Order of Hasson

Don't tell Kabol.

Welcome to the 1970's.

Kabol wrote:Welcome to the 1970's.

That oil shortage was artificially induced. This one will simply be a case of supply not keeping up with demand.

Wonder what'll happen first... economic collapse or alternative fuel sources supplied in time to prevent the collapse.

Common sense does say we're eventually gonna run out of oil and the way the costs of my energy bills have gone up, by about double, does seem to point toward things not being all happy.

[quote="GraaceAndWill"]Wonder what'll happen first... economic collapse or alternative fuel sources supplied in time to prevent the collapse.

Common sense does say we're eventually gonna run out of oil and the way the costs of my energy bills have gone up, by about double, does seem to point toward things not being all happy.[/quote

I am not sure what is so "common sense" about it. Combustion consumes the gas while Photosynthesis produces it. I wonder how long before we eliminate the middle man (plants) and just synthesize it ourselves.

Simple supply and demand issues I can believe, but how much of the high price you are paying today is going into some corporation's pocket? How much is due to some short-term, possibly fabricated, shortage?

Kabol wrote: I am not sure what is so "common sense" about it. Combustion consumes the gas while Photosynthesis produces it. I wonder how long before we eliminate the middle man (plants) and just synthesize it ourselves.

I'm no chemist, but I'd bet there's a conservation of energy problem here. Don't forget that it takes millions of years and a LOT of energy to make oil naturally. While I'm sure it is possible (or could be possible) to synthesize oil or gasoline, there is no way that it could be produced in mass quantities as cheaply as how oil is refined. So synthetically-produced oil would cost as much as alternative fuel sources, and would harm the environment just as badly as natural oil would.

Kabol wrote: Simple supply and demand issues I can believe, but how much of the high price you are paying today is going into some corporation's pocket? How much is due to some short-term, possibly fabricated, shortage?

Are oil companies lining their pockets with extra cash? You bet. Is there a fabricated shortage? Maybe, although I seriously doubt they're holding back that much. The point is that people are living in a daydream if they think we'll be able to sustain a supply to meet the exponentially-increasing demand in the world. Don't forget that, in addition to the increasing population in the U.S., other nations are developing economically at a rapid rate. And their demand for the world's oil is growing just as fast, if not faster, than ours is.

just learn to teleport...

BAMPH!!