What are your thoughts on Peak Oil?

[agooga]

This topic has probably been covered before-- apologies.

I've been hearing and reading more and more on the subject of Peak Oil. Some are predicting global depression to mass extinction. My BS detector is buzzing, but my practical side is saying "it's possible."

Where do you stand? Is Peak Oil for real or another Y2K?

[endthematrix]

Where did this topic become current news for you? Here's what I found. Peak theory is on production not supply, at least not cheap supply. The mechanism in place has been at a disadvantage for the US with risk of embargos, but still cheap. IMO the vast numbers of reserves and the rise of new technologies, i.e. fuel cells, seem that there is less reason for immediate worry. And I'm a pessimist!

[neb52]

I don't see how the reduced quantities of oil will cause mass extinction. It may cause economic troubles on a large scale for us industrialized countries. The oil companies have developed better methods in the past decade in extracting oil. Before hand getting oil out of the ground was like sticking a straw in the Earth and sucking oil out. That left a lot of oil in the ground. Now they are able to go back in glean that oil that was missed. The oil companies have gotten a lot more efficient. But that being said it would be a good idea to start moving over to other power sources. Which I think we will have those viable alternatives within the next ten years or so.

Other industries that use large amounts of oil like plastics has switched to non oil based formulas already.

[FateAmenableToChange]

I've been hearing

and reading more and more

on the subject of Peak Oil.

Some are predicting

global depression

to mass extinction.

My BS detector is buzzing,

but my practical side is saying

"it's possible."

Dude, the meter of your existentialist poetry is stunning.

[PreviouslyA-Lurker]

LOL!

[boris]

Two words: Methane Clathrates.

Look it up. Also try "Methane Hydrates."

Two more: Nuclear power. With sufficient nuclear power, you can synthesize any hydrocarbon fuel you like.

--Boris

[boris]

Here's some interesting material.

"The combination of low temperature and high pressure found at the bottom of Earth's oceans makes methane clathrates very stable. It is thought that as much as 20 times the current known reserves of natural gas Natural or marsh gas is a product of the decay of organic material. It is usually found in petroleum fields, but also occurs anywhere that organic material is left to decay, such as landfill sites and swamps, even during digestion in animals (see flatulence).

"The primary component of natural gas is methane, the shortest and lightest hydrocarbon molecule. Due to the heat and attack by the active species, the methane reacts to a methyl radical (CH3), which reacts to formaldehyde (HCHO or H2CO). The formaldehyde reacts to a formal radical (HCO), which then forms carbon monoxide (CO). The process is called oxidative pyrolysis.

Click the link for more information. may be contained within ocean-floor clathrate deposits, representing a potentially important future source of fossil fuel.

Fossil fuels are hydrocarbon fuels or hydrocarbon containing fuels such as petroleum (including natural gas) and coal. The utilization of fossil fuels has fueled industrial development and largely supplanted water driven mills and wood or peat burning for heat.

With nuclear power, it makes up the category of nuclear-fossil energy.

When generating electricity, energy from the combustion of fossil fuels is often used to power a turbine. Older generators used steam generated by the burning of the fuel to turn the turbine, but in newer power plants the gases produced by burning of the fuel turn a gas turbine directly. The burning of fossil fuels is the major source of emissions of carbon dioxide which is one of the greenhouse gases.