Comment 282

By David (anonymous) | Posted April 01, 2006 at 07:18:04

Inertial forces are a key problem in mitigating the Peak Oil crisis. Who will be first to sacrifice their own job to make a change? Hydrogen takes more energy to make than it gives back. A zillion more nuke plants to provide the electricity for hydrogen extraction seems feasable, until you check into the available fuel for such plants. The fact is - nothing replaces oil for the energy available per pound of the stuff. The supply problems appear to be coming too fast to make a painless transition. Oil depletion and resulting price shock will probably occur just about the time that the US dollar is taking a major fall due to reduced hegemony and massive inflation to pay off countries dumping their dollars. The economic tragedy that occurs will by itself limit oil consumption. The Peak Oil problem isn't an energy issue - it's an economic issue. Economies seem to have incredible elasticity, until the rubber snaps - then the failing economy domino quickly. It seems to me the only way out of this will be a world wide shift to very simple non-consumptuous lifestyles. People now living off the grid and growing their own food won't even miss the closing Walmarts and hardly know anything is wrong. But the ones who own nothing but debt and depend on oil for a 100 mile commute to a worthless job to pay the bank are going to be in serious trouble. If we only used oil to produce food and truly necessary items of life, there will be plenty for a long time - enough time to work through the transition. But the idea of finding alternative methods of fueling the present insanity is hopeless, and there seems to be no way out except for a lot of starving homeless people. I tend to agree with some who are predicting a "Post Industrial Stone Age". http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net

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