The end of cheap oil = the end of "business as usual"?

Nicolas

The subject of peak oil has been talked a couple of time here. You'll find a lot of infos about it on google but I want to do know your opinion... Will the end of cheap oil will mean the end of the world (death) for a large portion of the humanity or we will just adapt to the new reality? Personnaly, I think that we will have to live in a post-technological world if we put no more energy to find something to replace petrol. You can't replace it just with electrical car. If you have an electrical car, you need a source of energy to produce the electricity. Also, there's thousand of objects (plastic) that we use everyday and they are made from petrol.

Center Of It All

Cars don't need petrol to run. Just watch the Indy 500. Those cars run on Alcohol. Cars can run on oil made from corn and soybeans. Rudolf Diesels first engine ran on peanut oil. An internal combustion engine just needs something that burns good. The end of Petrol just spells disaster for greddy oil executives....but the world will keep on turning.

roybatty

Also, there's thousand of objects (plastic) that we use everyday and they are made from petrol.

For better or for worse, plastics will be around for a long time. In most cases, it's still a much cheaper material to make items from compared to steel or wood.

EscapedLifer1

Based on my research, the "peak oil" emergency is over hyped by a media that thrives on crises. While oil reserves are dwindling, and newer finds are smaller, there is still enough oil out there for our petrol hungry civilization to use for many decades to come. The current gas price hikes have nothing to do with crude oil supply, but with refining capacity. No one, especially the US, has built refineries in years. As Asia and China come online needing more and more post refined petrol products like gasoline and heating oil, our DEMAND for REFINED products has caught up with our REFINING CAPACITY (SUPPLY).

I believe that we have several more decades to work out alternative fuels and energy technologies before any oil "emergency" really hits us. Granted, US gasoline prices may never get back down to $1.25 or so, but we are a LONG way from running out of crude oil.

Brandon

one

Nicolas,

Also, there's thousand of objects (plastic) that we use everyday and they are made from petrol.

a 'hydrogen economy' is the answer,

carbon is more versatile than 'plastic' it could be made more flexible than plastic or stronger, less corrosive and ligther than steel (good to build home, cruise ships and cars, even clothing), more conductive than cooper for electric wiring and power plant generators. If you think plastic was something wait for all kind of carbon fibers to fully replace it..

Center,

The end of Petrol just spells disaster for greddy oil executives....

"Oil executives" will manipulate the economy and keep control of the new fuels, Shell is ready to switch to hydrogen as a fuel for cars in tow years (at least in Germany), no to mention other sources of energy.

water is 2 thirds hydrogen (yes cars can run from "water"), but to begin with, hydrogen can be extracted easier from HYDRO-carbons, such as oil and gas.

What do you think is the fuel used by space vehicles such as the DISCOVERY spacecraft.

one

Savvy countries use Nuclear power plants to generate most of their electricity, expensive to build but then produce real cheap electricity, look at France and the USA.

They could build more of them to produce fuel (hydrogen) for cars, from WATER by electrolisis. Oh but the oil companies sure want a piece of the action, who knows what they all are talking behind closed doors..

But the rest of the world is kept under control by controlling their only source of energy, oil.

They won't allow other countries to build nuclear p. plants, you know what the excuse is,...

G Money

Inflation happens, people deal with it!