World War III

[Gordon71]

It’s sad to think this war probably never would of happened with the re-election of the orange Godzilla. Love him or loathe him, he scared the Hell out of these despots. Nobody is afraid of Biden. Except maybe Cornpop .

I'd say one things for sure. He would have done a Neville rather than a Reagan.

 

[Catalyzt]

Not sure where you're getting your information, but it's very misleading.

The reason prices are high is because of 2 things, mainly:

1. Oil companies LIKE high prices - they're making a ton of profit for their investors (which probably include you and me, through mutual funds and retirement investments). They don't WANT to increase production, because that would lower the price.

2. While oil companies received a ton of bailout money, instead of using that to keep their employees, they let over 100,000 of them go, so they have a real labor shortage right now.

I understand you really really really really REALLY want to blame Biden and Democrats, but the facts just don't support you.

Putting aside the environmental argument (even if it's the most important one): The economics of fossil fuel, generally, and tight oil in particular, absolutely suck.

Tight oil is already heavily leveraged. Four letters to think about: EROI -- energy returned on energy invested. In other words, with shale and tar sands, you have to USE energy-- much, much more energy-- to extract oil. It's just not that profitable (except for oil executives, obviously) and that's just one of the reasons it's so heavily subsidized.

That's a desperately inefficient use of resources. It's front-loading our consumption, ensuring that we use more barrels of oil to generate the same amount of energy. and guaranteeing that we will have less of it later, later in the collapse. That's a real problem, because we will need some fossil fuel, in some capacity, for a long time, and oil is a FINITE resource. We'll need it for critical infrastructure while we transition to way, WAY lower consumption and alternative energy sources.

 

[rayray]

Not sure where you're getting your information, but it's very misleading.

The reason prices are high is because of 2 things, mainly:

1. Oil companies LIKE high prices - they're making a ton of profit for their investors (which probably include you and me, through mutual funds and retirement investments). They don't WANT to increase production, because that would lower the price.

2. While oil companies received a ton of bailout money, instead of using that to keep their employees, they let over 100,000 of them go, so they have a real labor shortage right now.

I understand you really really really really REALLY want to blame Biden and Democrats, but the facts just don't support you.

I can accept that we see things differently. I can accept that I don’t know all, and may be incorrect at times. However, please don’t accuse me of wanting to place blame, particularly based on political affiliation. I merely desire to avoid a major recession. If I see evidence that the events/policy changes I’ve referred to are incorrect, I’ll happily point the finger elsewhere.

 

[Pine_marten]

Interesting behaivor by a pillar of the free world. History repeating itself. Goebbels kept telling Germany they were winning while the opposite was true. Anyone who said different got harsh treatment.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Right….meanwhile, Biden states clearly that he wants to stop all fracking, shuts down Keystone, states ban combustion engines, and we give away taxpayers’ money to incentivize people to buy EV’s. That’s a free market?

A good start. CN

 

[Comfortably Numb]

No more subsidies for the fossil fuel industry,” Biden stated on stage during a Democrat primary debate.

“No more drilling, including offshore. No ability for the oil industry to continue to drill, period,” Biden said of his energy policies if he’d win the presidency. “It ends.”

Have to hand it to him, he kept his word.

Hope he keeps on with it. People need a wakey, wakey call. CN

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Relying on renewables would be nice but we certainly are not ready for it. Maybe in 20 years, if we are lucky. The Chinese have a new coal fired plant come online every week, so whatever the west does has little overall effect. Even John Kerry admitted that.

Well...you have to start somewhere. CN

 

[Comfortably Numb]

I'd say one things for sure. He would have done a Neville rather than a Reagan.

Yup.....although I doubt many here know what you're saying. CN

 

[CodyDog]

People won't buy EV's if gas is $2.00 a gallon. Sounds like a strategy to me.

 

[Comfortably Numb]

Putting aside the environmental argument (even if it's the most important one): The economics of fossil fuel, generally, and tight oil in particular, absolutely suck.

Tight oil is already heavily leveraged. Four letters to think about: EROI -- energy returned on energy invested. In other words, with shale and tar sands, you have to USE energy-- much, much more energy-- to extract oil. It's just not that profitable (except for oil executives, obviously) and that's just one of the reasons it's so heavily subsidized.

That's a desperately inefficient use of resources. It's front-loading our consumption, ensuring that we use more barrels of oil to generate the same amount of energy. and guaranteeing that we will have less of it later, later in the collapse. That's a real problem, because we will need some fossil fuel, in some capacity, for a long time, and oil is a FINITE resource. We'll need it for critical infrastructure while we transition to way, WAY lower consumption and alternative energy sources.

I'll suggest the next step. Anyone in the tar sands oil patch of Alberta under the age of say, 25, should be paid by the oil companies to train in a new field, be it renewables or otherwise. The roll needs to be slowed. We don't need further generations of people on the oil companies' tits.
I can't say this for the US; what they do is their business. The tar sands are a real inefficient way to extract oil.
Things have to change. CN

 

[Pine_marten]

People won't buy EV's if gas is $2.00 a gallon. Sounds like a strategy to me.

There is no possible way for our electric generation to make up the BTU's of oil. And i don't want more nukes.

 

[Mulezen]

The indigenous people there have had their land poisoned…hope they got a casino or something out of it.

 

[Pine_marten]

The indigenous people there have had their land poisoned…hope they got a casino or something out of it.

Canada is an odd country. Much environmental harm sanctioned by the government there.

 

[DaveMatthews]

Canada is an odd country.

Right back atcha chief!

 

[Catalyzt]

There is no possible way for our electric generation to make up the BTU's of oil. And i don't want more nukes.

Not yet, no-- but hopefully soon. And I agree about the nukes, appreciate your concern. We have no idea what's going on under Fukushima and Chernobyl, both are still very dangerous. I'm okay with a few reactors for research and military purposes. (Not that I have anything to say about it!)

The next generation of batteries may help solar, wind and hydro scale up. I used to think fusion was total hooey, but... less sure of that now, not my field. I'm overdue for catching up with my buddy who's a physics professor...

I'm straying off topic, Stefan is due to show up any minute now and give me a swift kick in the butt! Let's cool off-- both the debate, and our usage of energy-- and consider our options carefully. And remember: We don't have to agree about everything. Let's roll up our sleeves, set aside the divisiveness, and get to work so our kids have a decent world to live in. There are probably ways of conserving energy we would agree about.

Like doing away with cryptocurrency and NFTs, for example. (Last night, my wife and I watched South Park -- Post Covid (or whatever it's called.) Great satire of NFTs. We thought it was brilliant-- an opinion we probably share with friends we no longer speak to because of politics.)

 

[PatriciaK]

I can accept that we see things differently. I can accept that I don’t know all, and may be incorrect at times. However, please don’t accuse me of wanting to place blame, particularly based on political affiliation. I merely desire to avoid a major recession. If I see evidence that the events/policy changes I’ve referred to are incorrect, I’ll happily point the finger elsewhere.

Try this:

 

[Mr. Coffee]

On the oil prices, oil is a globally priced commodity with an annual trading volume on the order of $4 trillion dollars. Moving the price significantly will involve moving around sums of money on that scale, or taking roughly that amount of money out of somebody's pocket and putting it into somebody else's pocket.

I've said it before, roughly half of the oil drilling and exploration companies in the US set up during the shale gas boom have gone out of business. If you are still in business and you talk about increasing production you are going to be mercilessly punished by investors.

At the same time, there is a limitation on refining capacity in North America. Nobody wants to put $10 billion into building new oil refineries (the approximate cost of building one of them) when it seems unlikely the market is going to be there twenty or twenty-five years on.

From where I sit, we are seeing a pretty efficient market work out fair prices.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

There is no possible way for our electric generation to make up the BTU's of oil. And i don't want more nukes.

Who uses BTUs anymore?

And when you consider that EVs are 2-3x more efficient (with present technology) than IC vehicles the extra generation required doesn't look too onerous. And usage patterns of EV charging fit fairly well with renewables.

 

[mschwett]

There is no possible way for our electric generation to make up the BTU's of oil. And i don't want more nukes.

demonstrably false.

TEXAS (yes texas) got about 40% of its power from wind and solar during the recent heat wave.

But unlike previous extreme weather events in Texas which led to deadly blackouts, the grid is holding up remarkably well this week. Several experts told CNN that it's owed in large part to strong performances from wind and solar, which generated 27 gigawatts of electricity during Sunday's peak demand -- close to 40% of the total needed.

27 gigawatts where not too long ago there was nearly NO renewable energy. it’s an easily solvable problem if our politicians weren’t in the pocket of big oil.

adding EVs to the mix increases projected energy usage less than it increased due to other factors for the last 50 years. (estimates are around 2.2%, all in, per year vs 2.6% historically) it’s an easily solvable problem.

 

[Mulezen]

The 1977 White House climate memo that should have changed the world

Years before the climate crisis was part of national discourse, this memo to the president predicted catastrophe

www.theguardian.com