Suppose I were to offer the world a new natural resource that costs roughly the same as oil, requires some fossil fuels to create and has the exact same effect on the environment as oil. This resource will run out in 250 years or so, similar to the life span of oil. Functionally, I am proposing a replenishment of worldwide oil supply. Would we as a society accept this offer? Have we moved beyond the scare of a diminished oil supply, characteristic of the 1970’s? I believe that the world, at least the west, now evaluates energy on innovative metrics of environmental sustainability.
Back to my offer. I am offering ethanol. Really ethanol is tantamount to prolonging our supply of oil in terms of economics and the environment. The only advantage is geopolitical, it decreases our dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, if we continue to farm in the current unsustainable manner we will run out of arable land to grow corn, thus ethanol has a finite life, just like fossil fuels. Real concerns over the water supply further limit such a momentous agricultural endeavor.
Re: our discussion, this guy
Re: our discussion, this guy says cyclists should run red lights and that really, cyclists need separate traffic laws.
http://blogs.wsj.com/informedreader/2007/10/22/sho...
"Rock it in the backyard." -
"Rock it in the backyard."
- Scratch Perry
replenish?
I agree that ethanol is not a solution to the demand for energy but could you clarify how this would theoretically replenishes oil supplies. Obviously, petroleum takes millions of years to form so there won't be a natural accumulation. Does the increase in supplies result from less oil being consumed and therefore more can be placed in reserve tanks (domestically)?
I also agree that the concerns for the finite water resources is a major issue which is not receiving nearly enough public attention.
-Jay
"Rock it in the backyard."
- Scratch Perry
replenish?
Sorry for not being clearer, Jay. It is a theoretical proposition. That ethanol as a solution probably has the same life of oil (because of unsustainable agricultural practices and produces the same effect on the environment as the consumption of oil. Thus ethanol is a re-extension of the same problems of finite supply and environmental hazard.
thanks!
OZ
actually, cyclists need
actually, cyclists need their own road dividers, like in europe.
hmmm
hmmm
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