Chapter 17a – Peak Oil: Energy is the lifeblood of any economy and a steady supply of energy is necessary to maintain the status quo, while an ever-increasing supply is needed to grow an economy. In this chapter, Dr. Chris Martenson explains that Peak Oil is not a theory, rather it is a description of how oil production increases over time, reaches a peak, then declines. Evidence points to a global production peak in the near future, which is troubling since the U.S. imports two-thirds of its oil and relies on it to much of its transportation and food production needs.
http://www.chrismartenson.com
Duration : 0:17:53
[youtube cwNgNyiXPLk]
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I find some of your …
I find some of your questions regarding human action very insightful, which, in my regard, marks you above the garden-variety intervention advocate, even though I find some of your less-considered assertions deeply flawed.
The scope of this discussion is growing beyond something that can easily be conducted on a comments page on YouTube. If you’d like, we could continue on PM, and post the conclusion – if indeed we arrive at one – on the comments page afterwards.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
How do we convince …
How do we convince the conductor to switch tracks. This means the need to slow down, which may seem like a bad idea if one doesn’t fully grasp the consequences of innaction. You describe oil as “useful” form of energy. I’d challenge you to provide a contextual definition of useful. Does it mean cheap? Easily accessible? Beneficial to those already harnessing it? How do you quantify value? At what cost to future generations? All important questions which need to be addressed by our policy makers
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Perhaps “ween” was …
Perhaps “ween” was a poor choice of words on my part. My point is, that as a democratically elected institution, it is the responsibility of the government to act in the interest of it’s people. Our situation is something like this: Our society is like a large group of people riding on a train, which is accelerating in speed. Afew people (geologists and scientists) have poked their head out the window and seen we’re heading towards a cliff. The government is like the conductor.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I really resent …
I really resent your insinuation to the effect that “government and industry” has to ween the consumer off of oil. The fact is that there is a demand for energy in a useful form, and that producers are well rewarded for meeting that demand. You can’t honestly tell me, that you think that the big oil and energy companies are just going to leave those rewards on the negotiation table, just because the form of power which they have traditionally supplied is no longer feasible?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
In short, when the …
In short, when the hits the fan, we will find that we have neither the time nor the energy required to develop these new technologies. We have been pushing them off in exchange for temporary and immediate rewards. To have a firm grasp on this, it is key to fully wrap your head around the concept of Net Energy. That is, energy return on energy invested.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
People will contine …
People will contine to use what is made availabel to them. Lacking any financial incentives to invest in new technology and research that will bring about alternative energy, what reason does government and industry have to ween the population off of oil? Saying that technology and the market will sort this out is putting the carriage before the horse. In order to make sufficient changes,, investments need to have been made as far back as 25 years ago in order to come into fruition now.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
And why should they …
And why should they export 10 million of those barrels to us in exchange for worthless dollars?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
hahaha…. wow dude …
hahaha…. wow dude, really?
Saudi Arabia produces well over 10 million barrels a DAY. WTF are you talking about?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Don’t buy that SUV …
Don’t buy that SUV yet. Finding is a lot different than extracting and refining oil, it could take up to 10 years before these new oil discoveries hit the market. By then, we would have depleted our reserves.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Peak oil maybe …
Peak oil maybe years off with huge oil finds off of Brazil, Mexico and in the Bakken in North Dakoda. BP recently reported that they can pump 600,000 barrels of crude oil a day from their Carribean findings alone which is what Saudi Arabia does in a year. I don’t want to down play this video and its message but the timing of events maybe off by many decades due to these enormous finds.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
One thing that I …
One thing that I think we should think about is the politics of oil. We have to take into account OPEC and their production of oil. Do they hold back production when they could really be producing more? Who knows…
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
This video is very …
This video is very well done. But I think it is unduly alarmist. Prices wil go up and down, based on supply and demand.This will not be easy. But it will not be impossible. Economic adjustments have been going on for centuries and wll continue in the future. This why many of us favor letting markets work.
Your comments , please.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
we are seriously f* …
we are seriously f*cked.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Russia is not less …
Russia is not less trustworthy than the hostile muslim countries world is currently supporting by purchasing their ol.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I am saying that …
I am saying that oil is not for heating.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
OK, so what is the …
OK, so what is the supposition here? That people will continue to use oil, no matter how expensive it becomes, until it is all used up?
No. When the cost per benefit of using oil approaches that of using an alternative resource to achieve the same end, that alternative resource will be employed.
Granted, oil consumption will be and is already being propped up through political means, at great cost in human life and property. But not even that can continue indefinitely.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Energy has …
Energy has different qualities depending on how compact it is. Heat is the lowest level.NASA knows rocetfuel will never be stored in batteries or some atomic steamengine,the same problem in cars.The one who can store electricity better than todays batteies(ligther,smaller and cheaper)will be my hero.Yes oil is compact energy
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Russia like Norway …
Russia like Norway have already peaked but there is plenty of gas exported to Europe in pipes for years and years to come.The problem is that Russia is not to be trusted.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I’m wondering what …
I’m wondering what this means for Russian economic strategy. If Russia is mainly exporting energy now, what will that mean for their future? Would that improve their economy once peak oil is confirmed because the price of oil would go up as supply goes down? Or would no one be able to afford it? My assumption is that their economic troubles now are merely a headfake and they’re going to prosper as a result of this, but I’m not very well-read on this subject. What do you all think?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
The Price System is …
The Price System is the problem. That system rewards bad behavior with money. Google Technocracy technate for an actual alternative, based on energy economics as in energy accounting. This is not a monetary system. Technocracy technate design considers our closed thermodynamic system and its limits
Google Technocracy and thermodynamics. M. King Hubbert the originator of Peak Oil wrote the Technocracy Study Course. Google that document for more information on the non sectarian/humanistic design.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Thanks for your …
Thanks for your comment.
In short , NO , but my point is that a large component of transportation usage relies on the mum and dad day to day car driving etc. This component can be subsidised by alt energy such as sun and battery as their power requirements are minimal in comparison. This also buys time for other technologys to develop further. Other more heavier users such as ships, planes should continue to use oil whilst they look into the development of Fuel cell technologies.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Er… Actually, yes …
Er… Actually, yes you can- provided that the place you put it in is very carefully chosen. Also, that nuclear “waste” isn’t actually completely unusable. The radioactive spent fuel that comes from a nuclear reactor can be reprocessed and used again. It’s actually quite difficult to run out of fissile material for nuclear reactors.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Are you suggesting …
Are you suggesting that solar energy can power importing ships and make planes fly? And what about all of the military traveling and vehicles?
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
The car analogy …
The car analogy seems way off. If you put a gallon of gas in your car and drive (depends on your vehicles MPG) 30 mile and assume you can push a car 2 mile a hour it would take 15 hours to return home. In the video he says 500 hours which is 33 times greater than the actual work load.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
Absolutely …
Absolutely fantastic Chris. Thank you for your efforts sir!