It's about food, not cars
When people think of the world's fossil fuels running out, they immediately think of their cars and gas prices. But being able to drive your SUV should be the last of your worries as far as oil depletion goes.
Let me explain.
The world has about 6.5 billion people. 6.5 billion people are able to live on the earth because of increased food production. Increased food production has been made possible by the green revolution in agriculture. And the green revolution has been made possible by enormous inputs of fossil fuel energy. Think about all of the fuel it takes to run the tractors, to process the food, ship the food, for you to drive to the store and buy the food, and for you to cook the food. And perhaps most important, so much fertilizer used in industrial agriculture is made from natural gas. I once read a quote that said something to the effect of "modern agriculture is the use of land to convert fossil fuels to food."
So in short, the energy from fossil fuels, which has been built up over thousands if not millions of years, has allowed us to have more food, which has allowed us to have more people on the planet. But when oil and natural gas start going into depletion, we're all screwed. And it's doubtful that we'll stumble upon some magical alternative source of energy that will let us keep industrial agriculture going the way it has been in recent decades.
Let me explain.
The world has about 6.5 billion people. 6.5 billion people are able to live on the earth because of increased food production. Increased food production has been made possible by the green revolution in agriculture. And the green revolution has been made possible by enormous inputs of fossil fuel energy. Think about all of the fuel it takes to run the tractors, to process the food, ship the food, for you to drive to the store and buy the food, and for you to cook the food. And perhaps most important, so much fertilizer used in industrial agriculture is made from natural gas. I once read a quote that said something to the effect of "modern agriculture is the use of land to convert fossil fuels to food."
So in short, the energy from fossil fuels, which has been built up over thousands if not millions of years, has allowed us to have more food, which has allowed us to have more people on the planet. But when oil and natural gas start going into depletion, we're all screwed. And it's doubtful that we'll stumble upon some magical alternative source of energy that will let us keep industrial agriculture going the way it has been in recent decades.
posted by Utah Peaknik at 1:36 PM
2 Comments:
Before we have famines, at least in this country, we will have diet simplification and relocalization. Dinner in a decade or two may be prepared from a live chicken, a sack of grain, and vegetables from the back yard. If it's a sunny day you may cook it in a solar oven to conserve the coal for your stove.
The value and success of mass transit has nothing to do with who doesn't ride it, but rather who does.
The viablity of mass transist is a function of it's benefit to the community as measured by the unidealistic ridership.
And it would be a mistake to pass judgement based upon how many politicians use it. It was not built on the assumption that people would use it out of guilt or concern for the planet. Btw: Rocky and other politicos ride it regularly.
Most people couldn't identify more than a small handful of our political leaders anyway.
The ridership of our Trax system is double the original estimates when it was built. Mass transit is always successful when it represents a convenience over the alternatives.
The delays represent a narrow vision perpetuated by a few narrow minded republicans who are afraid of change and in denial about the urban complexion of their own Communities.
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