----- Original Message ----- From: "Sabri Oncu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "PEN-L" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, September 30, 2002 4:54 PM Subject: [PEN-L:30746] RE: oilism redux
> Ian wrote: > > > Not to quibble, but given what we know of physics, > > ecology etc. there can be no such thing as an energy > > crisis in our niche of the cosmos. > > But there can be an oil crisis, can't there? Probably that day is > not tomorrow but, sooner or later, there will come a day when we > will run out of oil or when it will be too expensive to extract > what is left. And unless we can find an alternative energy source > before then, wouldn't that be a crisis some sort? > > Sabri =============== A social and technological crisis, yes. Because we failed to adequately invest time, knowledge etc. in diversifying our exergy portfolio. Using up all the oil and "crashing" would be the effect of a failure to invest; it wouldn't be due to a shortage of energy available to sustain human societies. I follow Veblen somewhat on this score; the scientists-engineers will gain sufficient political influence over the current crop of morons. Not that I advocate a technocracy; just that there are still a lot of very smart people on our planet who reject "fatalism" in all its forms. We'll see........... Ian
