[ExI] An Elegy for the Age of Space

[Eugen Leitl]

On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 07:03:34AM +0100, BillK wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 14, 2011 at 4:25 AM, The Avantguardian wrote:
> > It might be looking for new sources of cheap energy that force us out there in the first place.

Solar output is 4 MT/s, Earth gets 2 kg/s of that. 

> > Case in point is the Saturnian moon Titan. Titan has *seas* of liquid hydrocarbon. Enough to
> > turn Earth into Venus if we brought them here and burned them. So let's find a better energy source no?

Head kersplodes. I think I'll start importing firewood from Australia.

> >
> >
> 
> 
> That is one option to hope for.  Is it hope or wishful thinking?
> 
> Our world is on the cusp of change. The largest ever population,
> burning through the last remnants of oil, coal and gas at the fastest
> ever rate. We have to change to using different energy sources. That

The renewable substitution rate is on an exponential track so far
http://www.heise.de/tp/artikel/35/35671/1.html </kraut>

Insanity might not prevail, after all. Let's talk again 2040-2050ish.

> will be a huge upheaval that may not leave enough resources for space

Only if there's a global war.

> exploration. Daily survival may become a more immediate problem.
> 
> If no replacement for oil is found, we will have a very different

The replacement for fossil hydrocarbons is synthetic hydrocarbons,
using renewable energy input.

> civilization. And space might well not be part of that, if we are
> relying on solar and wind power and some nuclear power plants.

Nuclear is not fit for large-scale terrestrial civilian energy production.
It will do fine elsewhere, though.

-- 
Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org
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