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Peak oil
Crazy Cooter:
Oil production will (if nothing changes) top out between 2006 & 2008.
cholin:
Well if all works well, we may soon have fuel-cell cars. If you dont know how these work:
Hydrogen will be used for "fuel". Hydrogen is an element of water (H2O). If you put in pure hydrogen, the only possible leftovers will be water. If you put in water, you will be left with air. Theres a few models and stuff that you can buy (I believe theres one on Jameco) that already use fuel cells. Theres one where you just add water and a model car runs. The problem is getting pure hydrogen transported. If we can't use pure hydrogen through pipes, we will need to make it. Theres a reformer that makes *unpure* hydrogen, leaving behind more than water, polluting the air. Long complicated process. WE WILL BE EFFECTIVE EVENTALLY :P Until then, we build arcades.
Dermbrian:
--- Quote from: RayB on March 27, 2005, 11:21:30 pm ---While I too used to love the idea of the "Star Trek" utopian ideals, they are unattainable.
In the Star Trek universe (and I assume we're talking The Next Generation here right?) the idea is that there's no need for money, and people can pursue the careers they dream of, for the sake of personal satisfaction rather than money. (And replicators make it easy to acquire anything a person might want, which wipes out capitalism).
The thing is, what happens to the lazy people? Who cleans the hallways of the Enterprise? (Why is it we never see janitorial staff on those shows?) If people are free to follow careers for personal satisfaction, who will do the menial jobs?
--- End quote ---
The question of what happens to the "lazy people" is a valid one. Our current economy wants them to find a job...any job...regardless of whether the job is a good thing or not. So we all keep working producing goods and services in order to keep putting food on our family's plates. And all that productivity uses resources, some of which should probably be conserved.
If the economy gets destabilized by a decline in the availability of reasonably priced fossil fuel, I'm not sure what that will do to capitalism, but I think our elected representative goverment will be called on to tweak things to a great degree.
Brian
DrewKaree:
--- Quote from: Dermbrian on March 27, 2005, 07:05:14 pm ---
Please help me get back to "don't worry, be happy....it's just a bunch of wackos that are talking trash" or let me know that humanity will find a way to get through this.
Brian
--- End quote ---
Your Star Trek world will happen, because men are always searching for a new conquest, and as long as the promise of mating with green women like Kirk exists, we'll be damned if we're gonna lose sight of THAT goal! ;D
DrewKaree:
--- Quote from: BrokenBones1 on March 27, 2005, 07:16:47 pm ---
There are clean free energy sources all around us.
--- End quote ---
Such as................... ________________?
You can't say something like that and not give us at least a handful you are referring to. "All around us" sounds like you have 2 or 3 dozen methods you are thinking of, and he clearly asked for a "don't worry, be happy" solution.
I myself would opt for something with rum ;D