A defensive action, rather than an offense, makes me wonder if Syrian bombing will be started along the borders of Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Defensively.
1) and 2). I think there is enough fossil fuel left to build the infrastructure for renewables. Investment in energy infrastructure, particularly in solar photovoltaics, pay you back 9 to 1, energy-wise. It's already happening. Look at the curve of solar installation in California.
3) Only coal has an 80:1 EROI. The next fossil fuel (imported oil) has has an EROI of 14:1 now.
The only renewable that is as bad as 2:1 is biodiesel, of course.
(http://energy.sigmaxi.org/?p=607=1)
The lower EROI of solar photovoltaics, combined with the sprawl of our development because of the use of cars makes me hopeful. Sprawl means adequate room to install lower intensity generation. The electric grid, right now, is perfectly designed to support the flow of low intensity energy from the residential feeders back to industrial users.
4) Our transportation system will change to accommodate the new energy situation. Liquid fuel will be used by the most efficient or most important users (rail freight, food production, and, sigh, the military). Personal transportation will become electric, as gasoline prices become unbearable. This will be painful.
5) It will be financed from the bottom up, with your blood and the blood of your children, just like the resource war in Iraq was financed. The squandered money and effort of the first decade of the 21st century are going to be a millstone around our necks, though.
6) Yep. It's hard to argue against a contracting economy, if you're not a BRIC. And I have to agree that our political system doesn't seem to be up to the task, either. And putting your faith in corporations to foster the general good has gotten us to where we are today.
That's not why they're tearing out olive trees.
Those olive trees belong to Palestinians: that's why they're tearing them out.
A defensive action, rather than an offense, makes me wonder if Syrian bombing will be started along the borders of Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Defensively.
We know what's in the bag.
It's oil, 600,000,000 barrels a year.
60 billion dollars retail a year.
1) and 2). I think there is enough fossil fuel left to build the infrastructure for renewables. Investment in energy infrastructure, particularly in solar photovoltaics, pay you back 9 to 1, energy-wise. It's already happening. Look at the curve of solar installation in California.
3) Only coal has an 80:1 EROI. The next fossil fuel (imported oil) has has an EROI of 14:1 now.
The only renewable that is as bad as 2:1 is biodiesel, of course.
(http://energy.sigmaxi.org/?p=607=1)
The lower EROI of solar photovoltaics, combined with the sprawl of our development because of the use of cars makes me hopeful. Sprawl means adequate room to install lower intensity generation. The electric grid, right now, is perfectly designed to support the flow of low intensity energy from the residential feeders back to industrial users.
4) Our transportation system will change to accommodate the new energy situation. Liquid fuel will be used by the most efficient or most important users (rail freight, food production, and, sigh, the military). Personal transportation will become electric, as gasoline prices become unbearable. This will be painful.
5) It will be financed from the bottom up, with your blood and the blood of your children, just like the resource war in Iraq was financed. The squandered money and effort of the first decade of the 21st century are going to be a millstone around our necks, though.
6) Yep. It's hard to argue against a contracting economy, if you're not a BRIC. And I have to agree that our political system doesn't seem to be up to the task, either. And putting your faith in corporations to foster the general good has gotten us to where we are today.