The Silent Issue, the oil crises threatening us all.

[Cliff Clavin 10]

I dont know if any of you have heard about this subject know as "Hubbert's Peak Oil" but I found a few sites that I think you should read, its strange in the fact that the media are not reporting about this. Here are the sites to look at

 

http://www.wolfatthedoor.org.uk/

http://www.headheritage.co.uk/uknow/features/index.php?id=63

http://www.oilcrisis.com/campbell/

http://www.hubbertwehaveaproblem.co.uk

 

A good book to read also is "The Party's Over"

[JoeP 11]

Interesting reading

 

One thing I would say is that over the years we've become more efficient at extracting what oil is there. For a long time it was generally believed that we'd be out of oil already, but we keep managing to scrape the barrel a bit more, so to say.

 

The depletion graphs looked like they weren't expecting any new developments in extraction technology.

 

HOWEVER, I agree with someone who said, years ago, that oil is too important to burn - plastics, chemicals, drugs, synthetic fibres - oil forms a feed for them all.

 

Whether we like it or not, the future is going to involve nuclear power and fewer wasteful journeys.

 

Joe

[tslogf74 10]

And here, http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

 

It's worth noting that peak oil theory is nothing new, it's been around since 1956. The reason that the media is not reporting it is that most people think the guy was a crackpot.

[Cliff Clavin 10]

Yeah the guy may have been thought of as a crackpot, but he did say US oil would peak in 1970, it peaked in 1972 and as been in decline ever since, hence the 1973 US oil crises brought about by political reasons.

 

Now Hubbert the crackpot claimed world oil would peak in 2000, unfortunately he could not forsee the new oil exploitation techniques, eithe could he forsee the oil shocks of the 70's and 80's, but he also could not forsee the rise in industrialization in India and China.

 

The harsh facts are that according to most experts are that oil production peaked in spring of 2004, some say this year and some optimists have said 2012, regardless of the timescale it is a problem that is upon us and what I want to know is why are'nt the press and goverment reporting and preparing for the eventuality.

 

The sad truth of the fact is that our society is built on oil, and oil alone! if we think any different then we are blind to the realities. Take a look around you, from asphalt for roads, ink for pens, plastics for asthma squirters, paint for walls through to fuel for cars and power stations etc. the list is endless.

 

Now i've sent emails to our goverment about this subject and yet i've had no reply, I will not give up though instead I will write and send a letter by good old realiable royal mail and then I will try other methods. All I wish to do is to make awareness and give us the chance to make changes which will either be forced on to us by resource depletion or make the move ourselves and hopefully reduce some of the pain.

 

Can anyone who is in politics or the media reply on this subject, as well as anyone who wants to discuss it, but if you are a media person or politician please state.

 

Thanks for the replies.

[royjames 10]

http://www.bnp.org.uk/peakoil/index.htm

This is the real issues surounding the oil issue and its well worth the look.

[Cliff Clavin 10]

Yeah i've read about this already.

 

What does infuriate me is that only the BNP seem to be the only party who wish to discuss this issue, unfortunately I dont like the other policies the BNP stand for, but I think they should be heard as much as any other party and I respect their actions.

 

I myself am torn between Labour issues (old Labour issues) and Green Party issues, but I did vote New Labour in the general election. Now all I want is for them to do the right thing and discuss this subject of peak oil, it is the most important issue our generation faces, denial and silence is only suicidal in my oppinion.

[JoeP 11]

Actually, this is just part of the problem.

 

The real problem is that as a species we are too profligate with energy and resources.

 

From the way we waste electricity in generating light pollution to the large number of single driver cars I'll see this morning doing a 5 mile drive from suburb to city centre, we have major problems.

 

The peak production issue is nothing new - oil is finite and it will run out - I also think that we'll screw more out of the ground for the next 30 years or so at least.

 

The question is what do we start doing now to cut our dependency on it?

 

Joe

[Cliff Clavin 10]

I think a global effort should be made in order too reduce global population, rather than the current ideas of expand, expand, expand. The strain our current population size already puts on our natural resources is barely sustainable, leaving the quality of life for many rather poor, unfortunately has our resources do begin to run out then the situation the poor are in now would have felt like a walk in the park compared to what will face them.

[Jamie 10]

I don't think this issue is a real problem, either we'll change and evolve ways to live without oil, or, we'll just mess up big time and be the cause of our own extinction.

 

Either way, it's no big deal.

[Cliff Clavin 10]

Wow "No Big Deal"?

 

What kind of world do you live in then Jamie?

 

To me i'm trying to save the worlds ar*e here at my expense, do you not realise the extent of this problem, just read some of the sites.

 

Would you really like to see humans extinct? for all the bad things we've done, theres as many good things. Now i'm not stupid, we do have to get the population reduced too at least to 2 Billion.

 

I love all nature from bacteria, insects, reptiles to mamals I find them all interesting and i'm in the privilaged position of being able to enjoy other life forms, because I am a human, I would'nt want to see the extinction of any species humans in particular, we are not all bad.

 

We can change and evolve to live without oil, I believe in this 100%, but because of our current dependance we must make the switch now, while cheap oil is still available. The reason being is that the transition is going to be hard and we need all the help we can get and that help can only come from oil.

[Phanerothyme 12]

Earth can take care of herself.

 

We won't wipe ourselves out, but we will have our numbers reduced drastically.

 

Life has been going for about 4 billion years, with approximately another 7 to go.

 

Humans haven't been around that long.

 

We can't save the world, she doesn't need saving. We could try and save ourselves, but because we don't think in geological timescales (most of the time), it's more likely she will put some remedial measures in place before we work out what needs doing.

 

We can reduce the population if we can, en masse stop having children. This is, however, unlikely. And unilateral depopulation will be about as successful as unilateral disarmament:

 

"Fewer of us? More of them? Are you mad?"

 

Oil will never run out as such. It will just grow ever more expensive to extract or produce.

[Jamie 10]

Hi Wayne,

 

I don't want to see the human race extinct, but if that is what occurs, I think that is what we deserve (as a collective species).

 

Please don't confuse that, for me wanting it. I would love it if the human race evolved, became more enlightened and harmonised with nature and each other, but I really can't see it somehow.

 

One could easily argue that we are nothing more than a malignant virus, raping and pillaging mother earth, and that we're dangerously out of control.

 

The question is, what do *YOU* (and *I*) value more:

 

Your own life?

The future of the human race?

The future of the planet?

Your bank balance?

 

You say you love all nature, does that include parasites that are slowly destroying planet earth? (or at least making it harder for themselves to survive as we currently do).

 

I hope we can change and evolve Wayne, for all our sakes, and that's easy to say, and words are cheap, and the proof of the pudding is in the eating (I'm trying to say, it's the doing that's important, how we live our lives day to day, but then I'm no saint and certainly not in a position to lecture anyone else about responsible living).

 

However, if we do become extinct, the universe will still continue to evolve and change, life on earth will continue and new species will evolve. The human race is not the centre of the universe, no more than the sun is the centre of the solar system, and we'd do well (both individually and collectively) to remember our place in the grand scheme of things.

 

- Jamie.

 

Originally posted by wayne72

Wow "No Big Deal"?

 

What kind of world do you live in then Jamie?

 

To me i'm trying to save the worlds ar*e here at my expense, do you not realise the extent of this problem, just read some of the sites.

 

Would you really like to see humans extinct? for all the bad things we've done, theres as many good things. Now i'm not stupid, we do have to get the population reduced too at least to 2 Billion.

 

I love all nature from bacteria, insects, reptiles to mamals I find them all interesting and i'm in the privilaged position of being able to enjoy other life forms, because I am a human, I would'nt want to see the extinction of any species humans in particular, we are not all bad.

 

We can change and evolve to live without oil, I believe in this 100%, but because of our current dependance we must make the switch now, while cheap oil is still available. The reason being is that the transition is going to be hard and we need all the help we can get and that help can only come from oil.