Reply #54: The issue isn't replacing what oil provided... [View All]

The issue is: as we have set our society, we use a LOT of oil. we use 25% of all the oil produced in the world, yet we only have 5% of the pop. Now, it has been clearly stated that if we converted all of our available crops to corn to produce ethanol and ethanol only, it would only still produce enough for just 25% of our fuel needs. And would leave nothing for food production, let alone nothing left over for any other sort of refinement for use in other goods.

The reality is this: there will be no one single source of energy.

Even the use of coal as much as we want to believe that it will solve all of our energy woes, it will not, why? three reasons, 1) the railroad infrastructure that was once dominate in the U.S. is a mere shadow of what it was a century ago. So in order to provide the new coal demands for all the coal plants around the U.S. (not including the huge amount that we export) a significant investment needs to be provided for the rail system to keep pace with demand and years for it to be installed. 2) Global warming, if you think oil pollutes, you haven't seen anything yet until read up on coal. At the height of the industrial revolution when coal was king, coal cities such as Pittsburgh were so filthy with coal dust and smoke, that one could not tell day from night.(this is not even taking into account the health risks) 3)at current needs, coal will last 150 years. That is at current needs. The world is growing, China and India especially. We will have by all calculations a pop of 12 billion in 20 years. On top of that the rising demand of a new car oriented society in a current 1.2 billion population in china is going to stress the need for fuel. Extrapolate that and you have coal running out a lot sooner than 150 years.

Nuclear energy: various breeder reactors are being built around the world at a breakneck pace. but reality also hits here, the various radioactive ores that are refined and used for nuclear fuel are also a finite resource. Reports vary on this one, but the optimists have nuclear fuel running out sometime in about 200 years. But again, the demand is rising and this will stress the need for more. We could recycle the spent fuel rods but no one appears to want to even discuss this on a world level.

Beyond all of this is the environmental question. People say, hey grow more corn, that will fix it. It's not that simple. Erosion from corn crops takes a huge toll on the farm land. The stalks that were once tilled back into the ground will now be used for fuel. How then does the farmer re-enrich his soil? And what about crop rotation? If the fields go fallow then what? What about drought with global warming coming on?

Or the process of mountain topping for extracting coal? This process is cause major environment havoc in West Virginia. The fall out from this is yet to have it's full impact upon us, but when it does, I can assure you, it will not be pretty.

And as far as Nuclear reactors. People go on and on about 3-mile Island or worse Chernobyl. Let me as you this? Are you willing to live with one less than a mile from you home? I'm not.

The bottom line is: we as a nation, as a civilization have to live simpler. We really don't have much of a choice.