What if...

Bratwurst

Active member
...the world's oil runs out?

The dependancy of the modern world on this precious resource will remain.

Some predicitons date this crisis as soon as 30 years into the future.

Will the world's nations find peaceful solutions, find substitutes, or could this even mount to WWIII?
 
Ummm, we can already make oil from coal and corn..... for the third world's sake, they better hope we choose the coal option!
!
 
I'm sure that human beings will find out another substitute for oil before the supply runs out.Who knows maybe the new substitute would be in abundance in the third world countries ;) , better watch out 8) , times can change ;)
 
I think there's plenty of oil in other areas (oil shale, for example). Right now, it's cheaper to pump it. When it gets in short supply, it may be more ecnomically feasible to pull it from more difficult sources. Or the cost may be so prohibitive, alternative energy will come about.
 
Well, the world's oil supply is not in danger of running out anytime soon. Additionally, there is no petrolium based product that cannot be created through other means. Additionally, science is getting better and better at breaking down plastics, and even human waste or anything carbon based -- and turn it into oil.
 
Oil wont run out for some time, not in my life time IMO but just in case i'll go buy a Toyota Prius 60 city/51 highway :lol:
 
Ummm, we can already make oil from coal and corn.....

Ummm, sure we can, in WWII it was already done by the Germans and during Apartheid by South Africa.

I am aware of Oil Shale (btw: 2/3 of known reserves are in the U.S. - bugger for the 3rd world^^), Tar Sand and synfuels, but this doesn't change the problem.

"Peak Oil" is a theory that is not only backed up by idiots and the Oil crisis will come, even though we have theoretical substitutes, that would be many times more expensive than crude oil.

I strongly believe there will be dangerous conflicts over the remaining, easily accessible oil. And if you glance at current figures, you will find, that this is a problem of this generation.
 
AsianAmerican said:
Oil wont run out for some time, not in my life time IMO but just in case i'll go buy a Toyota Prius 60 city/51 highway :lol:

You may have the rihgt Idea but America doesn't. America has a huge love affair with fast cars. Those fast cars, for the most part, do not get good gas mileage. Cars with alternative fuel technologies (hybrids, fuel cells) do not get that fact acceleration that Americans love.

The problems we are experiencing today are only going to get worse. There is not a whole lot of new oil out there that we can find and pump. That means we have a limited supply. China and many 3rd world countries are increasing their thurst for oil. As far as I can see, the supply problem can only get worse.

If the United States and the rest of the world does not act soon, we are all going to get caught with our pants down. I supported the 50 cent tax on gas with all proceeds going to the development of aternative fuel technology back in the 90's. That was back when gas was $0.80 a gallon. The pain of that tax is nothing compaired to oil being "$200" a barrel.

Like social "insecurity", oil is something I believe will end during my lifetime. What a sociatial change that will be.
 
Doody said:
You may have the rihgt Idea but America doesn't. America has a huge love affair with fast cars. Those fast cars, for the most part, do not get good gas mileage. Cars with alternative fuel technologies (hybrids, fuel cells) do not get that fact acceleration that Americans love.


I'll live with it.
 
I have a theory (proposition). If the US spent ten years focusing on developing a feasible alternative fuel (hydrogen for instance. The President mentioned this once or twice but I have not heard about it in a while), and in one decade managed to almost totally convert to it, we will not be dependent on people in the Middle East trying to kill us. If we don't buy their oil, they will sink back into being third world countries (or more so than are). They will become dependent on farmers in Nebraska, rather than having the most powerful country in the world dependent on them.

This was just a whim, so I welcome criticism. Thank you.
 
I have a theory (proposition). If the US spent ten years focusing on developing a feasible alternative fuel (hydrogen for instance. The President mentioned this once or twice but I have not heard about it in a while), and in one decade managed to almost totally convert to it, we will not be dependent on people in the Middle East trying to kill us. If we don't buy their oil, they will sink back into being third world countries (or more so than are). They will become dependent on farmers in Nebraska, rather than having the most powerful country in the world dependent on them.

This was just a whim, so I welcome criticism. Thank you.

Nobody in this world will ever be dependant on farmers in Nebraska :lol:

And Hydrogen cars already exist...

Just a few days ago I took a public bus in Stuttgart that was fuelled by hydrogen. Daimler-Chrysler has a few prototypes driving around the city, collecting data and mileage. The tech is being developed and refined for years already.

(BTW: In theory hydrogen powered cars can match and eventually exceed the power of a combustion engine.)

There are many feasible alternatives to pumping petroleum. For the timebeing all very costly and uneconomical in comparison... :(
 
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