Energy: Wishing for a Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

[boarderboy]

(It doesn't work...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/weekinreview/02segal.html?scp=3&sq=complexity%20simplicity&st=cse

BUT

individual conservation multiplied by many millions of conservers could make a considerable dent in our fossil fuel addictions.

So, just do it!!

BB

[bjvircks]

Simply put, I believe there ain't enough brake to stop the runaway train.

[skatha]

Sure there is...we are using a finite resource that's the product of the decay of creatures that lived millions of years ago-not today.

I read a article from a epidemiologist a few years ago that implied the peak population of the Earth was going to be 12 billion people in the next few decades, BUT, 200 years from now, the population of the Earth was probably going to be about 3 billion people. Reason- disease, resource depletion, the habit urbanized and industrialized populations have of their birthrate dropping below the level needed to maintain a stable population, and death.

Interesting concept....

but in any case, the Pentagon's making contingency plans for the scarce resource of tomorrow-WATER....

Oil is just small potatoes

[Alaskan Rover]

There are a multitude of things that we can each do TODAY that can have impact on our future energy use.

1) Driving 55 mph. If we went back to the federally mandated 55 mile/hour speed limits, we would save fuel AND we would save lives at the same time. I can't remember the exact amount, but the average fuel savings for most vehicles is somewhere around 22-25 %. That is a pretty big drop in fuel usage that we can initiate TODAY. We did that once, we can do it again.

2)Decrease our plastics consumption. Re-use or bring your own bags to the store. Petition and contact your Congressman/Senator to initiate a federally-mandated decrease in plastics packaging. Plastics packaging has just gone crazy, lately. I almost need a chain-saw to break through the packaging of even the smallest, most inconsequential product...we need to decrease this trend. Initiate mandated plastics recycling programs.

Plastics are essentially derived from petrochemicals...decreasing our plastics use can decrease our oil usage.

3)More mass-transit that actually works. Two examples of cities with a fairly well-run mass transit system are Wash DC Metro subway/elevated line, and the NYC subway system. We can have more such systems in other cities...and we need them.

4)Design houses and buildings that make use of natural wind and ventilation. I have been in well-shaded, old houses in places like Brunswick, Georgia...houses that were designed in the late 1800's to allow cross-flow ventilation. These houses were quite cool and livable...even in Georgia.

5)Ride more bikes. Sure, bike commuting might be difficult in the the heat of August, but other times of the year it can be quite pleasurable and do-able. Ride your bike to the grocery store to pick up small amounts of groceries...put some bike -bags on your bike. Petition Congress to finally open up the Interstate roadway system for bicycle use. These roads have HUGE shoulders that bikes can make use of and not be near passing cars. You would be surprised at the number of people that would like to use these roads for bike-commuting. Imnagine being able to bike on by miles of cars stuck in rush-hour trafic.

These are just a FEW examples of things that can be done. The point is the individual CAN make a difference! Our population is, after all, made up of individuals. Each of us has the capacity to do little things that can make a difference. When those little things are added up within a whole population...the difference is palpable. These are things we can do NOW.

[Jon Dahl]

Sure there is...we are using a finite resource that's the product of the decay of creatures that lived millions of years ago-not today.

A few thousand years....Oil has been produced in the lab from garbage in very short order, all it takes is heat and pressure.

Food is the real issue. I've seen the graphs on population growth -vs- food production and the growth rate is not sustainable now. We will see, in the very near future, famine rates that will be appalling.

[softbootsurfer]

Water everywhere and none a drop to drink...

[boarderboy]

Simply put, I believe there ain't enough brake to stop the runaway train.

I'm inclined to agree with you.

But, as I've said here before, I try to act and behave otherwise - if for no other reason than the (improbable) benefit to my teen-aged son who could easily live to see the over-crowded, over-heated, pestilence-ridden, war-ravaged place the gloomiest of the doomsayers predict.

In that spirit, I'll offer up this opinion piece and review by a guy named Tierney who regularly disagrees with his "Lefty" colleagues at the New York Times. I think he's written that petroleum production hasn't peaked and won't for some time to come... (If you're listening, Petrol, you'll like this one...)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/science/18tier.html

Let's pray the optimists are right - that somehow we'll muddle or engineer our way through this - and by our own, ongoing, puny "contributions to the cause", buy a month or two for the visionaries to save us from ourselves in some (hopefully) distant future...

Peace..

BB

[b0ardski]

Simply put, I believe there ain't enough brake to stop the runaway train.

I do fear this is the case, but I still think we should go ahead and apply some braking while looking for a low angle runout.

[kipstar]

my mother attends a lot of academic conferences about climate and effect of energy usage, and it is not uncommon for 'experts' to shout her down when she proposes that simply putting lifestyle changes on the agenda is the first single most beneficial change.

Many economists have been seduced by the idea of market signals and complex methods to send financial tradeoffs via pricing - they believe you cannot simply mandate someone to use less energy, they won't do it.

I'm a former energy pricing manager, so I would say there's some validity to both sides. Pretty obvious though that mandating certain things instead of 'signals' works better. Korea you have to pay for plastic bags. Result? The country looks not so bad; at least not covered in plastic bags.

Here in Thailand, it comes up sometimes, but for whatever reason no tax has been introduced on it. However, a 'lifestyle choice' was - most major shopping centres in Bangkok introduced cloth bags - plastic bag consumption has dropped while sales increase (well perhaps not now since the red shirts burned down some of the shopping centres - idiots).

Over here, we also have a recycle recovery rate of 80%+ by the time it reaches the tip. Labor is cheap, and there's a free market to sell tins, plastic, tires, everything. Getting that last 20% out....that's mostly plastic and its impossible to recover; tons and tons of little bags - hello people from 200 years from now, here's our gift to you.

All the aspects interlink.

If you want to live in a s&*thole world, then you can keep no separating trash, taking tons of plastic, drinking poofy bottled water or coke, eating fish fillets and farmed salmon while driving a V8 8 litre car at 90miles an hour in a house that in the middle of winter you can wear a T shirt in because its got central air. FFS, we have ski jackets, let's wear em.

Water is indeed going to be a huge issue. BY proportionate consumption I think we'd find the same culprits are using all the water, burning the oil, chopping down the trees and generally being able to do so because they have the cash to pay for it.

Its funny how China is pointed at as a big CO2 producer. It's making a ton of Co2 to manufacture stuff for all the people living away from the factories somewhere else - the lousy shoes, crap furniture, etc etc.

If you look at the lifestyle choice, by person, that's the best true starting point to make a difference starting tomorrow.

But as the various economists who don't agree with my mum say, people aren't prepared to change their lives.

I disagree.

[bobdea]

A few thousand years....Oil has been produced in the lab from garbage in very short order, all it takes is heat and pressure.

Food is the real issue. I've seen the graphs on population growth -vs- food production and the growth rate is not sustainable now. We will see, in the very near future, famine rates that will be appalling.

ohh, we're moving towards abiotic oil theory and the associated conspiracy theories. most of us don't buy into stuff that makes air time on coast to coast AM. now, there is a respectable argument for harvesting oil and syngas from landfills but that's also a finite resource and would never be a major source of energy. basically the idea is that along with the current methane harvesting at landfills they could gasify plastics and and most other things in there in what amounts to a giant pressure cooker. there's also talk of being able to get something like diesel in the same manner.

famine rates are always appalling, thing is, we only hear about certain places going hungry.

water, yup, I concur.

[photodad2001]

There are a multitude of things that we can each do TODAY that can have impact on our future energy use.

1) Driving 55 mph. If we went back to the federally mandated 55 mile/hour speed limits, we would save fuel AND we would save lives at the same time. I can't remember the exact amount, but the average fuel savings for most vehicles is somewhere around 22-25 %. That is a pretty big drop in fuel usage that we can initiate TODAY. We did that once, we can do it again.

2)Decrease our plastics consumption. Re-use or bring your own bags to the store. Petition and contact your Congressman/Senator to initiate a federally-mandated decrease in plastics packaging. Plastics packaging has just gone crazy, lately. I almost need a chain-saw to break through the packaging of even the smallest, most inconsequential product...we need to decrease this trend. Initiate mandated plastics recycling programs.

Plastics are essentially derived from petrochemicals...decreasing our plastics use can decrease our oil usage.

3)More mass-transit that actually works. Two examples of cities with a fairly well-run mass transit system are Wash DC Metro subway/elevated line, and the NYC subway system. We can have more such systems in other cities...and we need them.

4)Design houses and buildings that make use of natural wind and ventilation. I have been in well-shaded, old houses in places like Brunswick, Georgia...houses that were designed in the late 1800's to allow cross-flow ventilation. These houses were quite cool and livable...even in Georgia.

5)Ride more bikes. Sure, bike commuting might be difficult in the the heat of August, but other times of the year it can be quite pleasurable and do-able. Ride your bike to the grocery store to pick up small amounts of groceries...put some bike -bags on your bike. Petition Congress to finally open up the Interstate roadway system for bicycle use. These roads have HUGE shoulders that bikes can make use of and not be near passing cars. You would be surprised at the number of people that would like to use these roads for bike-commuting. Imnagine being able to bike on by miles of cars stuck in rush-hour trafic.

These are just a FEW examples of things that can be done. The point is the individual CAN make a difference! Our population is, after all, made up of individuals. Each of us has the capacity to do little things that can make a difference. When those little things are added up within a whole population...the difference is palpable. These are things we can do NOW.

Some of the packaging companies do is so over the top it's comical. I've broken the item I was trying to get out before the packaging would give way. Simple cardboard constructed boxes with an opening to see in and maybe some metal twisty ties to hold it in place would be easier. Cans and bottles (glass) instead of plastic jugs. I can remember when you bought a pop you got a can or glass bottle. Beer companies still use glass bottles, let's hear it for BEER!!!