From: Gordon@clear.net.nz   
      
   On 2011-11-21, (PeteCresswell)  wrote:   
   > Per Stormin Mormon:   
   >>And how many hundred years of oil do we have? Whole lot. Our   
   >>oil shortage of the moment is environmentlists and people   
   >>with political agenda prohibiting drilling and refining.   
   >   
   > I claim no expertise, but AFIK it is not a matter of running out   
   > of oil: there will always be oil at a price.   
   >   
   > The real issue is the crossover point between the cost curves of   
   > fossil-based energy and renewable energy.   
   >   
   > I have no clue what the slopes of those curves look like and   
   > therefore not the faintest idea when they will cross... but that   
   > *is* the issue, not "running out" of oil.   
      
   Not quite. It is a matter of when we can not extract the oil at a fast   
   enough rate to supply demand. In any oil field the rate of exracton can   
   increase to a point when it starts to fall, no matter how much effort is put   
   into trying to get more out.   
      
   Add all the wells together and you get a similar affect. Peak Oil has been   
   proven in the US of A in the OPEC crisis. The US oF A could not just open   
   the taps a wee bit more. Despite its best efforts oil production went down.   
      
   In the Ireasl war of 1967 they were able to turn the taps on some more to   
   make up for the short fall.   
      
   The really sobering thing is that we will know when peak oil is here when it   
   appears in the rear view mirror. Then the oil supply will decrease at about   
   3% per year. Life will then change some what on this planet.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)