Peak Oil Deniers

[Seth King]

so the sun is renewable and sustainable for any reasonable scenario you can think of.

Hence modifying it to "reasonably sustainable." 

[JustSayNoToStatism]

so the sun is renewable and sustainable for any reasonable scenario you can think of.

Hence modifying it to "reasonably sustainable." 

I know... but it's precisely what sustainable means, so it's redundant. It's like adding "in our universe" to any conclusion of science. Or better yet, saying that 5 = 2 + 3 (mod infinity).

[braindead0]

I disagree with the conclusion that we have to limit the sun to being "reasonably sustainable." If we do that, then we might as well throw out the entire concept of sustainable or renewable energy. Technically, the amount of useful energy in the universe is decreasing as it becomes more dispersed. So as the universe expands and entropy increases and eventually it's all cold as hell, and there's no useful energy left for us to do work, we'll find that none of our resources were truly sustainable. So everything is doomed to die. But what's the point of considering this when going on in everyday discussion. When the sun runs out, earth is condemned, so the sun is renewable and sustainable for any reasonable scenario you can think of.

The wording was inexhaustible, not sustainable.  Sustainable is a fairly wishy washy term and one that's been mostly defined by environmentalists.  Inexhaustible is a rather specific term.

[Syock]

Peak Oil is a theory based upon assumptions.

False. The theory does not rest on any assumptions about future demand. Regardless of whether demand skyrockets or plummets, the rate of production is destined to decline at some point. It is not a matter of if, but when.

That is another assumption right there.  

I would argue that oil is not finite.  Oil is merely organic material that has changed to that state.  Oil can be grown from plants, as it of course is also organic material.  So long as people are able to grow plants, we can continue to produce oil.  

I consider oil as renewable a resource as solar, wind or hydro.  It is essentially a conversion of solar.  It doesn't have to eat up all the farmland or fresh water either.  

[Seth King]

Peak Oil is a theory based upon assumptions.

False. The theory does not rest on any assumptions about future demand. Regardless of whether demand skyrockets or plummets, the rate of production is destined to decline at some point. It is not a matter of if, but when.

That is another assumption right there.  

I would argue that oil is not finite.  Oil is merely organic material that has changed to that state.  Oil can be grown from plants, as it of course is also organic material.  So long as people are able to grow plants, we can continue to produce oil.  

I consider oil as renewable a resource as solar, wind or hydro.  It is essentially a conversion of solar.  It doesn't have to eat up all the farmland or fresh water either.  

By oil, I'm talking about sweet light crude. Vegetable oil is a different story altogether.

[Syock]

I am not talking about the oil you cook with Seth.  We are discussing the same thing here.  The oil that makes cars go and create plastics with. 

The concept of production peaking doesn't mean that the only source has to be from plants and animals that died so long ago. 

[Seth King]

I am not talking about the oil you cook with Seth.  We are discussing the same thing here.  The oil that makes cars go and create plastics with. 

The concept of production peaking doesn't mean that the only source has to be from plants and animals that died so long ago. 

The oil you cook with can, and often does, power cars. One of the free staters here has his car rigged to run on used vegetable oil. I've seen it with my own eyes.

[Syock]

It sure can, but you seemed to be saying the concept of growing oil (biodiesel) to be not useable for production of oil.  

Honestly the way I have seen it done large scale so far has been the most costly way I can imagine.  That is what we get when the government is involved though.