"Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
news:48ce70bb$1@news.povray.org...
>
> I mean, theoretically some alternative might be found. But let's face it, 
> do you invest years in R&D?

It's already happening.

Biofuels
Electicity-powered cars.
Solar energy
Wind power

Not mass-market yet, but things are happening. It's not driven so much by 
the fact that oil will run out (no one can actually give a date or an amount 
that's left), but the fact that fuel prices are higher now so there's some 
financial reason to research and develop cheaper alternatives.

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Invisible wrote:
> My mum has just sent me an email saying that the price of cheese (my 
> favourite food) has gone up by 10% in the last week.
> 
Is it just me, but doesn't it seem odd that Andrew's mother emails him 
about the price of cheese? He lives with her for $DEITY's sake!
...or are they not talking?
;-)

John

-- 
"Eppur si muove" - Galileo Galilei

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>> I mean, theoretically some alternative might be found. But let's face 
>> it, do you invest years in R&D?
> 
> It's already happening.
> 
> Biofuels
> Electicity-powered cars.
> Solar energy
> Wind power

All of which, AFAIK, have been around for at least 30 years, and nobody 
has taken any notice whatsoever. And it rather worries me that once 
there is only a small pool of oil left on the entire planet, whole 
nations will wage war for the rights to have access to that pool. Rather 
that, say, actually CHANGE or anything.

> Not mass-market yet, but things are happening.

I've been hearing that electric cars are "just around the corner" since 
I was a very small child. ;-)

> It's not driven so much 
> by the fact that oil will run out but the fact that fuel prices are higher now so 
> there's some financial reason to research and develop cheaper alternatives.

Maybe.

Perhaps the human race will actually adapt to this change. I'm worried 
that we might be too stupid though...

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> a écrit dans le message de 
news:48cea557@news.povray.org...

> All of which, AFAIK, have been around for at least 30 years, and nobody 
> has taken any notice whatsoever.

Actually, one of the reasons why the price of cheese went up is due to 
biofuels. A few countries (including the US) have been converting food maize 
and soybeans crops to biofuel maize for a few years now, due to attractive 
fuel prices: the US now uses more of its maize crop for biofuel than it 
sells abroad. Last year, with a few other factors, this cascaded into a 
world shortage of food/feed grains. The price of cereals doubled between May 
and September 2007, and drove up the price of feeds, and then of milk and 
cheese.

G

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Gilles Tran wrote:

> Actually, one of the reasons why the price of cheese went up is due to 
> biofuels. A few countries (including the US) have been converting food 
> maize and soybeans crops to biofuel maize for a few years now, due to 
> attractive fuel prices: the US now uses more of its maize crop for 
> biofuel than it sells abroad. Last year, with a few other factors, this 
> cascaded into a world shortage of food/feed grains. The price of cereals 
> doubled between May and September 2007, and drove up the price of feeds, 
> and then of milk and cheese.

...all of which leaves me wondering: How come Gilles knows so much about 
farming? ;-)

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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Orchid XP v8 wrote:
> ....all of which leaves me wondering: How come Gilles knows so much 
> about farming? ;-)
> 
You've surely heard of the archetypical English farmer, Farmer Gil(l)es :-)

John

-- 
"Eppur si muove" - Galileo Galilei

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Am Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:18:56 +0200 schrieb scott:

> Long before oil actually runs out there are going to be cheaper
> alternatives.  Industries that are reliant on oil today will gradually
> shift as prices increase.

I worry more about the petrochemistry. Doesn't one need oil and gas for 
lots of polymers (i.e. plastic)? But probably you are right - it will 
just get more expensive and they will find other ways to synthesize the 
chemicals.

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"Orchid XP v8" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message 
news:48cea557@news.povray.org...
>>> I mean, theoretically some alternative might be found. But let's face 
>>> it, do you invest years in R&D?
>>
>> It's already happening.
>>
>> Biofuels
>> Electicity-powered cars.
>> Solar energy
>> Wind power
>
> All of which, AFAIK, have been around for at least 30 years, and nobody 
> has taken any notice whatsoever.

True, mainly because with the low price of oil they were all economically 
unfeasible. Not so with oil prices where they are now...

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Am Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:27:06 +0100 schrieb Invisible:

> 
> I'm begining to wonder whether the banks' product is actually *money* or
> just *confidence*. :-P
> 
I'm recommending "Making Money" by Terry Prattchet.

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> All of which, AFAIK, have been around for at least 30 years, and nobody 
> has taken any notice whatsoever.

Because oil has always been cheaper.  Once oil becomes more expensive that 
those other technologies, suddenly people are interested.  It will happen, 
*before* the oil runs out.

> And it rather worries me that once there is only a small pool of oil left 
> on the entire planet, whole nations will wage war for the rights to have 
> access to that pool.

Would probably use up more oil waging the war than you would get at the end! 
And by that time there will be cheaper alternatives in everyday use so 
nobody will care much about oil anymore.

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