Green | January 19, 2009 | 7 comments

"Peak wood" and the Romans vs "Peak Oil" and us, at energy summit

source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2009/jan/19/abu-dhabi-energy

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bansheewail
The Romans apparently ignored "peak wood" forecasts and used up all their primary energy sources! Well, I have learned something unexpected today.
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7 comments // "Peak wood" and the Romans vs "Peak Oil" and us, at energy summit

  • BentFranklin
  • wierdobeardo
    • 0
      wierdobeardo  

    • The reality is that we've already past our peak in the 70's and there's no longterm way to sustain us. The drill baby drill idea just wouldn't be enough. Too little too late.

      Realistically we need to find and utilize as many renewable resources as quickly as possibly. None of them alone provide a replacement.

    • 3 years ago
  • mik661
    • 0
      mik661  

    • Any societies fall can be predicted by the overconsumption of its available resources and the degree of political corruption. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. We all know the likely outcome of humanity if we continue to consume the worlds resources like they will last forever.

    • 3 years ago
  • Katanajon
  • Scarabus
  • bansheewail
    • 0
      bansheewail  
    • Scarabus:

      Are you familiar with Hibbert's Peak? He was an Oil economist in the 40's, maybe 30's. The documentary film "Crude Awakening" does a great job, much better then I, at explaining his theory. It's worth a watch.

      The *that* guy you were refering to wasn't me, was it? I'm a huge fan of your posts. I hope not.

    • 3 years ago
  • Scarabus
    • 0
      Scarabus  
    • Scarabus:

      Many apologies. I got careless in wording. The guy I meant was definitely not you but the one who said that the Romans deforested the entire continent of Europe. The concept of peak oil is *almost* universally accepted, isn’t it? I wasn’t familiar with King Hubbert or his theory. Thanks for clueing me in!

      The only ones I’ve heard of who dispute the peak oil thing are those who claim that beneath the earth’s surface, deeper than current technology can explore or extract, lie huge oceans of oil. Anyone know of others?

      Lots of proposals to continue feeding the addiction by exploiting shale or coal. Trouble is that these responses are devastating to the environment on earth, not least in diversion and pollution of water needed for drinking and agriculture; and, more important, they accelerate the process of global warming.

    • 3 years ago
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