Energy Solutions (was Re: Krugman declares this the Third Depression)

[consortium11]

...are doomed to repeat it.

Yes, there is a real crisis with oil and coal as our main energy source.

Unfortunately, the main stumbling block in developing alternatives ARE the oil and energy companies themselves.

Not really actually... the oil and energy companies are the ones who've heavily invested in alternative energy, are set to make a killing off carbon trading and themselves are actually trying to get away from traditional oil. Between political instability in the Middle East, nationalisations in South America and the huge bill BP will pick up the traditional methods of collecting oil and simply sitting back and watching the profits roll in are already dying away. I'm not claiming them as a force for good, but they certainty aren't the major roadblock today people make them out to be.

We have a solution to our energy problems, at least in the medium term. It's called nuclear, but a hangover from the 1960's onwards of environmental leftism means we'll probably never see it actually used to save the planet. Instead billions and billions will continue to be poured into wind turbines and other such ineffective, expensive and inefficient methods that sound far more "cuddly".

[itsbeenfun2000]

Does it matter? By the time this is an issue a real one most of us will be dead. Coal (which can be turned into oil) and oil won't exactly run out in our lifetimes. So why should I or you be concerned by then the technologies for these other things will be far better and battery capacity THEN future generations can adapt over.

As for global warming once the above fossil fuels run out ,in a century or more, they won't be used that will stop being aggrevated and it will go away.

I say stick to what we know and make changes as the technologies become cost effective and practical people will use them and companies. Right now they are pretty useless by what I can tell.

[/color]

The last time I checked, and it has been awhile, we had 50 years of oil left. That means for most of it it will run out. Not to mention as supply decreases the cost goes up. Once the cost of the product becomes prohibitive the culture will have no choice but to find another energy source.

Before cars we had horses. There was a concern before cars about the waste and the food needed to keep the horses, the disease that goes with it and so on. It at the time was a problem because as you increase the number of horses you also decrease the food supply. Of course something came along to replace the horses that was more cost efficient.

The point is this, for every solution it causes problems. We will solve this problem which of course will make more problems but that is why we are humans. We can accomplish things that work out in the end. Sounds like I have a lot of faith in our species, well I do, but we didn't get this far by sitting around and letting the world crush us. Must be the Dr. Who fan in me.

[Serephino]

It's a problem now because some of us may not be around, but some of us will, and we'll be close to retirement age.  The rise in oil as the supply dwindles will make living more expensive naturally.  The major rise in gas prices last summer hit the economy hard.  Imagine gas being $7+/gallon.  No cheap bus passes anymore for you. 

That, and this will majorly effect our children.  Since we know it's coming, if we don't find alternatives, the next generation will be left royally fucked and scrambling.  But we can at least lay down the groundwork and do some research now so that they'll have a leg to stand on later.  That, and if we can cut down on oil consumption now, the supply will last longer.