next 50 years, we should still prepare ourselves. To help reduce our use for oil in, even though they are for hippies, the electric hybrids are good only if they are used in a massive amount perhaps europe can pass a law or something there (it wouldn't be a surprize). Also, building nuclear plants or if technology allows us Cold Fusion power plants, we can greatly reduce the amount of oil, coal, and natural gas power plants. Solar and wind IS NOT THE ANSWER, you need 10% of the earth's surface in solar to totally use it, and wind mills are just as bad but kill birds by the dozen.

Speaking about renewable energy don't forget the wood, trash and tire burning plants! I have all three within 40 miles here in hippy vermont.

I predict we are pretty safe with our oil supply.
What are your thoughts.

Great Post,

The answer to the World's OiL crisis ...(If There Really is Even One ) Is Ethanol Based Fuels....and Solar Power....

Could it be that the Peak Oil crisis is a lie supported by the oil companies to have an excuse to jack up the prices? "oooh we're going low on oil.. gonna have to make price higher" but who really knows?

Solar is by far not the answer. I saw on the dicovery or TLC channel (what's the difference?) a review of power methods. They showed one of the largest solar plants in the world, which happened to be next to a substantial oil powered plant. The solar plant produced a few hundred megawatts, the oil plant produced in the GIGAwatts.

Here is a good example:
www.envirotruth.org...
"The story is similar with solar power. Dr. J. Terry Rogers, Carleton University Professor Emeritus of mechanical engineering, has shown that an efficient solar plant would have to occupy over 600 square kilometres, about the same as that of Metro Toronto, to match the energy provided on a regular basis by the Pickering nuclear station. The construction of such massive solar plants would require millions of tons of concrete, steel and glass, the production of which would produce air pollution equivalent to several years of fossil fuel plant operation. These behemoths would also ruin the local natural environment for wildlife and could even upset local weather patterns due to ground reflectivity changes caused by the mirrors. Not surprisingly, Dr. Rogers maintains, "Solar energy can never be a significant contributor to large-scale energy needs in a major industrial country like Canada." "

Originally posted by ANMAN

"The story is similar with solar power. Dr. J. Terry Rogers, Carleton University Professor Emeritus of mechanical engineering, has shown that an efficient solar plant would have to occupy over 600 square kilometres, about the same as that of Metro Toronto, to match the energy provided on a regular basis by the Pickering nuclear station.

Let's cover that damn moon with solar panels then..

solar power is good but the technology needs serious improvement for efficiency reason... but a combo of solar, wind and water power would be quite good IMO

Is it safe to say oil shortage can also be caused by restrictions placed on drilling in certain areas?

And to talk business for a moment, is it possible for a single corporation to have exclusive drilling rights to a specific region?

Yeah solar power reflecting from the moon or from a big satellite would be cool. The only thing i could think of is that it would sure suck if those panels were turned onto the earth. It would be a collosal laser beam blasting cities and crap lol. Russia tried using a giant mirror to shine the sun's light on their farm land during the 24 hour darkness they get so they can grow more crops, but the satellite failed.

More hydro dams and new tidal generators would be a good way for more energy.

The hippies here in Vermont are absolutly in LOVE with this windmill stuff. Now we have schools and local governments building or trying to build thier own windmills. At the same time news has be supressed on the other hippies that HATE the windmills because they bird chewing monsters. We went through a huge paragin falcon craze where all the hippies and schools pounded people over the head about these endangered birds to the point that they got them on our licence plates and on road signs. Now they forgot about them and building giant machines that will chew them up and rain parts all over little kids! lol

Nuclear power might find a way to be come a lot more safe. With thier radioactive water that has to be perfectly stored for a thousand years, scientists have been researching a way that might eliminate the need to cubby hole it away somewhere. I heard from a person who works at this company that's finding a way to reduce the half-life of the radioactive molecules from a 1000 years to about 10 seconds with the use of laser beams of odd wavelengths.

Maybe nuclear power can reduce our oil use in power plats so our supply can last a lot longer.

Originally posted by SpookenYaMind
Great Post,

The answer to the World's OiL crisis ...(If There Really is Even One ) Is Ethanol Based Fuels....and Solar Power....

i agree with you