Random Thoughts on the Environment
I know Evil Mankind is continuing to despoil Mother Earth. I know Manmade GlobalClimateWarmingChange is leading to a catastrophic confluence of unprecedented natural disasters. I know we’re running out of fossil fuels, grain, fresh water, fish sticks and tartar sauce. Still, I’m fascinated by this fact: if you give every man, woman and child in the world a 36-square-feet plot of land, the entire population of the planet would easily fit inside the state of Maryland. I have no idea what that means, but it must mean something.
Speaking of fossil fuels, we’re repeatedly told the following two things: 1.) We’re running out, and 2.) Their use is destroying our environment. Given those two facts, shouldn’t we be encouraging the most rapid extraction and consumption of those fuels as possible in order to exhaust supplies quickly and allow the Earth to heal?
And, finally, another note on counterintuitive policies. We have an aging population that’s placing an ever-increasing strain on our healthcare system and our economy. In addition, worldwide population growth is exploding. So why are we busy passing laws and issuing edicts attempting to make people live healthier—and, therefore, longer—lives? Shouldn’t we be encouraging smoking and obesity? Shouldn’t we be celebrating the joys of trans-fats and the societal advantages of early death?
Well, that’s all I have for today. It’s time for my medication.
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Jun '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Here's the thing, Pat--most people don't WANT to live inside Maryland.
Oct '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
Isn't it possible that oil is merely a byproduct of the earth's perpetual inner happenings? Kind of a, shall we say, renewable resource?
(Clearly I'm no scientist - I don't even own a white lab coat - so forgive the ignorance of this post.)
Mar '11
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Mr. Sajak, you are a wise man that needs to be followed. Not in the creepy stalker kind of way, but in the Ricochet member who usually agrees with you kind of way.
Jun '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Pray the meds you're using work. Obamacare will take care of any new medications--there won't be any.
Jun '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Humans produce between three and five percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere, with the earth producing between ninety-seven and ninety-five percent. I think we should ban the earth, because as we all know CO2 is poison. As for so called fossil fuels, there are centuries of these available at a "price." But for those into irony I have this: Mercedes Benz is building a research facility in this berg to investigate hydrogen fuel cell technology. Now for the irony, where will the hydrogen that powers these future vehicles come from? Why, it'll come from hydrocarbons. All those pollution-free vehicles will do is move carbon production from the tailpipe to the refinery. Doesn't that just make you feel green all over.
Edited on Mar 19, 2011 at 10:05amMar '11
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
Isn't it possible that oil is merely a byproduct of the earth's perpetual inner happenings? Kind of a, shall we say, renewable resource?
(Clearly I'm no scientist - I don't even own a white lab coat - so forgive the ignorance of this post.) · Mar 19 at 9:52am
It is possible that not being a "scientist" is a feature, not a bug. There is so much that society accepts simply because of familiarity.
May '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Clearly, retirees should be forced to spend their last days working on oil rigs.
Dec '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
· Mar 19 at 9:52am
Known reserves refers to oil that can be profitably extracted at today’s market price. As the price of oil changes, so do the reserves. As extraction technology improves, reserves increase. Then there is discovery through exploration.
Sep '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Nor on a 6ft. x 6ft. "plot of land."
No more fish sticks?????? NO!!!!!!!!.......
Sep '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
This points out one of the great non-sequiturs of modern times. If we are running out of fossil fuels why do we have to do anything to force a switch to cleaner energy? Isn't that the very definition of a self-correcting problem? Fossil fuel prices will obviously grow much higher as scarcity asserts itself and off we go to solar and wind farms. We're done.
Oct '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Foxman
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
· Mar 19 at 9:52am
Known reserves refers to oil that can be profitably extracted at today’s market price. As the price of oil changes, so do the reserves. As extraction technology improves, reserves increase. Then there is discovery through exploration. · Mar 19 at 10:23am
Ok. Then how about the "fossil fuel" questions?
Oct '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
Isn't it possible that oil is merely a byproduct of the earth's perpetual inner happenings? Kind of a, shall we say, renewable resource?
(Clearly I'm no scientist - I don't even own a white lab coat - so forgive the ignorance of this post.) · Mar 19 at 9:52am
The late Prof. Thomas Gold of Cornell has proposed that the Earth was formed via cold concretion and that our planet has been outgassing hydrocarbons ever since.
Dec '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt
Foxman
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
· Mar 19 at 9:52am
Known reserves refers to oil that can be profitably extracted at today’s market price. As the price of oil changes, so do the reserves. As extraction technology improves, reserves increase. Then there is discovery through exploration. · Mar 19 at 10:23am
Ok. Then how about the "fossil fuel" questions? · Mar 19 at 11:02am
I have heard the theory advanced (I am using "theory in the non-scientific sense, I really should say hypothesis) that the earth is producing these without living things, but I have never seen any proof or even a guess at how this could be.
Oct '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Foxman
dittoheadadt: ...and every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
· Mar 19 at 9:52am
Known reserves refers to oil that can be profitably extracted at today’s market price. As the price of oil changes, so do the reserves. As extraction technology improves, reserves increase. Then there is discovery through exploration. · Mar 19 at 10:23am
Considering that we've been pumping oil for a long time, and considering the quantities that we pump every day today, are extraction technology improvements and new exploration finds really more than compensating for what we consume now? (And if oil dropped to $20/bbl today, would the "known reserves" number actually drop tomorrow?)
As for new exploration finds, are they "new" because they were there all along and we just didn't know it until now, or are they "new" because they weren't there before and now they are (e.g. because the earth "recently" produced it)? And can we possibly know the answer to those questions?
Is "oil is a fossil fuel" a proven fact or a hypothesis?
Nov '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Gus Marvinson
dittoheadadt: Here's my question: how do we know they're "fossil" fuels? I mean, the world's been pumping a lot of oil out of the ground for many years. Just how many trees and dinosaurs were there way back when? And every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
Isn't it possible that oil is merely a byproduct of the earth's perpetual inner happenings? Kind of a, shall we say, renewable resource?
(Clearly I'm no scientist - I don't even own a white lab coat - so forgive the ignorance of this post.) · Mar 19 at 9:52am
It is possible that not being a "scientist" is a feature, not a bug. There is so much that society accepts simply because of familiarity. · Mar 19 at 10:06am
Anyone read "The Deep Hot Biosphere: The Myth of Fossil Fuels" by Thomas Gold here at Cornell? (Google THAT guy - pretty interesting fellow.) He points out that there is no known way to get oil from dead plants. He thinks it was part of the planet formation process, and that there could be vast, vast amounts of the stuff down there. Great read.
Dec '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
One of the most interesting groups of environmentalists is the atheists. If you believe, as they do, that man has no soul and is just a product of his genes and environment, then there is no such thing as unnatural. Atheism is a determinist belief, although few of them will admit to this. Free will requires a soul. If there is no dualism, all of our “decisions” are predetermined. Man can do no other than what he has been programed to do.
Edited on Mar 19, 2011 at 12:05pmSep '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt
Is "oil is a fossil fuel" a proven fact or a hypothesis? · Mar 19 at 11:30am
I am a petroleum engineer and I can tell you that in school they told us the theories of formation including the one you mention. The idea that oil and gas naturally percolate out of the deeper crust of the earth is not a new one or a popular one, but has not and probably cannot be disproven. Coal is, in a sense, a hydrocarbon similar to oil and natural gas. No one argues that coal naturally percolates up from the mantle. The most popular explanation is that organically rich layers of plant and animal matter laid down long ago (fossils if you will) are cooked by pressure and temperature into coal or oil or natural gas depending on the temperature and pressure and perhaps what matter (fossils) you started with. This is just easier to explain across all the results. However, if oil or gas was found in precambrian age rocks (ie before substantial life existed on the earth) then the theory you mention would be a possible explanation of why that is.
Dec '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
dittoheadadt
Foxman
dittoheadadt: ...and every 10 years (or so) the "known reserves" grows.
· Mar 19 at 9:52am
Known reserves refers to oil that can be profitably extracted at today’s market price. As the price of oil changes, so do the reserves. As extraction technology improves, reserves increase. Then there is discovery through exploration. · Mar 19 at 10:23am
And if oil dropped to $20/bbl today, would the "known reserves" number actually drop tomorrow?
· Mar 19 at 11:30am
Technically, yes, although it would take some time to work through the system and be reported as such.
Mar '11
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Pat, 36 square feet leaves plenty of room for the Maryland legislature to circulate tax collectors to the entire population of planet Earth. Let's not give them any ideas.
May '10
Re: Random Thoughts on the Environment
Dittohead, "new" oil reserves are newly discovered / accessed. Once an area is tapped, there's no going back unless emerging technology enables better recovery methods.
Earth has been around for billions of years. Our fossil record represents less than 10% (perhaps less than 5%) of all the plant and animal species which have existed on our planet. That's because the conditions necessary for fossilizations to occur are rare.
In short, that we have found such an abudance of fossil fuels is not as remarkable as the fact that we can access it. Diamond-bit drills often do not survive the process. There is indeed a limited supply of fossil fuels, but the end is not in sight. We have hardly touched Siberia and Alaska. There are many areas left to explore.
People have worried we will run out of oil ever since the industry was born. Predicting the end of oil is a bit like predicting the end of the world. We know it will happen, but nobody can reasonably claim to know when.