Man, we're being real positive tonight, aren't we (re: Peak Oil)???

[SmileyBoy]

(This is a rant)

OK, I just spent a week recovering from a panic/trauma from a false story I saw on a message board on Sunday night of a doomsday asteroid colliding with Earth five days from then. It actually took a few Xanax pills to take care of that (Don't ask me why that caused my trauma, it's a long story). And now it's Saturday night, and I'm feeling mentally better now, but now a lot of you negative people here are posting these fatalist tales of the impending Armaggedeon due to the world running out of oil (in no earlier than 40 years, no less).

Now, my fears aren't like a lot of yours. You see, the risk of asteroid impacts scares me a whole lot while this peak oil thing. And this Peak Oil issue really doesn't do anything to frighten me much. But it's really getting on my nerves how some of you are posting stuff from not very credible websites that, while explaining the Peak Oil problem, seriously emphasize the notion that humans aren't going to be able to do any DAMN THING about depleted oil reserves (even though this planet has scientists and engineers who are ALREADY working on preliminary solutions), and that we won't be able to learn our lesson because the oil corps will steal all the money, and we'll all starve, and 90 percent of us will die, and there will be no clean water left, and the THERMONUKES will fly, and we'll be reduced to eating each other in a horrible cespool of nuclear winter, radiation and garbage in 2035. (OH NO, THE HORROR!!! I HAVE NO FUTURE ON THIS EARTH!!! :eyes::eyes::eyes:)

I've read these sites from the links. They're pretty much insinuating that The End Of The World IS going to occur, and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it.

BULLSHIT.

Now I'm not a non-believer in Peak Oil. I believe it's a problem on this planet that will eventually need to be taken care of with absolutely NO interference from greedy money-grubbing governments and corporations. But for CHRIST'S SAKE, some (NOT a majority of you) of you people are crying out that the god-damn SKY IS FALLING! We're all going to die!! Everything we hold dear will be gone!!! WE won't be able to find a solution!!! We're all going to starve!!! Get a f***ing grip!!!

This is something that's FAR OFF in the future. WHY do we need to be crying about certain doom NOW???

Now, I'm not talking about even MOST of you who are currently discussing this issue on this forum. But there are a few of you who REALLY NEED to take your Lithium pill. It's getting really sickening to me seeing otherwise hardcore, passionate liberals and worthy human beings act this way. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE LIBERALS. "Liberal" meaning "promoting forward progress and change". The Apoplectic ramblings of some people here don't represent the definition of "liberal" in my eyes. "Liberal" doesn't mean whining about the negative consequenses of a problem. If you were a true liberal, you'd understand the problem and take steps to advocate pro-active and positive solutions to the problem. Crying about how we're all going to die in 30 years is NOT the liberal way to do things.

Now I'm pretty sure this thread will eventually be deleted, and that I'll be getting a message from Skinner, elad or EarlG. But you know what??? I DON'T CARE. I've HAD IT with this fatalist bullcrap from some people on here. I kind of regret typing this thread, but this is how I truly feel. Flaaaaaaame away. I'll take mine extra blue, thank you.

For the majority of people on here discussing about the issue with an open mind, I'd like to say that I'm sorry if I in any way ended up inferring to mention you, and that I really appreciate all your input on the issue, and I hope we can discuss it in a mature manner more in the future.

For those of you whining about the Peak Oil Armaggedeon, get a bloody grip, take a Prozac and go to sleep.

Again, I'm sorry if my rant offended.

[Syncronaut Seven]

1. OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD!

Oh... Wait a minute.... Never mind.

[Valkyrie55]

2. I Don't Feel Like Flaming Tonight

I'll just say that even if there is 40 years worth of oil left that's not really the issue. If you read the statements of the Saudi oil minister this week he said that Saudi Arabia has no plans to increase production for the rest of the decade!!! That's the Saudi-speak way of saying that the self-reported oil reserves of his country may not be as large as they've claimed up to now. The main thing to concern ourselves with is that regardless of whether there is 40 years of total oil left or not, peak oil is going to be upon us much sooner. And as soon as demand exceeds production you'll start to see the beginning of a series of economic upheavals. If you think $1.50 or $2.00 a gallon gas is bad wait until you see $5.00 or even $10.00 per gallon. For the vast majority of Americans in the middle and lower classes a rise like that will be a disaster. I don't pretend to know what the full consequences will be or when we'll start to see them. I used to think we had at least a decade but my thinking now is that it may be half that. In any case when the world begins to run low on the fuel that has fired the industrial revolution for over a century and there are no viable alternatives in sight I would suggest that the results won't be pleasant. Even if we find alternative fuels can you imagine the cost to completely transition every vehicle in the U.S. from gasoline to hydrogen for example? And where will that money come from when we are in debt already to the tune of $7 TRILLION?

[Dogmudgeon]

3. The Big Solution (a pep talk)

Knowlege.

Action.

Courage.

None of the disasters that are bearing down on us now have to cause more than a minor bump in the road of life.

I admit it, the impact of a huge asteroid would probably kill us all, but as far as we can tell, there have only been three catastrophic strikes in the past 600 million years, and life did go on.

Running out of cheap oil will pose problems. We can overcome them. The probability of a major climate change -- probably back into an ice age -- can also be coped with. Paralysis from fear is the worse alternative. The tendancy to curl up into our shells is far more destructive than these Earth-changing events.

There's really only one way to deal with problems: head-on. This isn't polyannish thinking, it's realistic. Neither expensive oil nor climate change nor the usual minor asteroid events can hurt us any worse than irrational pessimism.

Face the problems. Prepare for trouble. Take appropriate action. That's good advice for dealing with everything from the phone bill to the Apocalypse. We're an intelligent species. We should use our fears to focus our attention and activate our plans.

Take it from me, a life-long coward: Living without courage sucks. Facing fear and kicking it in the ass is the only way to survive. At that point, the probability of meeting death decreases. So make fear your bitch, and live a long and brave life.

--bkl

[TruthIsAll]

5. That is why we should be greatfull to have such a deep thinker in the WH

Oh, no. Nothing to worry about. He's protecting us.

He looks at all sides of an issue. And makes the decision that is always right...for the corporation.

[rawtribe]

4. If you want a good book on the subject check out

Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight
by Thom Hartmann

http://www.thomhartman.com/last.shtml

Sunlight warms the Earth with life. As our culture moved from ancient hunting/gathering times to the technological era, we discovered ancient sunlight -- captured millions of years ago by plants and compressed into oil deep under our soil and oceans. Now, as our planet's oil supplies are projected to last no more than thirty to fifty years, and species and cultures are dying off at an unprecedented rate, we confront difficult choices.

In this passionate yet thoroughly researched book, author Thom Hartmann proposes that the only lasting solution to the crises we face is to relearn the lessons of our ancient ancestors -- who lived sustainably for thousands of generations.

When you touch this new yet ancient way of seeing the world and hearing the voice of all life, you discover that you, personally, hold the power of personal and planetary transformation. In that breathtaking moment we see both a possible future for the survival of humanity and the fulfillment of our highest dreams and aspirations.

[mhr]

6. To Take Exception Northwest, The Problem Really Is Bad

Why?

Food - food production relies on fertilizer which is made from oil.

Any reduction in oil will disrupt "the green revolution" and will cause starvation somewhere. We may be able to forestall that outcome here but somewhere people will die because of the fertilizer issue.

Transportation - our modern system of transportation will come to a halt without oil.

Imagine modern cities like LA, Dallas, Atlanta and their smaller versions without gasoline. How are the these cities going to restructure themselves when they were never designed to be urban and livable? Note, there are no known alternatives that will replace all the oil and gasoline used today. Many have studied the replacements problem and there is no good substitute.

Work - without oil, many higher level jobs, service jobs, and most manufacturing slowly go away.

Think about how dependent people are for gasoline and oil to get to work or make the products that are used and sold daily. As the price of oil rises due to scarcity, many of those jobs will disappear. This means millions of people out of work for long periods of time. This means massive social unrest and the potential for large scale anarchy.

The above illustrates just some of the implications brought about by peak oil. Note that we will never run completely out of oil. However, it will slowly become so expensive via scarcity that it effectively goes away. Just think about all the common trips people take in their cars every day. Trips to the 7-11 for a soda, a jaunt to the park for some air, a night out at the movies. All that will be history.

Once one begins to thank about all the ways oil is used the magnitude of the problem sets in.

[wuushew]

7. Really is a giant asteroid any more nerve raking

than the eventual engulfing of the Earth by the sun or the far distant heat death of the universe. Remember in the long run we are all doomed. Drink and be merry for tommorrow we die.