Philosophy Now Forum

Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

It won't for two reasons. One is that the human population will tail off, not increase forever, especially as the Developing World reaches minimum prosperity and education levels. The other is that there has been discovered more oil reserves in the last 50 years than in all the previous centuries combined. We're kind of awash in the stuff right now.

So we should pick something to worry about that's actually going to happen.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:19 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

It won't for two reasons. One is that the human population will tail off, not increase forever, especially as the Developing World reaches minimum prosperity and education levels. The other is that there has been discovered more oil reserves in the last 50 years than in all the previous centuries combined. We're kind of awash in the stuff right now.

So we should pick something to worry about that's actually going to happen.

Not according to this: https://www.popsci.com/how-much-oil-ear ... %20barrels. We will finish the oil in 200 years since we use 35 billion barrel each year according to this: https://www.worldometers.info/oil/#:~:t ... 0per%20day.

I think we need to consider this too: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Projectio ... %20billion.

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

First of all, who is, "we." Do you own an oil company? If not, it's not your oil.

There is no reason to expect oil to run out, but if it did, it would solve the other problem you are paranoid about, because lots of people would die.

What's the problem?

RCSaunders wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:20 am

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

First of all, who is, "we." Do you own an oil company? If not, it's not your oil.

By we I mean humanity.

RCSaunders wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:20 am There is no reason to expect oil to run out, but if it did, it would solve the other problem you are paranoid about, because lots of people would die.

What's the problem?

Oil will eventually ran out. People dying? Perhaps they deserve it.

environmentalists can gleefully run on hamster wheels to generate electricity...

-Imp

Impenitent wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:33 pm environmentalists can gleefully run on hamster wheels to generate electricity...

-Imp

You think they can provide electricity for 10 billion people.

bahman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:41 pm

Impenitent wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:33 pm environmentalists can gleefully run on hamster wheels to generate electricity...

-Imp

You think they can provide electricity for 10 billion people.

they can become soylent green

-Imp

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:26 pm We will finish the oil in 200 years...

200 years ago, the hot technology was coal.

You want us to surmise that no new technologies will come along in the next 200, and we'll just run dry?

Well, let's imagine it will be so. In that case, "we" are not going to do anything about that. Because you and I are not going to be alive then, or for a long time before then. So you'd best ask people in another 150 years what their plans are. Of all the things we have to worry about, this is waaaaaaaaay down the list.

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

what we are now, drilling deeper and deeper (the original forecast of end of oil (made in the 70's) was that we would reach the peak by 2000, instead in the interim we found more oil in all sorts of places.

so that timeline was wrong, where are we now? at the peak or not - no idea.

but oil is a finite resource, and we will need it for plastics at least, even if we can make gasohal via sugar/etc.


oil will prob be gone by 2150, and so as it ends we will probably have to move to Nuclear (as much as i hate nuclear - do to the waste problem of 20,000 yrs for storage (not possible - but i guess we can assume 100 yrs and let folks after 1000 yrs to worry about the radiation of their driking water - no longer our problem being long dead).

and since wind and solar will no be able to supply more than 10-percent ever, and we can assume Coal will be a no-go (but there will be coal in the rocks in 100 yrs so if the irradiated folks of 3100 find nuclear power not moral, they can dig for coal for power (and it will be enough for 2000 yrs - ah the circle of life/history repeats).

- but ya, after oil is gone we will have two actual options:

Coal or Nuclear.

and due to the cost benefit of polution/global warming of the former and the nuc waste radiation containment of the latter................for me, i kind of support coal over nuc, but the former has no popular support, and the latter has slowly reformed itself since the 70's.

so the people being sheep - the nuc lobby will prob prevail over the coal lobby after oil is gone (2180).

oh and though the bumper stickers say that you cannot hug your children with nuclear/radioactive arms - you can do so without harming your child (you are dead from radiation exposure and your arms near your kid will not measurably increase the chances of him dying due to your hug).

but you are both probably dead due to the waste no longer being contained and leaking into the drinking water, so no biggue,

when your kid dies, do not think it was due to you huggin them - you were both dead long before.

Immanuel Can wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:19 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

It won't for two reasons. One is that the human population will tail off, not increase forever, especially as the Developing World reaches minimum prosperity and education levels. The other is that there has been discovered more oil reserves in the last 50 years than in all the previous centuries combined. We're kind of awash in the stuff right now.

So we should pick something to worry about that's actually going to happen.

oil is a finite recource, so even if you move it to 3000 AD (it will be gone by 2200 at the latest IMO) - and so what about all the 20 billion living on Earth in 2200/3000 AD?

just irrelivant to you?

BTW the "end of oil" WILL HAPPEN, though long after you and i are long dead.

so that is the limit of your mind? "can't think nor care about stuff after i'm dead"?

RCSaunders wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:20 am

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

First of all, who is, "we." Do you own an oil company? If not, it's not your oil.

There is no reason to expect oil to run out, but if it did, it would solve the other problem you are paranoid about, because lots of people would die.

What's the problem?

lol - made me chuckle, but you are right - the bigger picture.

Mother Earth has been here for billions of yrs, and so have the animals - 99.99 now exict.

Man is only of the trillions still alive of the 0.000000000001.

and to continue survival, population control will be central - if it means back to the 2-million - GLOBALLY - man had for over a million years up to 4000 yrs ago, then so be it.

vs the death of man totally - which maybe so nonetheless, even after kulling 999 persons and sparing 1 - for as we know 99.99999999 of all animals/plants died out anyway - man will just be one in trillion anyway. and so no great loss WRT to the universe and probable more worthy billions of aliens that died the same way billions of years before our sun even formed.

bahman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 8:02 pm

RCSaunders wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:20 am

bahman wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 10:08 pm Our economy, life, and everything else related to humanity depend on oil. We are overpopulated and managed to reach this population due to the existence of an easy access fuel. What are we going to do when oil finishes?

First of all, who is, "we." Do you own an oil company? If not, it's not your oil.

By we I mean humanity.

RCSaunders wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:20 am There is no reason to expect oil to run out, but if it did, it would solve the other problem you are paranoid about, because lots of people would die.

What's the problem?

Oil will eventually ran out. People dying? Perhaps they deserve it.

IDK - maybe you can tell me.

does any animal "deserve" to die? trillions do each day.

Impenitent wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:43 pm

bahman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:41 pm

Impenitent wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 9:33 pm environmentalists can gleefully run on hamster wheels to generate electricity...

-Imp

You think they can provide electricity for 10 billion people.

they can become soylent green

-Imp

good movie, have the bluray, the great Edward Robbenson's last - died only 2 weeks after filming.

RIP to one of the great actors (IMO) of all time.

Generally equate Heston with Shatner - overactor - but both when constrained were good - Heston was great in this movie as well (esp during the "food scene").

RIP to heston too - he seemed like a likable guy.

movie based upon Herry Harisson's "Make room Make room" book - which i never read, but read some of his short stories, good writter, prob should take the time to read the book ;-/.