Socialism via Oil depletion

[Valkyrie]

When Mike Bowlin, Chairman of ARCO, said in 1999 that “We’ve embarked on the beginning of the last days of the age of oil,” he was voicing a truth that many others in the petroleum industry knew but dared not utter. Over the past few years, evidence has mounted that global oil production is nearing its historic peak.

Oil has been the cheapest and most convenient energy resource ever discovered by humans. During the past two centuries, people in industrial nations accustomed themselves to a regime in which more fossil-fuel energy was available each year, and the global population grew quickly to take advantage of this energy windfall. Industrial nations also came to rely on an economic system built on the assumption that growth is normal and necessary, and that it can go on forever.

When oil production peaks, that assumption will come crashing down.
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The end of the article is very encouraging.

rest of article here.

www.oneworld.net/cgi-bin/index.cgi?root=1680&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enewcollegenews%2Enet%2Fpart ysover%2Ehtml

(Edited by Paris at 6:44 pm on Feb. 27, 2003)

[Larissa]

Thanks Paris, good article!

Let me tell you something very curious that's going on in my country since December 2001. After the local economy collapsed, most Argentineans decided to reduce their living expenses. One of the biggest concerns was the oil price for their cars, so everyone (me included) decided to change the fuel system of our cars into GNC (Gas Natural Comprimido) Sorry, I don't know what's the English for that. Trucks (lorries) and other means of transportation use "Gas-oil" (Diesel motors).

But during the past 2 years, 90% of family vehicles have turned to GNC. GNC costs 7 (SEVEN) times less than the regular gasoline (oil). So now, the oil companies (Shell, Esso, etc.) - both foreign and local - are sitting bored looking at each other's face with a big interrogation mark on their faces. Of course, and as part of a "nationalism" plan, we are all buying GNC to our local producers and not to foreign corps.

In another post, I have pointed out, that one thing that worries us very much nowadays, is the fact that some "wealthy guys" (Ted Turner, for instance) are buying large amounts of land in the Patagonia (Andes) where the main resource is natural water.

I hope in the future, bushyguy's progenie won't start a war for water.

(Edited by Larissa at 4:10 pm on Feb. 27, 2003)

[deimos]

this article is very interesting. If it is true, Germany will be the by far best prepared country in the world.
Because of the green government, the capacities of renewable energy have been growing rapidly for the past 4 years, and will continue to grow.
No country uses its enegery more eficient than germany.
the german economy isn't growing(allthough it seems that this isn#t that good...)
The german population decreases and germany has a (relatively) strong welfare system.