Comments on: Peak Oil and Pollution http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/ Everyone has a right to my opinions Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:23:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-24232 Robert Fri, 24 Nov 2006 12:25:38 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-24232 <em>There is also the connection between the environmental movement and political correctness/marxism (some see the environmental movement as the sucessor to political correctness, as in if we can’t destroy capitalism by manipulating culture, we’ll do it through fear) but that’s a whole other post….</em> Oh absolutely. I <a href="http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/04/17/my-sandals/" rel="nofollow">worry</a> that the sanctimonius tone take by many environmentalists is precisely what makes other people so keen to debunk the global warming warnings... There is also the connection between the environmental movement and political correctness/marxism (some see the environmental movement as the sucessor to political correctness, as in if we can’t destroy capitalism by manipulating culture, we’ll do it through fear) but that’s a whole other post….

Oh absolutely. I worry that the sanctimonius tone take by many environmentalists is precisely what makes other people so keen to debunk the global warming warnings…

]]> By: Matt Munro http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-24212 Matt Munro Fri, 24 Nov 2006 11:07:47 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-24212 As someone else has said - how much oil we have depends on how you count it. Oil industry insiders will tell you that as the price of oil rises it become more economic to drill into hard to extract reserves, which aren't currently viable. Yypically these are in remote geographical areas and/or are expensive and difficult to acess because of geological factors. It follows that as supples dwindle, and the price rises, more, not less oil will be extracted. The oil companies also have a vested interest in underestimating reserves, creating the illusion of scarcity and maintaining the price. Personally I think that we are coming at this the wrong way - being anti-car, anti-air travel is never going to work, once a technological genie is out of the bottle it stays out and a better approaceh would be to find alternative fuels. That is of course if you buy the environmental argument in the first place. As a child of the 1960s, I dimly remember the doom laden predictions of a coming ice age which were widely accepted in the 1970s and I am inherently sceptical about worse case scenarios. At the same time as a modernist I firmy adhere to the belief that science can and will find a solution to all human problems. There is also the connection between the environmental movement and political correctness/marxism (some see the environmental movement as the sucessor to political correctness, as in if we can't destroy capitalism by manipulating culture, we'll do it through fear) but that's a whole other post.... As someone else has said - how much oil we have depends on how you count it. Oil industry insiders will tell you that as the price of oil rises it become more economic to drill into hard to extract reserves, which aren’t currently viable. Yypically these are in remote geographical areas and/or are expensive and difficult to acess because of geological factors. It follows that as supples dwindle, and the price rises, more, not less oil will be extracted. The oil companies also have a vested interest in underestimating reserves, creating the illusion of scarcity and maintaining the price.
Personally I think that we are coming at this the wrong way - being anti-car, anti-air travel is never going to work, once a technological genie is out of the bottle it stays out and a better approaceh would be to find alternative fuels. That is of course if you buy the environmental argument in the first place. As a child of the 1960s, I dimly remember the doom laden predictions of a coming ice age which were widely accepted in the 1970s and I am inherently sceptical about worse case scenarios. At the same time as a modernist I firmy adhere to the belief that science can and will find a solution to all human problems.
There is also the connection between the environmental movement and political correctness/marxism (some see the environmental movement as the sucessor to political correctness, as in if we can’t destroy capitalism by manipulating culture, we’ll do it through fear) but that’s a whole other post….

]]> By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-23014 Robert Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:57:24 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-23014 <em>However nothing is more minging than living in a cave.</em> Heh! As I hinted in the last couple of paragraphs of my original post, I fear that the metaphorical cave is precisely where our oil dependence keeps us. It seems we are still obsessed with fire and tribes. However nothing is more minging than living in a cave.

Heh! As I hinted in the last couple of paragraphs of my original post, I fear that the metaphorical cave is precisely where our oil dependence keeps us. It seems we are still obsessed with fire and tribes.

]]> By: AntiCitizenOne http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-23012 AntiCitizenOne Mon, 20 Nov 2006 16:48:53 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-23012 Anyone who's cycled on their bike (as I have) behind a new petrol BMW or Merc will tell you it's fine. As a cyclist the problem is diesel fumes especially London buses. They could also declare those expensive face-masks VAT free. However nothing is more minging than living in a cave. Anyone who’s cycled on their bike (as I have) behind a new petrol BMW or Merc will tell you it’s fine. As a cyclist the problem is diesel fumes especially London buses.

They could also declare those expensive face-masks VAT free.

However nothing is more minging than living in a cave.

]]> By: Robert http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13495 Robert Sat, 23 Sep 2006 23:56:09 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13495 Thanks for the comments Sunny - but I fear you <a href="http://devilskitchen.blogspot.com/2006/09/burning-oil-is-minging.html" target="Link from T'Kitchen" rel="nofollow">under-estimate</a> DK. Thanks for the comments Sunny - but I fear you under-estimate DK.

]]> By: Sunny http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13481 Sunny Sat, 23 Sep 2006 19:36:48 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13481 Never have I read a better argument for banning fossil fuel usage. Though no doubt DK will call you a muesli-eating hippy just for even thinking pollution is a bad idea. Never have I read a better argument for banning fossil fuel usage. Though no doubt DK will call you a muesli-eating hippy just for even thinking pollution is a bad idea.

]]> By: Charles Barton http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13111 Charles Barton Tue, 19 Sep 2006 12:42:23 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13111 How much oil reserve we have depends on what you count. If you count Shail oil and sand tars, the world has a very large reserve indeed. Gasoline and other products derived from oil, can be profitably produced from coal at today's market prices. The real question is not "how much oil do we have," but how much can we afford to produce and use, given the environmental consequences. How much oil reserve we have depends on what you count. If you count Shail oil and sand tars, the world has a very large reserve indeed. Gasoline and other products derived from oil, can be profitably produced from coal at today’s market prices. The real question is not “how much oil do we have,” but how much can we afford to produce and use, given the environmental consequences.

]]> By: Clarice http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13048 Clarice Mon, 18 Sep 2006 22:49:49 +0000 http://www.robertsharp.co.uk/2006/09/18/peak-oil-and-pollution/#comment-13048 A spoilt view? Surely you don't think such a magnificent creature as a wind turbine, or a sleek sexy solar panel could spoil the view any more than a gas works, or a massive car park, or a nuclear power station, or a great giant chimney belching out its fumes? I think both would vastly <i>improve</i> the view. I want one of each in my back yard. Not because they're good, but because they're beautiful. A spoilt view? Surely you don’t think such a magnificent creature as a wind turbine, or a sleek sexy solar panel could spoil the view any more than a gas works, or a massive car park, or a nuclear power station, or a great giant chimney belching out its fumes? I think both would vastly improve the view. I want one of each in my back yard. Not because they’re good, but because they’re beautiful.

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