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Brian Ruckman

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We will NOT find an alternative to energy dense, easily transportable conventional oil in time to sustain indefinate economic growth.

All alternative energies have one or more disadvantages that do not let them compete with cheap conventional oil.

Given our industrial civilization depends on massive amounts of cheap energy, the reliance on conventional oil is enormous.

The only quick solution I see is a drastic downscaling of economic activity.

Topics: energy
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    Joshua Kloppers

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    Feb 17 2013: Even if we get through the current oil crisis there will eventually come a time when our need or drive surpasses our capabilities in the energy department, the space/land department or the pollution department. We will eventually have to slow down.

    that is my opinion at least
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      Mike Colera 10+

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      Feb 17 2013: We don't have to slow down, man is the smartest of all animals. If we don't figure this out, lets just turn this planet over to the cockroaches, crawl into holes and die. To "slow down" is giving up.
      The cup is half full.

      • Brian Ruckman

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        Feb 18 2013: Seems to me that the 'smartest of all animals' is doing a pretty wretched job of managing life on earth. We may be smart but we are not yet wise. This is a dangerous combination.
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          Mike Colera 10+

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          Feb 18 2013: You give us too much credit, we are not either smart or wise. We will never "manage" life on earth, we are just barely able to survive. But, as a species, we do have an overactive sense of importance and that may be the death of us yet.

      • Brian Ruckman

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        Feb 18 2013: You said man is 'the smartest of all animals.' I would say mis management is a form of management. Human activity is to blame for the greatest species loss since in millions of years.

        Also we try and manage life by growing the crops we want and killing their pests. Anytime cilivized humans move into a 'virgin" territory we drastically alter the species living there.
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          Mike Colera 10+

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          Feb 18 2013: I was just quoting someone, If we were smart as a species, would we be doing all this stupid crap we are doing? Let me rephrase, we have the intelligence to survive. We just have to get over this attitude that we are some kind of omnipotent deity.

      • Brian Ruckman

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        Feb 20 2013: I agree with that thought .. 'we just have to get over this attitude that we are some kind of omnipotent deity.'

        I say we are smart because we have ability to make tools/technology. It's how we use this technology that is stupid.

        • Ann Halwitt

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          Feb 24 2013: Obviously not you all could not make fire unless it was shown to you ( Guess What it was) Did they have degrees if not they should have.

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