Speaking of oil and economic warfare against Russia, how about the consequences here at home?

None too soon. Pro-coal people talk about coal as affordable energy, but if external costs were internalized, it would be the most expensive energy source.

I think coal has got to go; I wish gasoline were higher so we were actively seeking sustainable alternatives to it. As dappled_leaves said on another thread, tar sand oil and fracking will hasten the destruction of the earth.

It would be wonderful if the government were actively and imaginatively searching for solutions to the problems we face but I despair.

I agree that coal has to go. But the implications for the working populations in feudal sweatshop places like West Virginia would appear pretty bleak. The thing about fracking and the tar sand extractions is that those things are here to stay as long as oil is the primary fuel for transportation. As soon as oil rises to the point that either process is economically viable, they’ll come back with a vengeance. It’s a vicious circle of supply and demand with the malicious and shortsighted goal of short term profit the only consideration.

@stanleybmanly Agree. That’s where imagination, repurposing and retraining would be useful.

I have sorta a question, is coal any worse than nuclear which byproduct is harmful for a thousand years?
I know the exhaust from burning coal is very harmful, but is it as bad as the byproduct from nuclear use?
And does the coal emissions remain as harmful as long as the nuclear byproduct does?

Good point squeek. Frankly, I don’t worry any more about the expansion of the nuclear power industry. Capitalism has actually WORKED to put a stop to the proliferation of plants in most countries. Disasters occur regularly enough that proponents are unable to acquire either the financing or the insurance necessary by any means short of federal funding and guarantees. And the siting of a plant anywhere with a voting population is about as politically feasible as the legalization of child molestation. Unlike nuclear waste, the effects from burning coal diminish strikingly quickly. Remember 20 years ago when acid rain threatened to deforest the Eastern half of the United States?

I have confidence that we’re nearly at the point where sustainable energy sources will be cheaper than fossil fuels. Solar cells should be there in a few years, without including the massive side benefits such as decentralisation of the power grid. Last week Audi said that their hydrogen technology is ready to go once the infrastructure is built. They just need to make their design more cost effective, to bring the purchase prices down. VW has a version of the same system that doesn’t even use environmentally destructive lithium ion batteries. The only field I can think of that is still a good way off is aviation.

The technology is nearly there. All we need is for governments to start encouraging implementation and infrastructure development. Then we need manufacturers to start scaling up so greater economies of scale can be realised.

I for one cannot wait for this to become a reality. Seeing the corrupt oil nations falter, and start having to develop economies that don’t rely on resources will be great. Knowing that we aren’t destroying the environment (at least in one way, I’m sure we’ll destroy it in other ways) will be fantastic. The only problem is that my country’s economy could also suffer, as coal exports decline.

@FireMadeFlesh I like the idea of greener energy sources ,and I feel your right the technology is damn near there,but until fossil fuels are depleted or run dangerously low they will always be somewhat on the back burner, Governments and big oil will see they stay on that back burner until then.
Too many countries economies are driven by fossil fuels, and big oil companies and governments know that.

@SQUEEKY2 I definitely see that concern, and I’m sure they will make every effort in that direction. But oil companies have started re-branding themselves as energy companies. I’m not quite sure how they will turn that shift into profits, but they at least recognise that they need to adapt. Public pressure is starting to turn governments (although sadly in my country public pressure turned the government away from renewables), with large protests weighing on the minds of leaders at international summits. But considering the degree to which the science has been politicised, I’m not sure we’ll implement the alternatives in time. Time will either honour or condemn us.