Register | Login | |||||
Main
| Memberlist
| Active users
| Calendar
| Chat
| Online users Ranks | FAQ | ACS | Stats | Color Chart | Search | Photo album |
| |
0 users currently in World Affairs/Debate. |
Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - World Affairs/Debate - Overthrown by OIL | New poll | | |
Pages: 1 2 3 | Add to favorites | Next older thread |
User | Post | ||
Trans Arctica Micro-Goomba Since: 02-01-07 From: Texas Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6281 days |
| ||
As many people already know, oil production has majorly decreased as of late. We could possibly be out of gasoline forever in the next 100 yrs. :O
So, why don't we use alternate fuels? I just found out that the gasoline/oil companies of the world have billions of dollars, and the reason why (I believe) they are not looking for these alternate fuels is because they are wanting more money, therefore not benefiting anyone other than themselves. What would the world be like if one day the government was owned by these oil-greedy (money-greedy) tyrants? (edited by Trans Arctica on 02-02-07 01:48 PM) (edited by Trans Arctica on 02-02-07 01:49 PM) (edited by Trans Arctica on 02-14-07 12:00 PM) |
|||
Young Guru Snifit Since: 11-18-05 From: Notre Dame, IN Last post: 6285 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
And this is news how? Don't mean to be offensive but welcome to the world of any engineer. We have the ability to use nuclear power but God forbid we try to use something that is cleaner because as all generally uninformed people know, nuclear plants explode like nuclear bombs. And of course the oil companies don't want to switch, they hike up prices because they're having issues with getting gasoline while still recording record profits. I have zero respect for the moral standing of oil companies. | |||
Trans Arctica Micro-Goomba Since: 02-01-07 From: Texas Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6281 days |
| ||
Don't get me wrong, I appreciate these people and what they do, but my primary question is, what will happen with these people when the gasoline vanishes?
It's just a thought... ;p (edited by Trans Arctica on 02-14-07 12:00 PM) |
|||
Young Guru Snifit Since: 11-18-05 From: Notre Dame, IN Last post: 6285 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
I guess my only reply to that would be that there are many people working on alternatives, it's just that we don't have the money the oil companies do. Basically, the oil companies are failing in their moral obligation to help out with discovery and development of alternative energy sources. Apart from the government there are no other organizations that have the finacial ability to really move alternative fuels like the oil industry could. And if we don't find a way to keep our energy needs met with alternative fuels when all the oil is gone then we'll probably slip into a sort of dark ages, that won't be fun. | |||
Rom Manic Since: 12-18-05 From: Detroit, WHAT?! Last post: 6278 days Last view: 6278 days |
| ||
Oil is the only reliable fuel source we have. Ethanol producing in mass quantities is a joke, because the amount of grain it takes to make one gallon is ridiculously huge. To mass produce for every working vehicle to refuel daily is enormous, and the fields of corn and barley would definitely cover most of the surface of the earth (If it were put into action).
Our other option is to harvest natural resources from outer space and use them. |
|||
BounderTower Tektite Since: 01-26-07 Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6278 days |
| ||
Given the number of deaths per year, we need to just swallow our humanity and invent the engine that runs off of blood itself. Of course we still wouldn't have enough fuel, but that's where unnatural selection comes into play. | |||
Jomb Deddorokku Since: 12-03-05 From: purgatory Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6281 days |
| ||
What ever happened to the hydrogen powered cars? I read an article on them in Wired a few years ago and they looked like the way to go. | |||
geeogree Red Cheep-cheep Since: 11-17-05 Last post: 6293 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
there's a difference between having the technology and having the infrastructure to support the new technology.
Infrastructure for hydrogen powered cars would take years to change over from gasoline. Plus the amount of money this would require is in the tens of billions (or hundreds potentially). Basically we aren't desperate enough to make the change yet. The change to a new fuel source will happen when the current fuel source becomes uneconomical to sustain. Plus the change won't be completed in a single go. Making enough cars and peple having enough time to switch over will take a long time. And in response to the question of "What happens when the gas goes away?" These same people that are making billions of dollars off of gasoline will somehow manage to also control the next fuel source and make billions of dollars. |
|||
Sweet Kassy Molassy Out of ice cream and PB. Would KILL for a milkshake right now. Since: 06-17-06 From: LoozeeAnna Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Trans Arctica You say that as if this weren't already the case. How many U.S. politicians do you thing big business has in its pockets? Even those that it doesn't are unduly influenced by rich special interest groups who can afford to make their voices heard over that of the common person. |
|||
SamuraiX Broom Hatter Since: 11-19-05 Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Sweet Kassy MolassyOriginally posted by Trans Arctica The common person doesn't care much about politics. They choose not to get involved. Now whose fault is that? |
|||
Sweet Kassy Molassy Out of ice cream and PB. Would KILL for a milkshake right now. Since: 06-17-06 From: LoozeeAnna Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
Originally posted by SamuraiX I think it's more hopelessness than apathy. The average American probably feels that no matter who they vote for or what they ask for... their interests will still not be served. Whose fault is that? |
|||
Young Guru Snifit Since: 11-18-05 From: Notre Dame, IN Last post: 6285 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
Originally posted by geeogree And the US government spends $2.8 trillion in it's budget of which $470 billion is on the military. Let's see, out of the total budget, spending $100 billion is less than 5% (I realize that this is quite a fair percentage of the total budget). Now, if we spend money now to boost infrastructures to allow for alternative fuel sources then we'll be able to save trillions of dollars in the future when the change must happen overnight. The other thing about getting these alternatives up and running now is that when the developing nations of the world start to have the same per capita demands for energy that the developed nations of the world has we're going to have a serious problem if they need to use oil. We better be at a stage of energy production where we can create nuclear/solar/wind/hydro etc. at relatively low costs and who better to lead the way than the United States, the strongest economic power in the world. I guess a lot of people in the US (or at least those who run large coorporations) don't understand too much about ethics because it's fairly simple to show that the US has a moral obligation to be the leader in developing these new technologies because we have the greatest capability to do so. We need to get up off our lazy asses and start getting to work to prepare for the inevitable and prevent a potential catastrophe from happening. |
|||
Trans Arctica Micro-Goomba Since: 02-01-07 From: Texas Last post: 6281 days Last view: 6281 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Young Guru THAT I agree with. America's reputation for work is low, and even though our statistics vs. the rest of the world is on the upper end, we've gotten too lazy. |
|||
SamuraiX Broom Hatter Since: 11-19-05 Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Trans ArcticaOriginally posted by Young Guru Americans aren't lazy in the least bit. When it comes to the problem's limit, people will act. Until then, people will continue. People aren't rational, but adaptive. (edited by SamuraiX on 02-04-07 11:08 PM) |
|||
Young Guru Snifit Since: 11-18-05 From: Notre Dame, IN Last post: 6285 days Last view: 6279 days |
| ||
I'll agree, we're usually very good at adapting to problems. The thing is, with something like this, where we could potentially run out of our current energy resources, adapting to this problem too late in the game could have very very serious consequences. Everything that goes on in the United States needs electricity and if the ability to provide the same amount of energy drops because we haven't been able to fully adapt, the entire US way of life could be shatered. | |||
SamuraiX Broom Hatter Since: 11-19-05 Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Young Guru If only it were so, but everyone isn't rational, as they would like to think. People will have to pay the consequences, and the deciding factor will be the severity of these consequences. Things will move on, for whatever end. How everything will turn up is questionable. |
|||
Arwon Bazu Since: 11-18-05 From: Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
Originally posted by Rom Manic Ethanol is a lot more efficient and cost-effective taken from sugar. America would be better off using all the money it spends to subsidise corn-derived ethanol to import biofuel from Brazil, a country which is now self-sufficient in terms of fuel thanks to its massive ethanol industry. Brazil meets its own needs with less than 1% of its land devoted to sugar. (edited by Arwon on 02-05-07 02:43 AM) |
|||
SamuraiX Broom Hatter Since: 11-19-05 Last post: 6279 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
I'd personally say that I don't think that's plausible, but in the case that it is, most of the cars here can't process E95 or anything of the sort, and things like E15 are even harmful because of adverse chemical bonding. Nuclear power is the way to go, I think. | |||
Arwon Bazu Since: 11-18-05 From: Randwick, Sydney, NSW, Australia Last post: 6280 days Last view: 6280 days |
| ||
Erm. Nuclear power to run your cars!?
Now which bit don't you think is plausible? Brazil's self-sufficiency? Getting America to stop the obscene protectionism it gives its farmers? Sugar being better for biofuel than corn? As for switching to an ethanol blend not working because "the engines can't take it", that's not a huge problem. It's not a 100% either/or deal... of course there'd be transition periods where both fuels were available. All a country really needs is a firm government decree that "X blend will be implemented at X date" to set things in motion. That's because until that happens, manufacturers won't make engines with the appropriate seals without guarantee of fuel availability, and fuel companies won't make the fuel without guarantee of a market of cars to take them. And this is even ignoring the fact that many manufacturers have been building cars that can run on ethanol blends for years, just to simplify the manufacturing process. (edited by Arwon on 02-05-07 07:02 AM) (edited by Arwon on 02-05-07 07:06 AM) |
|||
Ziff B2BB BACKTOBASICSBITCHES Since: 11-18-05 From: A room Last post: 6278 days Last view: 6278 days |
| ||
Nuclear power is NOT the way to go. There just aren't enough reprocessing sites for fuel. And for the amount of electricity this damned world needs. Yucky amounts of nuclear waste. |
Pages: 1 2 3 | Add to favorites | Next older thread |
Acmlm's Board - I3 Archive - World Affairs/Debate - Overthrown by OIL | | |