Comments on: Peakists, Peak Oil, and the coming world http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/ Musings on politics: anti-war, global warming, peak oil and otherwise Thu, 04 Dec 2008 08:12:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Ron http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149489 Ron Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:38:16 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149489 Oil will never go below $85 again. In 2010 oil will be over $250 a barrel and gas will be $10 a gallon. Even though reserves are rising which should make oil prices drop the fact they don’t drop in price is because the political tensions are rising. With that you will either buy a hybrid which will still be expensive to operate or ride your bike or take the public transit. There are ways to reduce your fuel cost. Oil will never go below $85 again. In 2010 oil will be over $250 a barrel and gas will be $10 a gallon. Even though reserves are rising which should make oil prices drop the fact they don’t drop in price is because the political tensions are rising. With that you will either buy a hybrid which will still be expensive to operate or ride your bike or take the public transit. There are ways to reduce your fuel cost.

]]> By: Bob Morris http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149118 Bob Morris Sat, 23 Feb 2008 13:39:17 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149118 Cuba has successfully done organic, locally grown produce. They may have lots to teach the rest of us so we can do the same, minus. of course, the losing of 30 lbs. per person and the unelected leadership. Cuba has successfully done organic, locally grown produce. They may have lots to teach the rest of us so we can do the same, minus. of course, the losing of 30 lbs. per person and the unelected leadership.

]]> By: A. Lizard http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149115 A. Lizard Sat, 23 Feb 2008 09:48:01 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-149115 And so a respected futurist philosopher goes into denialism against a future he's emotionally incapable of dealing with. The tropical climate and geography in Cuba favor low-petroleum agriculture far more than the continental US does (you want to try growing wheat in the Dakotas by hand in quantities sufficient to put bread on all our tables? Can I watch?) and the average Cuban STILL lost 30 pounds during the transition. Not to say that we can't dig ourselves out of the combination of peak oil and global warming if we get serious about green / renewable replacement energy, but "don't worry, be happy" just doesn't cut it. The transition has to be done as far in advance as possible, and if we're very, very lucky, it'll start when George Bush is replaced. Google on: "North Korea" cannibalism starvation (including the quotes) to find out what happens when a country feeding its people via mechanized agriculture has to go cold turkey on oil and gets it wrong. Perhaps they had a Bruce Sterling type giving advice to Communist Party leadership? And so a respected futurist philosopher goes into denialism against a future he’s emotionally incapable of dealing with.

The tropical climate and geography in Cuba favor low-petroleum agriculture far more than the continental US does (you want to try growing wheat in the Dakotas by hand in quantities sufficient to put bread on all our tables? Can I watch?) and the average Cuban STILL lost 30 pounds during the transition.

Not to say that we can’t dig ourselves out of the combination of peak oil and global warming if we get serious about green / renewable replacement energy, but “don’t worry, be happy” just doesn’t cut it. The transition has to be done as far in advance as possible, and if we’re very, very lucky, it’ll start when George Bush is replaced.

Google on:
“North Korea” cannibalism starvation
(including the quotes) to find out what happens when a country feeding its people via mechanized agriculture has to go cold turkey on oil and gets it wrong. Perhaps they had a Bruce Sterling type giving advice to Communist Party leadership?

]]> By: DJ http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-148901 DJ Sun, 17 Feb 2008 16:32:49 +0000 http://polizeros.com/2008/02/17/peakists-peak-oil-and-the-coming-world/#comment-148901 The human race has indeed survived any number of catastrophes: the Plague, the fall of the Roman Empire and the ensuing hundreds of years of Dark Age, and so forth. I think the question is not will we survive, but rather what our lives will look like. "The average Cuban lost 30 pounds"? Think about that for a minute. That's not business as usual. Recent societal collapses have resulted in warlordism more often than mafiaism, but both are lawless conditions that cannot be shrugged off as merely "acceptable" alternatives to a healthy financial system. A historian once described life in Dark Ages England (using the words of Thomas Hobbes) as "nasty, brutish and short." That is an apt description of life for half the human race right now, living on $2 a day or less and often in conflict or lawless conditions A peak oil crash is not inevitable-- but these survival scenarios Sterling cites if one occurs should do little to reassure us: we would survive, but life would not be pleasant. The human race has indeed survived any number of catastrophes: the Plague, the fall of the Roman Empire and the ensuing hundreds of years of Dark Age, and so forth. I think the question is not will we survive, but rather what our lives will look like. “The average Cuban lost 30 pounds”? Think about that for a minute. That’s not business as usual. Recent societal collapses have resulted in warlordism more often than mafiaism, but both are lawless conditions that cannot be shrugged off as merely “acceptable” alternatives to a healthy financial system.

A historian once described life in Dark Ages England (using the words of Thomas Hobbes) as “nasty, brutish and short.” That is an apt description of life for half the human race right now, living on $2 a day or less and often in conflict or lawless conditions

A peak oil crash is not inevitable– but these survival scenarios Sterling cites if one occurs should do little to reassure us: we would survive, but life would not be pleasant.

]]>