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Originally Posted by Daox
I realized this is an American oriented article, but its an issue for almost all countries.
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I think this is such an important topic that whatever else is in second place is hardly visible.
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Is Freedom from Foreign Oil a Worthy Goal?
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My first concern would be: Is it possible.
I agree with everything everyone has said so far, with the exception of "...people are lazy and don't like change...".
Given our economic system and the stress that most people are subjected to it is extremely difficult and very expensive to change, to really change.
On a larger scale, I am convinced that there is a one-to-one correspondence between energy supply and the ability to mine, manufacture, transport, grow (as in agriculture), invent, build or wage war. In other words, our entire industrial society (not just North America, but the whole world) runs as fast as the oil is supplied. We are entirely dependent on it.
Our economic system assumes growth. A good way to be when energy sipplies are growing.
When money is borrowed and paid back with interest, growth is assumed to make it all possible.
More growth means more consumption, more destruction of resources, more waste and more energy.
So our economic system is like a shark that must keep swimming or else it dies. When our economic system dies, it will not be gentle and it will not be easy for anyone.
I think we are seeing the beginnings of this already, with the economic collapse of 2008, which hit the whole world.
None of the politicians are talking about the looming global energy shortage. They know that their electorate wants promises of a better, richer future, so they give it to them (us). But they know about the future prospects of our energy supply, they know that energy supplies will begin to go negative within the decade, probably sooner. But they won't talk about it.
When energy supplies go negative, so does growth, so does credit, so do the wheels of commerce and the wheels of agriculture.
Soon, very soon.
This is why EcoRenovation is so very important now.
-AC_Hacker