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Gokuma

"Life After The Oil Crash"

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Here lies: The American Empire
(1980-2020)
Cause of Death: Oil Depravation
Survived by: Anarchists, as well as most 3rd-world countries

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I have faith in humanity's ability to survive.

Maybe the fossil-fuels are being depleted, but we are technologically advanced enough to counter this effect, even though it's not immediately apparent - as is the Peak Oil problem.

So I'm not worried :)

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Gokuma said:

Some mod renamed the topic.

I didn't see the original title, but I've renamed it again so as to reflect its subject-matter.

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While the whole "oil crash" scenario is obviously a paranoid one, one thing I do worry about, and which doesn't seem to be addressed in that article Arioch linked, is what the effect of increased demand is going to be. Between them China and India have what, 2 billion people? Both countries want to become industrialised superpowers a la America, but what the hell is that going to do to oil demand? Imagine if every family in China and India owned a car, that's a whole lot of petrol getting used up.

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Jonathan said:

Imagine if every family in China and India owned a car

That'll never happen. Population density prohibits such waste.

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Psyonisis said:

It's called hydrogen, people.

It's called "the oil industry will fight for its last breath and hold us in a political and economic choke-hold until it actually does die, preventing us from getting hydrogen-powered until the oil infrastructure is finally displaced," Psyonisis. As long as the oil industry lives it will not allow its eulogy to be sung -- it will actively prevent infrastructural conversion to alternative means of power.

The oil industry has in the past set back many advancements in both alternative fuels and fossil fuel efficiency to keep people buying enough of it to fatten their pockets. They don't care that the end is coming, they want to squeeze everything out of it they can.

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I wonder what those sad bastards will after that. The Republicans will have to find a new excuse to override the Monroe Doctrine in other countries.

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There's no doubt about it, we need more nuclear power stations.

Even that would be pissing in the wind for northern Europe though if the Global Conveyor (or at least the Gulf Stream) breaks down.

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Grazza said:

There's no doubt about it, we need more nuclear power stations.

No. Nuclear power stations fail it. Sure, they're fine enough for about 15 years, but after that, they have to be decommissioned and cleaned up after which they are decommissioned. Very expensive and inefficient. At this point in time, we could definitely do far better than nuclear power.

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Ultraviolet said:

The oil industry has in the past set back many advancements in both alternative fuels and fossil fuel efficiency to keep people buying enough of it to fatten their pockets. They don't care that the end is coming, they want to squeeze everything out of it they can.

And I suppose you really do believe we should have little pills that we can pop into the gas tank and have the car run for 3000 miles before refueling.

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Arioch said:

And I suppose you really do believe we should have little pills that we can pop into the gas tank and have the car run for 3000 miles before refueling.

Into the gas tank? Up your ass you mean :P

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I think if we do run out of oil, we'll just start recycling bacon grease or something. We're smrt like that.

Seriously though... An oil crash would hurt us, if we let it. Only if we let it.

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Job said:

No. Nuclear power stations fail it. Sure, they're fine enough for about 15 years, but after that, they have to be decommissioned and cleaned up after which they are decommissioned. Very expensive and inefficient. At this point in time, we could definitely do far better than nuclear power.

Wha? It's not like they have to constantly replace a power plant every 15 years. As of now, they are our most reliable, safe, and clean energy source. When fusion reactors (eg. ITER) are ready for use, then we'll use those.

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Japan is working on an underground batter that works in conjunction with aero-electric windmills. How about we just do that? If we covered the state of Nebraska with those windmills, it could provide enough power to supply the whole contiguous United States with electricity daily.

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Centralized reproduction! Houellebecq style! (Or Brave New World without the class-distinctions).

It is extremely unwise for humanity to pursue a breeding scheme centered on individual initiative when our populations are not controlled by any other biological entity. Ultimately the future of civilised humanity lies in adopting a "big happy family" approach, not in the hippie context, but in the "termite hive" context.

"Family values" would have to be abandoned big time.


I would gladly give over my fertility to a collective if a more peaceful society is insured that way.

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Little Faith said:

It is extremely unwise for humanity to pursue a breeding scheme centered on individual initiative when our populations are not controlled by any other biological entity.


Well, if natural resources and creature comforts were to disappear, most of the human race would die off from the (lack of)survival skills. They would simply succumb to the elements and rot inside their houses waiting for teh interweb to turn back on. I, however, will be camping out like a motherfucker and loving every moment of it.

I would gladly give over my fertility to a collective if a more peaceful society is insured that way.


You're just saying that because you don't like condoms.

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Electromagnetic Quantum Vacuum energy AKA the Zero Point Field.
Infinite juice!!
Can't get better than that.

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Lobo said:

Electromagnetic Quantum Vacuum energy AKA the Zero Point Field.
Infinite juice!!
Can't get better than that.


By the time we have mastered that technology genetic scientists have bred viable pig/bird hybrids (if you get my drift).

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Little Faith said:

pig/bird hybrids

Bahahaha, low and high-brow at the same time!

Arioch: Perhaps not to that degree, but yeah. I know there are some market forces that the oil industry can't suppress, but it does what it can.

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