Are the worlds economies too reliant on oil?

Discussion in 'Economics' started by nitro, Jun 5, 2010.

Even if we innovate, are capitalists societieson course to destroy ourselves per Marx

  1. Yes. The logic is innevitable.

    9 vote(s)
    52.9%
  2. No. We will figure it all out, or maybe the Messiah will come.

    3 vote(s)
    17.6%
  3. I don't know.

    2 vote(s)
    11.8%
  4. I don't care I already told you the world is comming to an end.

    3 vote(s)
    17.6%
  1. You hit it on the head. Oil has allowed the huge expansion in the human population.
     
    #11     Jun 6, 2010
  2. wake up and think a little. at $500/bbl, no electricty would come from oil. it will all come from alternative sources, and it will be cheaper to fill up an electric car than buy $10 gas.

    i have a very clear understanding of where electricty comes from now and where it would come from should oil become scarce. you, like all the doomsday people, haven't thought this through very much. you assume all economic parameters remain the same forever. that's way too simple and too naive.
     
    #12     Jun 7, 2010
  3. did you make up this out of thin air? in the US, 2/3 of oil consumption goes to transportation. it is by far the largest sector of oil consumption. worldwide as well, most oil goes to transportation.
     
    #13     Jun 7, 2010
  4. DT-waw

    DT-waw

    cold fusion or zero point energy solve all worlds energy problems.
    and you are perfectly aware of that nitro and random.capital


    but hey, shhh... silence. its forbidden to talk about it.
    anything good for the humanity is bad.
    anything pro- depopulation is good.


    hell of course economies are dependent on f##king oil!
    without taxes on oil the monetary system is immediately dead, so are the politicans and corporate moguls.
     
    #14     Jun 7, 2010
  5. nitro

    nitro

    Making use of Zero point energy is aking to believing in perpetual motion machines:

    "...As a scientific concept, the existence of zero point energy is not controversial although the ability to harness it is. In particular, perpetual motion machines and other power generating devices supposedly based on zero point energy are highly controversial and, in many cases, in violation of some of the fundamental laws of physics...."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-point_energy

    There is something to cold fusion, but we are still not quite sure what it is:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_Fusion

    I for one am extremely skeptical.

    But why try to solve the problems with 25th century technology? Controlled fusion is all we need, and I say we are 30 years from it:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_power
     
    #15     Jun 7, 2010
  6. Cold fusion and zero point energy is bull crap.

    While the DT, that is part of your username, is a viable thermonuclear reaction, Deuterium + Tritium = Helium + lots and lots of clean and inexhaustible energy for everyone for ever. Check this out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ITER this one's actually based on real science.
     
    #16     Jun 7, 2010
  7. That's 20 years away, oil is now $70 / barrel. If oil goes up 10.4% / yr for the next 20 years, that will be your $500/bbl. For the sake of your argument we will presume this happens.

    Cars will become more fuel efficient. Hybrid car sales in US from 2000 to 2007 went up 3800%:
    http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels/facts/2008_fotw514.html
    Now THAT'S exponential.

    Alternative vehicle fuel will pick up the slack. It costs about 25% more to grow biodiesel / ethanol than to pump it out of the ground. Fuel price doesn't have to rise very much before it makes economic sense to plant these crops on a massive scale.

    Take a look at the growth of wind, solar and other renewable wired electiricy sources. See how their use is growing exponentially, and will continue to do so as the market forces drive growth.

    $500 oil? Nuclear power plants will start springing up like Starbucks in Seattle.

    Please keep in mind we will have 20 years to adjust to these prices. Everyone always likes to pretend prices are going to suddenly jump up 1000% overnight. That's simply not how things work.
     
    #17     Jun 7, 2010
  8. Daal

    Daal

    Funny, I heard the same thing in 2005 from many so called 'experts' in the field(including guys who worked decades in the industry). 2008 hits and oil production reaches new highs across the board
     
    #18     Jun 7, 2010
  9. Synchr0

    Synchr0

    Sure i belive in peak of oil and i think we have that one already behind us :) the reason why usa is digging deeper and deeper and the reson why they go to war is nothing else but just the oil peak.
    I dont think that complete replacement of oil is going to happen any time soon but, if talking about replacement of the presious black gold we shouldnt consider sciencefiction scenarios such as cold fusion and perpetum mobile. Very simple way of getting energy which is already cultivated is solar enegry wind energy and energy from the water if goverments would put more effors into development of these technologies oil could be replaced years ago. But the question is why they dont do it on the big scale just depend on oil ??
    Maybe because oil is cheaper and easier to posses or maybe because they want to slave everybody and make people oil addicts . What intrest would goverment have if everybody could supply their energy by getting wind turbine or solar panel which would be cheap as laptop or lcd screen .... And this is the serious problem . Whoever ownes this world wants us to be his/hers slaves and oil is something that everybody is addicted to at so start investing in renewal energy or enjoy your oil peaking 500$ :D
    Did i mentioned that scientist in poland already found a way of changing co2 into petrol ?? It is going to take some time until they will put it into process on the big scale but, i dont think its going to replace oil completly as all oil contractors such as shell bp etc make billions on oil and they want stop making it just like that.
     
    #19     Jun 7, 2010
  10. CO2 cannot be a source of energy. Ever heard of energy conservation law? If you burn coal or oil product, carbon connects with oxygen and that releases energy. If you want to split CO2 back into carbon and oxygen, you have to use the same amount of energy. Otherwise it would be a source of unlimited energy out of nowhere - against the energy conservation law. That's the same thing about water. H2O cannot be used as a fuel. It takes energy to split the compound. The credulity of some people is just amazing.
     
    #20     Jun 7, 2010