The collapse of nations

[JerryBaumchen 1,050]

11 minutes ago, billvon said:

And I am convinced the solution to that is education for women.  There is a direct correlation between lack of education and births per woman.

Hi Bill,

IMO that is part of the solution.  One other part is 'education' for men.

Vasectomies work really well.  Ask me how I know.

Jerry Baumchen

[JoeWeber 2,316]

47 minutes ago, billvon said:

And I am convinced the solution to that is education for women.  There is a direct correlation between lack of education and births per woman.

What happens in India is interesting. But we’re about to find out how important agency, education and equality is to women and young voters here in America. I wish I was more hopeful.

[riggerrob 558]

10 hours ago, RonD1120 said:

The answer can be found in Jewish eschatology. That is to say, God determined the end at the beginning. 

Man cannot solve the problem or change the outcome.

Wow!

A second time that I agree with Ron!

[riggerrob 558]

On 10/26/2022 at 11:19 AM, mbohu said:

" ... 4) It's not even really a question of when we run out completely of fossil fuels, but when we run out of fossil fuels, that can be extracted with less energy use, than they will provide after extraction. Original oil was best in that way, fracking already has a much smaller payoff (even ignoring all the other issues that it may have). Eventually we may come to a point where there may very well still be significant untapped sources of fossil fuels in the ground, but getting them out of the ground would take more energy than the extracted resources can provide. ... "

 

Good point!

We will never drill for the last barrel of oil because it will be too deep, too far off-shore and too crude (think road tar) to be profitable.

[riggerrob 558]

We do not need petroleum to make gasoline or plastics, etc. it is just the cheapest source of long-chain polymers currently available.

My 3D printer runs on poly lactic acid ... not quite sure how PLA is made, but the name implies that it starts as milk.

The disadvantage of synthesizing plastics, gasoline, etc. from other sources is the increased cost.

Consider the example of Nazi Germany. They started World War 2 with only a few months reserve of petroleum and not significant oil fields within Germany or Austria, so Nazis conquered oil fields in Romania, but that was not enough. In June of 1941, Nazi oil reserves were running low, so they launched an invasion of Russia. When they failed to capture Caucasus oil fields by September of 1941, Germany lost the war.

German chemical engineers were clever enough to synthesize oil, plastics, fertilizer, etc. from Germany's vast coal mines, but the processes were expensive, and they could never produce enough gasoline to win the war. By late 1944, the Luftwaffe was essentially grounded by shortages of gasoline.

[riggerrob 558]

On 10/26/2022 at 10:52 AM, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Ken,

I agree.  Some of us have been talking about this for a very long time:  The Limits to Growth - Club of Rome ... "

 

Yes!

I remember when "Limits to Growth" was published. There was a conference by that name at Bishop's University.

Funny how human birth rates started to decline around the same time. Dr. Henry Morgentaler opened his first birth-control clinic in 1969. The good doctor offered vasectomies, birth control pills and abortions.

If you want to see what abortions were like before Morgentaler, go see the just released film "Call Jane." ... or visit a few right-wing Americna states today. Funny how that film was only released two weeks before Americna mid-term elections??????????

[SkyDekker 1,129]

2 hours ago, riggerrob said:

My 3D printer runs on poly lactic acid ... not quite sure how PLA is made, but the name implies that it starts as milk.

Not milk, usually starts as some form of plant starch. Certainly renewable though.

[olofscience 422]

12 hours ago, riggerrob said:

My 3D printer runs on poly lactic acid ... not quite sure how PLA is made, but the name implies that it starts as milk.

Biodegradable too. (Although big chunks of PLA probably degrade too slowly to be considered biodegradable)

[Phil1111 913]

Every couple months Joe runs out of his favorite bourbon or scotch. Then gets pessimistic about the whole situation. Thankfully he manages to refuel and the sun shines again.

Long before the world needs the last barrel of oil  scientists and engineers will have substitutes. Just as the steam engine and coal were replaced. Oil and gasoline will fall by the wayside.

In the last week reports of global warming reaching 2.5 degrees celsius above normal. (A new UN report says we're on track for 2.5 degrees of warming, not the target 1.5. We need to reduce emissions by 45%, but we're headed for a 10% increase). Along with suggestions that Putin and his war. Will speed up the transitions to renewables.

[JoeWeber 2,316]

5 hours ago, Phil1111 said:

Every couple months Joe runs out of his favorite bourbon or scotch. Then gets pessimistic about the whole situation. Thankfully he manages to refuel and the sun shines again.

Long before the world needs the last barrel of oil  scientists and engineers will have substitutes. Just as the steam engine and coal were replaced. Oil and gasoline will fall by the wayside.

In the last week reports of global warming reaching 2.5 degrees celsius above normal. (A new UN report says we're on track for 2.5 degrees of warming, not the target 1.5. We need to reduce emissions by 45%, but we're headed for a 10% increase). Along with suggestions that Putin and his war. Will speed up the transitions to renewables.

Rum. Damn supply chains, not a bottle of El Dorado 21 around. I think a bottle or two on hand for November 6 might be a good idea. 

[SkyDekker 1,129]

8 minutes ago, JoeWeber said:

Rum. Damn supply chains, not a bottle of El Dorado 21 around. I think a bottle or two on hand for November 6 might be a good idea. 

So you can pre-drink to forget November 8?

I'll be in Hawaii, fully exposed to the finest American broadcasting entertainment I am sure.

[JoeWeber 2,316]

5 hours ago, SkyDekker said:

So you can pre-drink to forget November 8?

I'll be in Hawaii, fully exposed to the finest American broadcasting entertainment I am sure.

That was dumb. Thanks. No pre-drinking I'm thinking but I'll be in the DWI's and ready.