[ExI] RIP: Peak Oil - we won't be running out any time soon

[Stefano Vaj]

On 24 February 2012 21:49, The Avantguardian <avantguardian2020 at yahoo.com>wrote:

> So is the author's intent to lower interest and investment in alternative
> energy R&D? Sure the Nazi's figured out how to make oil from methane but it
> costs energy to do so. What is technologically scare to us is not "oil". We
> can make as much oil as we can afford to.
>
> What is scarce to us technologically is ENERGY. And this is sad because
> naturally energy is super-abundant. So if the author is simply trying to
> dissuade panicked tree-huggers from signing 2012 suicide pacts, well then I
> agree. If his intent is to instill a "oil companies have it all under
> control" polyanna mindset in potential investors I disagree. There is
> certainly hope at this point. But that hope requires ACTION to become
> reality.
>

I basically agree.

Hydrocarbons, should they be really needed for something, can well be
synthesised, but this requires energy. As long as burning them remains your
main source thereof, this is a catch-22 scenario.

OTOH, we can well become increasingly skilful in extracting them, and this
can win us some more time - provided that we are going to make some
positive use of it, which for me means either space-based solar power, or
preferably fusion.

-- 
Stefano Vaj
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