Peak Oil: Psychological? Political? Physical?

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 189

I've been reading more and more from both sides of the Peak Oil argument and the question that comes to my mind is: what kind of problem is Peak Oil?

I see a consensus in the material which I've read that it IS a problem. So, the next logical step, for me, is what KIND of problem is it?

Q: Can people figure out a way to harness energy other than through the use of fossil fuel?

My Answer: Yes, people are very creative, with enough will it could be achieved. So, is it really a physical problem? Is it a wall we HAVE to hit? It doesn't seem like it is to me.

So, that, in my mind, leaves the problem to the realm of psychology and political will. We can fix it. We just don't seem to want to fix it(by we I mean the TPTB).

It seems like this oil problem really plays well for rich folks and really screws poor folks. It is like some kind of beautiful gift for the uber-rich. It's like an industrial strength can of Raid for their human cockroach problem. Isn't it?

After more time looking at the problem (kind of like staring, cross-eyed at one of those Magic Eye paintings) I feel like I'm being set up. I feel like we're all, in one way or the other, being set up.

So, what do you think the REAL problem of Peak Oil is?

vision-master

denial

Ludi

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 189

Ludi

charliebrownout · Heavy Crude Joined: Apr 17, 2008 Posts: 189

Ludi

Pops

To my little brain it has nothing to do with current measures of "wealth"or politics in the long term.

It is about too many people eating long gone fossils about to go extinct - again.
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Make a plan and work it:

NeoPeasant

Affluenza.
People have come to be convinced that they absolutely need a bewildering variety of energy intensive things when all they REALLY need is shoes and a coat and some food and something to get under when it rains. If you are not freezing or starving to death, whether you are happy or not is purely psychological.
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The knowledge to survive post peak will not come from our laboratories. It will come from our museums.

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 6906

The dollar is more or less backed by petroleum. If that system collapses because petroleum falls out of favour, the American dollar falls WAY out of favour, ultimately losing reserve status and even more of it's value. The book PetroDollar, by William Clarke explains much of this. There could be a financial systemic meltdown, global in reach. This is what those in power are trying to avoid.

Geological constraints are a part of the big picture, but may not be the biggest part.

Greg Palast has interesting thoughts on all of this.

mefistofeles · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 21, 2005 Posts: 143

threadbear · Expert Joined: Jan 22, 2005 Posts: 6906

Pops

mos6507 · Fission Joined: Aug 03, 2007 Posts: 2492

It's a problem if the global population is in overshoot because we convert oil into food, and that without the oil, we will have such a pronounced food shortage that there is a die-off. People get all smug and talk about chomping on popcorn and watching peak oil play out as if they are merely observers to OTHER people's suffering, but we will ALL get pulled down together. We just don't know yet how deep the pain will be or how broadly distributed.

Pops