I look at it a different way, without looking at any of the constantly
disputed data I have no problem believing:

1) That burning off fossil fuel energy within 200 years that took
thousands (millions?) of years to store is going to have some sort of
side effect.

2) The effect is likely to be like an avalanche, starts off with few
snowflakes but builds.

3) The planet is the 2nd most complex Rub Goldberg machine (next to
the universe itself) that we've ever imagined; therefore our ability
to predict cause and effect is likely has several orders of magnitude
of error (in any direction).

4) Our historical information on weather patterns is sketchy at best,
how many category 4 hurricanes happened 50 years ago but we never had
the technology to see them unless they hit a city?

5) The idea that motor racing is "carbon neutral" is the worst type of
"Enron accounting". http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/56953

6) Democratic governments of all stripes do a lousy job of dealing
with long term issues (hurts getting re-elected), but they don't mind
paying lip service to them (helps get re-elected).

7) It will be nearly impossible to convince countries they can't have
SUVs because we've already used up their quota.

8) The Kyoto accord was greeted by environmentalists when it was
introduced as a weak first step, meeting Kyoto targets now didn't
magically become a holy grail.

9) Nothing in this thread will cause Mitch or the Mitch-haters to
change their minds.

10) Point 5 was the only vague tie in to simulated motor racing in
this whole thread

11) Points 9 & 10 were never the point of the original posting.

Just what I believe...

PS, since we're all doomed I'm off to buy a Lincoln Navigator before
there's another tax added to them

art.mcewen (AT) moh (DOT) gov.on.ca (mcewena) wrote:

It's the work pointing in this direction which makes me prepared to put
climate change at the top of the agenda.

Part of the reason why climate change is being taken increasingly
seriously even by hardened sceptics and 'live for today' politicians is
that whatever happens, peak oil is on its way very soon. The measures
necessary to tackle that potential crisis happen to coincide
economically with much of the global warming agenda.

Andrew McP

Peak oil is on its way? I'd say it's right here now. The world will
never produce more oil than now, and the demand is increasing all the time.

The peak oil situation is linked wonderfully ironically to the global
warming issue in a way that'll bring great changes to this worlds
distribution of power in very surprising ways, I am sure.

---A---

On 27.02.2007 00:08, Andrew MacPherson wrote:

asgeir.nesoen (AT) hf (DOT) uio.no (Asgeir Nesoen) wrote:

I agree, but I try not to scare the uninitiated too much. :-) I think
the next decade or so will be fascinating and scary at the same time.

Andrew McP

I have to drive a big car/truck. No choice. And, if I buy a small car it's
too expensive for me because I have to buy two of them.

One for each foot...

-Larry

"Uwe Schürkamp" <hoover (AT) hoover (DOT) dyndns.org> wrote

These days I am looking for a new 2nd hand car, and it's got to be
cheap, because I reckon I'll be able to find fuel for it (diesel) for no
more than ten years from now. Diesel may be found for a few more years
than petrol since it can be made from non-fossile sources, however

We may find ways to make petrol and diesel without crude oil, but we'll
still need a substantial amount of energy to do it. And we don't have
that kind of amount of energy right now, and we won't have it in ten years.

The technology and investment needed to get a new way of transporting
goods and people will split this poor world even worse, since the
countries which can afford it will do fine, but all the rest will suffer
badly. However, the oil-independent economies, i.e. the poorest of the
poor, will do just fine, since they often produce their own food, thus
unaffected by not being able to transport stuff around. I think the
"village" will thrive again after being decimated by the "shopping
center economy", where every little village has what is needed.

And of course we'll have to settle for less, much less. And because of
this the planet will have a greater chance of surviving us, as paradoxic
it may sound. If it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger, hehe.

We'll surely see some new strange changes in the following decade indeed.

---A---

On 28.02.2007 13:10, Andrew MacPherson wrote:

asgeir.nesoen (AT) hf (DOT) uio.no (Asgeir Nesoen) wrote:
http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?...7&q=genre%3Aco
medy

http://tinyurl.com/2rt6f9

A very funny (for lefty-pinko-commy-enviro-peak-oily types) and quite
thought-provoking 45 minute history of oil and the Middle East.

Not at all Mitch-friendly.

Andrew McP

In article <C17Dh.1390$re4.78 (AT) newssvr12 (DOT) news.prodigy.net>,
naman (AT) nospam (DOT) pacbell.net says...

Damn!

You're really fucking stupid!


-Tim