Down the slippery slope we go?
April 13, 2010 1:44 AM Subscribe
US Military warns of 'massive oil shortages' within 5 years. Yet another report filters out of the mainstream media about the possibility of a change in our way of life. Is the unthinkable about to really happen? What do we use oil for? Previously.
So, at what point do we make plans? Are there any plans we can make which make sense? In what order will things start to disappear/get more expensive as oil is diverted to more essential parts of our lives? I'm somewhat freaked out by the fact that this stuff may actually be about to happen.
So, at what point do we make plans? Are there any plans we can make which make sense? In what order will things start to disappear/get more expensive as oil is diverted to more essential parts of our lives? I'm somewhat freaked out by the fact that this stuff may actually be about to happen.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Pretty much covered recently, and post-as-series-of-questions isn't okay as a use of the front page in any case. -- cortex
Ride a bike?
posted by fixedgear at 2:11 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by fixedgear at 2:11 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yes? I mean, the local food movement--whatever one's irritation with Alice Waters or Michael Pollan--is about connecting people to sources of food closer to home and lowering transportation costs.
Ugh. Countries with far less resources have no trouble distributing food. The U.S. has never had a problem distributing food. People might have trouble filling up their SUVs, but the U.S. is not going to have much trouble hauling food on trucks and trains.
posted by delmoi at 2:29 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ugh. Countries with far less resources have no trouble distributing food. The U.S. has never had a problem distributing food. People might have trouble filling up their SUVs, but the U.S. is not going to have much trouble hauling food on trucks and trains.
posted by delmoi at 2:29 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Throw money into solar research like crazy. We've got a mad surplus of energy hitting the Earth every day, just need to harness it more efficiently. Meanwhile, build nuclear plants to fill in the gap between oil and efficient solar. Swap gasoline engines for electrics. Throw more money into battery research to increase EV range.
This can all be done, we just need to balls out for another Manhattan project.
posted by scrowdid at 2:31 AM on April 13, 2010
This can all be done, we just need to balls out for another Manhattan project.
posted by scrowdid at 2:31 AM on April 13, 2010
"It's surprising to see that the US Army, unlike the US Department of Energy, publicly warns of major oil shortages in the near-term. Now it could be interesting to know on which study the information is based on," he said.
"The Energy Information Administration (of the department of energy) has been saying for years that Peak Oil was "decades away".
Could be interesting to know on which study the information is based on, he said.
The Joint Operating Environment report paints a bleak picture of what can happen on occasions when there is serious economic upheaval. "One should not forget that the Great Depression spawned a number of totalitarian regimes that sought economic prosperity for their nations by ruthless conquest," it points out.
Could be interesting to know on which study this information is based on.
One should not forget that the Bolshevik Revolution took place in Russia in November 1917, Mussolini started the first fascist party in Italy in 1919, and the Great Depression in America began with the stock market crash of 1929.
the Great Depression spawned a number of totalitarian regimes
They must be talking about Roosevelt whose regime of terror and totalitarian economic conquest began in 1933.
posted by three blind mice at 2:32 AM on April 13, 2010
"The Energy Information Administration (of the department of energy) has been saying for years that Peak Oil was "decades away".
Could be interesting to know on which study the information is based on, he said.
The Joint Operating Environment report paints a bleak picture of what can happen on occasions when there is serious economic upheaval. "One should not forget that the Great Depression spawned a number of totalitarian regimes that sought economic prosperity for their nations by ruthless conquest," it points out.
Could be interesting to know on which study this information is based on.
One should not forget that the Bolshevik Revolution took place in Russia in November 1917, Mussolini started the first fascist party in Italy in 1919, and the Great Depression in America began with the stock market crash of 1929.
the Great Depression spawned a number of totalitarian regimes
They must be talking about Roosevelt whose regime of terror and totalitarian economic conquest began in 1933.
posted by three blind mice at 2:32 AM on April 13, 2010
Bring railways back into use. Renovate inner cities. Add public transportation links. Relook at suburbia and exurbia.
posted by infini at 2:33 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by infini at 2:33 AM on April 13, 2010
Oil is incredibly useful in a huge variety of applications. We waste such a huge amount of it in engines that we're often not aware of its other uses. That second link covers a bunch of them, but he's just scratching the surface.
That's why I'm opposed to drilling in the Gulf; the longer we save that oil, the more it will be worth. In my opinion, we shouldn't drill for it until the thought of burning such a valuable commodity is faintly horrifying.
Not that I think we'll have anything like that kind of restraint.... instead, we'll drill for it too early, trying to prop up our current system of running our civilization on stored energy in the ground. We're living off a giant chemical battery, and when that battery runs out, we're in truly deep shit. We should be allowing that transition to happen earlier, not later, but it will be so painful that virtually everyone will demand we suck that oil out of the Gulf and burn it.
It's like being handed stacks and stacks of twenties, and throwing them in a furnace to heat your home.
posted by Malor at 2:38 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
That's why I'm opposed to drilling in the Gulf; the longer we save that oil, the more it will be worth. In my opinion, we shouldn't drill for it until the thought of burning such a valuable commodity is faintly horrifying.
Not that I think we'll have anything like that kind of restraint.... instead, we'll drill for it too early, trying to prop up our current system of running our civilization on stored energy in the ground. We're living off a giant chemical battery, and when that battery runs out, we're in truly deep shit. We should be allowing that transition to happen earlier, not later, but it will be so painful that virtually everyone will demand we suck that oil out of the Gulf and burn it.
It's like being handed stacks and stacks of twenties, and throwing them in a furnace to heat your home.
posted by Malor at 2:38 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
Six black dots on a map that could provide the world's entire energy needs at a meager 8% efficiency
posted by scrowdid at 2:47 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by scrowdid at 2:47 AM on April 13, 2010 [2 favorites]
Instead of invading five or six oil producing nations in the middle east, the USA should just dig up their old plan to invade Canada.
"You could stop at five or six stores...
...or just one!"
Seriously, though...
Are there any plans we can make which make sense?
Some ideas:
posted by stringbean at 3:11 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
"You could stop at five or six stores...
...or just one!"
Seriously, though...
Are there any plans we can make which make sense?
Some ideas:
- use electricity more (feed the grid with hydro, tidal, geothermal, wind, ethanol, coal and nuclear energy until we can shift all production to eco-friendly sources)
- ground all aviation except very large, eco-efficient passenger jets
- design ships that would move by sail (reserve oil-powered engines for ports and storms)
- deploy orbital platforms capable of kinetic bombardment (no more fuel wasted sending tanks, fighters, bombers, destroyers and aircraft carriers to spank rogue nations)
- shift 30% of transportation in the U.S. away from oil (it will cost trillions but it'll be worth it in the long run)
- implement land use controls that prevent the construction of workplaces unless there is available housing within walking or cycling distance
posted by stringbean at 3:11 AM on April 13, 2010 [1 favorite]
I vote for riding horses again. God knows they probably stop more reliably than a Toyota. And what better way to avoid traffic than to make your own road!
posted by thorny at 3:14 AM on April 13, 2010
posted by thorny at 3:14 AM on April 13, 2010
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posted by kaibutsu at 2:04 AM on April 13, 2010