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Society's reliance on Oil?


Ollie

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I was listening to BBC2 coverage from Aberdeen and there was a debate on what would happen to the world when the demand for oil outstrips supply. Ok so i dont know exact figures but the general impression from experts is that the glass is half empty in terms of reserves. Only time will tell whethar or not it will affect any of us.

Just wondering if anyone on here has any thoughts as to exactly how much Western Society relies on Oil for day to day living. If oil does have a major importance and if it is indeed running out then surely an alternative would have to be sought? If not the worlds gonna be a much bigger place.

Some more food for thought - As far as the ozone layer is concerned (how much this is related to oil im not sure) dangerous chemicals are known to be fucking that up as well. It just makes u wonder whats this place gonna be like when were all gone.

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Whats the deal on research into alternative energy... will those avenue's not become more dominant in the next 50 or so years. So, by the time Oil has begun to fade out will these alternatives replace Oil?

I just dinna ken. worrying for any companies who depend on oil tho!..

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well, if you look at the way Norway has managed its oil resources, by setting up a 'Future Generations Fund' and putting some of the revenues generated into it each year, it now has a fund of 100 billion, which generates more in interest each year than they make in oil revenue!

The Norwegians are now concentrating on development of renewable energy sources to prepare for when the oil supplies run out.

The oil money over here has been used to fund Thatcher's dole queues, fill black holes in the budget, and finance the Iraq war.

Not one penny has been set aside in a fund like that of Norway, despite Labour saying they would set one up in the 70s.

Our renewable technologies are also not getting the support they deserve, and there is talk of building new nuclear power stations instead, thus condemning us to yet more toxic waste which there is no real disposal method for.

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well' date=' if you look at the way Norway has managed its oil resources, by setting up a 'Future Generations Fund' and putting some of the revenues generated into it each year, it now has a fund of 100 billion, which generates more in interest each year than they make in oil revenue!

The Norwegians are now concentrating on development of renewable energy sources to prepare for when the oil supplies run out.

The oil money over here has been used to fund Thatcher's dole queues, fill black holes in the budget, and finance the Iraq war.

Not one penny has been set aside in a fund like that of Norway, despite Labour saying they would set one up in the 70s.

Our renewable technologies are also not getting the support they deserve, and there is talk of building new nuclear power stations instead, thus condemning us to yet more toxic waste which there is no real disposal method for.[/quote']

SNP by any chance?

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My dad's been in the oil for 30 years now and when he started he was told there would be 10 years left. New technology means they can easily recover deeper - previously unreachable - oil reserves AND find bran new ones.

As for an alternative, new things like the water powered car and so on crop up now and again, but then disappear because oil companies (naturally) don't want them to surface. I hope the oil industry continues because it's probably the only reason that Aberdeen has so much money, international attention and a rich culture.

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Hydrogen cell technology is the way forward.

SiGen at Clinterty have developed a hydrogen cell car, but because there is no real funding available they are not able to develop it massively.

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Hydrogen cell technology is the way forward.

SiGen at Clinterty have developed a hydrogen cell car' date=' but because there is no real funding available they are not able to develop it massively.[/quote']

Good man and well said (about your post on Norway's oil industry).

I saw a report that Iceland may be the first country to eventually get rid of its dependence on imported oil (at least for power generation). Because of their ideal location, they harness geothermal energy really well, which they use to generate hydrogen cell technology. Already their Government is pushing for all cars to run on hydrogen fuel cell in the near future. A lot of their buses have already made the conversion.

The only problem is that hydrogen is remarkably unstable. One spark and that's it. Would you go on a bus knowing that there is a huge tank of hydrogen above your head? If proper safety measures are taken then it may be the way forward.

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I'm not criticizing your political persuasion' date=' it's just the SNP have a certain obsession with Norway and St. Bernard's dogs.[/quote']

maybe because Norway is a country of similar size to us, with very similar natural resources, which has done more with them than Scotland has because we have allowed the UK government to piss it all against the wall?

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Guest ()Papaspyrou()

As a nation, we aren't being totally stationary in the whole "running out of oil" situation. At least now we have LPG, which apparently emits very little harmful gases.

I say apparently because I meant to research it a week ago but haven't yet got round to it.

.....It is time.

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maybe because Norway is a country of similar size to us' date=' with very similar natural resources, which has done more with them than Scotland has because we have allowed the UK government to piss it all against the wall?[/quote']

If Norway are such as successful economy then why do they have such high taxation?

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Scotland could be like Norway, but all the rich people have an "Im all right Jack" attitude and they'll keep voting labour as long as they make there money and everything is fine in there household a bit like Germanys OAPs.

If the oil ran out we'd be in for a complete society breakdown (Which is exactly what the western world and its affiliates need)

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If Norway are such as successful economy then why do they have such high taxation?

And yet it has been voted the best place in the world to live for five consecutive years by the UN.

High taxation is not an automatic sign of a stagnant economy.

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And yet it has been voted the best place in the world to live for five consecutive years by the UN.

High taxation is not an automatic sign of a stagnant economy.

Essentially the Norwegian economy is highly correlated with the oil price. The is the same as the micro economy of Aberdeen City. Norway has got a massive reserve fund as have the Saudi's but finds problems getting returns on the cash pile. Shetland have also built up a reserve fund in their own little way.

I suppose high taxation of oil companies is easier when there are more nationalised energy companies over there. Nationalised companiesare subject to political interference' date=' government often has a board member or two et al.

But I know some Norwegians who left the country because of the high taxation.

Have a read of the links below.

http://www.travelblog.org/World/no-econ.html

http://www.bis.org/review/r050901h.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway

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maybe because Norway is a country of similar size to us' date=' with very similar natural resources, which has done more with them than Scotland has because we have allowed the UK government to piss it all against the wall?[/quote']

You get what you deserve.

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Essentially the Norwegian economy is highly correlated with the oil price. The is the same as the micro economy of Aberdeen City. Norway has got a massive reserve fund as have the Saudi's but finds problems getting returns on the cash pile. Shetland have also built up a reserve fund in their own little way.

I suppose high taxation of oil companies is easier when there are more nationalised energy companies over there. Nationalised companiesare subject to political interference' date=' government often has a board member or two et al.

But I know some Norwegians who left the country because of the high taxation.

Have a read of the links below.

http://www.travelblog.org/World/no-econ.html

http://www.bis.org/review/r050901h.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway

As I understand it, their oil fund now generates more in interest each year than they make in oil revenues.

Cheers for the links though, interesting reading.

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the whole could we be like norway thing is more of a "look at what you couldve won" situation tho really isnt it..

i'm not an SNP man

but that's the one point that i completely agree on

but it's not going to happen

the people "in charge" of this country and the rest of the UK have no clue... something we're all well aware of... and even if they did it would probably take them 50 years to get it going

western society completely relies on oil

i wouldnt be sitting working at BP in rotterdam if that wasnt true

bottom line..

if the finger doesnt get pulled out soon

we're all screwed... or at least our children will be..

:up:

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which is why we need to use the oil money wisely, invest in renewable technologies and move that forward.

Scotland is in a prime position to be a renewable energy leader, but meantime the governments are too busy collaborating on the introduction of yet more nuclear power stations.

We could be an all-renewables nation in 50 years time if the political will was there.

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