What are the chances of humans successfully transitioning from fossil fuel culture to virtual sustainability?
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DSLR Pic–better than iPhone accent lighting pictures.
Question by Cameron Lee: What are the chances of humans successfully transitioning from fossil fuel culture to virtual sustainability?
It just seems like this economic revolution is going to have to be violent, since we have been sitting on technologies like geothermal renewable energy to power earth cleanly, as well as cars that run on renewable energies, for so many years without having them applied to our society by the people who choose to keep churning out waste and profit?
Does anybody who knows what they’re talking about really think we can continue without violent eventual revolution, given the unwillingness of current institutions that are losing relevance to our ever-technologically-hastening society?
given their unwillingness to go with the natural flow of things*
Feel free to answer in the comment section below
2 Responses to What are the chances of humans successfully transitioning from fossil fuel culture to virtual sustainability?
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Unfortunately, as long as fossil fuels are still available, albeit in rapidly diminishing reserves, and people are addicted to cars, then renewable energy is very much confined to wind and solar power, both of which have huge disadvantages, and together make up a fraction of our total energy requirements.
Take electric or hybrid cars. To begin with, they are outrageously expensive, and well beyond the financial means of most people. Then there is the problem of efficiency. Most have a range of less than 100 miles. Unless there are sufficient power recharging points around the country, they are restricted to urban areas. It’s a chicken and egg thing. There have to be sufficeint numbers of them on the roads to justify the enormous expense of providing such re-charging areas, but people will not buy them unless such re-charging areas are available to make longer journeys practicable.
Solar power is only effective in countries with a, the huge acreages they require, and b. sufficient, year round sunshine. That knocks Britain out right away!
Some experts believe we have 20-25 years of oil reserves remaining. The problem of alternative energy sources is becoming more urgent by the day. But as long as oil companies and others are making such exhirbitant and increasingly vast profits from it, they will be strongly opposed to any alternative power development.
But the day will come when the last car coughs to a permanent stop. Let us hope by then, wiser heads have prevailed and a safe, cheap and permanent source of power is found. But we must start developing, and investing in them now.
Matthew Hopkins
July 24, 2013 at 7:25 am
Sustainability is a religious, not a scientific concept.
You are just a modern-day puritan, hating human life and pleasure, and trying to find a justification for your violent intolerance.
Sienna
July 24, 2013 at 8:12 am