Posted on 01/08/2010 3:28:38 PM PST by Faketan
One nagging question that the industrial world has been asking itself since the discovery of the first oil well is what happens when the wells begin to run dry. The answer is relatively simple to imagine. We had a dry run, so to speak, when Dubai’s economy tanked a few years ago. And although the causes of Dubai’s ills and ails were financial and not oil related, the drama which unfolded gave us a watered-down version of what might transpire if and when the oil wells stop producing.
But before we run the Armageddon tape that the world will stop functioning because of lack of oil, let’s all take a deep breath and think again. The oil companies, the people who manufacture cars and airplanes and legions of scientists and inventors have all been planning for that day. And as far-fetched as it might seem to some of us, that day will undoubtedly come, very probably within our lifetime.
So what is likely to happen? First, the car manufacturers and people who build commercial aircrafts, the two largest consumers of fossil fuels have no doubt plans on what their next generation models will look like and what they will run on. Already some car manufacturers are producing hybrid cars that run partially on electricity. What will transpire will be a massive turn to nuclear energy. It may not be the safest of energies, however nuclear energy remains the cleanest. Or perhaps solar and wind.
So your average American will still be able to drive to the drive-thru bank and restaurant. The above average Chinese will still be able to afford his car and the average European will still be able to enjoy Sunday outings with Grandma sitting in the back seat between the bambinos.
What will change – and drastically so – will be the social-economic face of much of the oil producing countries as well as other nations, where overnight tens of thousands of workers will find themselves suddenly unemployed, broke, and with practically no prospects for any future whatsoever. And herewith lies the danger of a social eruption of near Biblical proportions. Think if you will of the ripple effect that would occur if one of the major oil producers stopped producing.
Take the United Arab Emirates (UAE) one of the major oil-producing states in the Gulf where the local population is outnumbered five-to one. Out of a population of some 4.8 million less than 20 % are nationals of the country; and even among the nationals, a good percentage very probably hail from other neighboring countries, such as Palestine, Lebanon or other countries in the region. The bulk of the population -- a whopping 50 percent -- are from the Indian sub-continent; from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Balouchistan or from Iran and Afghanistan.
The same holds true in the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council states; Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman.
Rest of article at: Full article at: Oil Wells Run Dry
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Three Americans were killed at the SL-1 reactor in Idaho in 1961 due to the reactor going critical too quickly and creating excess steam pressure. This caused the control rods and pressure container to explode upwards, pinning one technician to the ceiling and killing two others.
Still, all in all, nuclear power is very safe...no accidents resulting in death in almost 50 years. That’s safer than WalMart, Home Depot AND DisneyWorld!
Meanwhile the US is sitting on 1.35 trillion barrels of oil.
“The REAL question is what is going to be the next affordable energy product in the future...”
H3. You get it from your friendly Chinese supplier...
“I heard some comments on the History channel”
That should be: “I heard some comments on the Rewritten History channel...”
“Maybe Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Iran, etc will be gigantic sink holes where the oil used to be ....”
I prefer the glass-look in Saudi Arabia’s case ...
“Th real question is when will the Environmental Protection Agency realize that mankind needs to be at the top of their preservation list and not a backwater snail darter or desert tumbleweed.”
That wil be right after the Agency is disbanded...
The ship is about 200 x 120 x 100 kilometers in a sort of oval shape in excess of several trillion tonnes. We have only 1.2 billion people booked - so .8 billion slots are open.
First stop is in the Orion sector - we'll be doing a leisurely 200 kilolight years/hr thought Ultraspace, so it won't be too long a trip: plenty of time to visit the extensive parks, bars, lounges, and many other rec and social areas.
Side excursions are available in the roomy General Contact Units stored in the main bays.
If you might be worried about hostiles encountered, the ship has some Rapid Offensive Units (Abominator and Psychopath Class) stored, and the ability to make as many as needed.
Good facts - thanks.
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