Hijexx wrote:
] I'm curious to know, how many of you think this is even an
] issue? Is the talk of "peak oil" just Bravo Sierra or is it
] prophecy? It makes sense to me. I'm not in the camp that
] thinks it is just going to work itself out, not without
] readjusting to pre-industrial population size.

Certainly this is going to happen and I think everyone agrees that the timeframe is relatively soon. The problem is that a specific timeframe is very difficult to put your finger on and most people with an opinion also seem to have an agenda.

The conclusions that I've come to are:

1. I can't assume that gas is going to be available forever.

2. There is enough gas to last for quite some time. Decades...

3. We need to be researching several alternate sources of fuel. Are we doing enough?

1. Ethonal based fuels are renewable. They cannot replace gasoline, but they can cut our rate of intake of it. My parents home farm town in Canada has been totally dominated by corn production for ethonal in the last few years. Canada offers financial incentives to uses of ethonal mixed fuel.

2. Fuel cell technology is moving forward rapidly. Not only are these not based on fossil fuels, but they create new portable power sources that will help move robotics technology forward (batteries are the primary thing holding robotics back).

3. The U.S. Government has mandated development of electrical cars. Hybrid cars are now commonly available to consumers. This will also reduce our fuel intake. While it is mostly replacing gas with coal, ultimately I think its likely that we'll see a move to more nuclear power. Of course that has its own problems, but it may be the most viable technological option that we have.

Basically, I see a road map. I see real changes. So I'm not particularly worried.

RE: Observations and the State of Affairs - Peak Oil