[ExI] How Electricity Became a Luxury Good

[Kelly Anderson]

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 8:14 AM, spike <spike66 at att.net> wrote:

> There is a good possibility we will not start on it until it is too late.
>

Yes Spike, please do define too late.

In Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, we have more fossil fuel BTUs than Saudi
Arabia, though it does exist in hard to mine and transform rock shale form.

There are significant deposits of methane clathrate have been found under
sediments on the ocean floors of
Earth.[3]<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate#cite_note-3>

Yes, solar power will be a major source of energy in the future when it
becomes economically competitive for MORE applications than it is
economically competitive for now.

Wind will continue to be developed until the eco-terrorist-lawyers find a
way to use the endangered species act to stop it for chopping up some kinds
of birds that can't seem to learn to fly around turbines.

There are huge amounts of oil sands in Canada. There is still a significant
amount of liquid oil trapped in shale in North Dakota and similar
formations elsewhere (though perhaps not as large).

The North Dakota story is illustrative of what I think will happen in the
future with other sources of energy.
1) It wasn't tapped until improvements in technology (methods of fracking)
made it economical.
2) So-called "environmentalists" are up in arms about it.
3) Politicians do what's necessary to get reelected with respect to finally
getting at it.
4) It's slightly more expensive than the previous best source of energy.

When the time comes that energy is a real problem, so that the doomsday
that is perceived by some is clear to all, the politicians will solve two
problems at once. They will reduce the US debt (or increase spending) by
selling parts of Utah/Colorado/Wyoming under government control and they
will do this over the objections of the howling environmentalist community
because the majority of citizens will call for it.

End of problem. Gives more time for solar, space solar, and all other pet
ideas to have more time to compete. Probably getting things into space will
get cheaper.

One thing I know for sure is that putting solar on each individual roof is
the road to ruin because there is so much additional controlling hardware
required for each small installation. Turning a local field into a solar
collector has economies of scale that make it better.

Yes, I understand EROI and all that jargon. I don't need another lecture
from Eugen about it. And yes, there is the chance that Earth IS Easter
Island and that we won't figure it out before we're all screwed. But I
remain hopeful with all the hydrocarbons lying about.

-Kelly
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