Re: Ginger discussed on Today Show?

From: Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Date: Mon Mar 19 2001 - 13:29:00 PST


Karl Anderson wrote:

> People just don't understand about how much energy is in fossil

Good to remember that we're not "people".

> fuels. We're not going to be running our cars on corn or a more
> direct solar power; there just aren't enough watts hitting the earth,
> especially after you drive the tractors, tankers, and factories.

You're an IT person, you probably understand numbers, and have a
calculator. So, use it for a change.
 
> The amount of energy in fossil fuels is just immense. The recent

The cardinality of water drops in the Marianna trench is also immense,
but this doesn't mean you it will fit into your beer stein, nor that
you'll be able to drink it in one go. Plus, it's salty. I recommend
sticking with a decent lager.

> Harper's index mentions that if the average SUV mileage in the USA
> increased by 3 MPG, they would save as much oil per day as the the
> projected daily output of the drilling of thet Alaskan national
> wildlife refuge.

Meaningless numbers. Check out the diff of the average Eurotrash family
car to your Amurrkan SUV. There's many, many worldlife refuges for you.
You'll notice your mileage will also go down if you drive heavy armor,
plus consider the street wear.
 
> That's why I said that I thought that the two ways out of the hit were
> magic cold fusion or subsidized nuclear fission. Sure, we'll probably

Gah. I think FoRK is moving through a stupidity ray zone. Better log off
now, quick.

> find better energy technology, but I don't think we'll find it before
> the fossil fuel ride gets expensive.

Too late, too late.
 
> Regardless, we don't have to run out of fossils, they just have to get

We don't *need* fossils, given a little forewarning.

> rare enough to get expensive. Sure, we'll be plugging transportation

=there's plenty of forewarning.

> into hydro, coal, nuclear, whatever. We just won't be zipping around
> carefree in cars anymore. I don't think we'll hit armageddon, I do

Nonsense. You can zip around in stupid Moller SkyCars, if this is what
floats your boat.

> think that the more dependent a community is on cars, the worse off it
> will be.

Repent, repent. Rent your garments, and smear ash on your forehead, preferably
in photogenic streaks.
 
> I don't think you're immoral for living in the suburbs or driving a
> car - like I said, I use cars too. I do think your suburbs are
> fucked, though, at least more than the rest of us.

Culturally, they are a wasteland. Infrastructurally, they're a desaster.
However, we still can afford them, even if the last pitiful fossil flame
has been extinguished, leaving nothing but sooty kerosene stink behind.



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