The Hydrogen dream | 49 comments (49 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

Negawatts? Energy conservation? A reasonable number of humans?

Hate to nag, but ...?

Align culture with our nature. Ot else!

by ormondotvos (ormond.otvosnospamgmialcon) on Mon Jan 30th, 2012 at 08:07:51 PM EST

"Since the world is finite, there is a good chance that at some point we are going to have to get along with less electricity as well as less oil. Instead of focusing on delaying the inevitable,

perhaps we should start thinking about preparing people for simpler lives that use less energy of all types.

Such an approach might solve multiple problems at once-too much CO2, too little oil, and too little capital to tackle all the problems that need to be tackled at once."

Gail gets it. http://www.theoildrum.com/node/8806

Align culture with our nature. Ot else!

by ormondotvos (ormond.otvosnospamgmialcon) on Mon Jan 30th, 2012 at 08:24:15 PM EST
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Re: The Hydrogen dream (none / 0)

Overpopulation is a is a self-limiting problem. The only question is which of several possible population crash pathways we will experience.

by asdf on Wed Feb 1st, 2012 at 12:46:50 PM EST
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Re: The Hydrogen dream (none / 0)

Population control is either code for loathesome solutions, or a card tool in which the planet is already fully invested. The demograpic transition has hit the third world in full force, the number of places on the planet with significiantly above replacement fertility is small, and getting smaller fast. What more, exactly, do you want? Because other than small families, the only way to limit the future size of humanity is genocide. So, please, dont ever bring this up again. It tars the green movement with a brush the colour of blood.

by Thomas on Wed Feb 8th, 2012 at 09:54:23 AM EST
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Re: The Hydrogen dream (none / 0)

How about a global one-child-per-woman policy?

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Feb 8th, 2012 at 10:04:41 AM EST
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Re: The Hydrogen dream (none / 0)

Requires a level of state control which is not only morally dubious, but also impossible in most places. China can enforce it because of the omnipresence and authoritarianism of the Chinese state aparatus, in the rest of the third world, it would just not work, and in the first world, it would get repealed in a single election cycle. Most of what can be achived by moral and practical means in this area has been. There are minor exceptions - if you want to campaign to end abstinence only, I am not going to question your motives, but in general, people who bring up population control as an answer to resource crunches creep me the fuck out.
At best it means they are operating on a mental model of third world demograpics that is twenty, thirty years out of date, and the options go downhill very far and very rapidly thereafter.

by Thomas on Wed Feb 8th, 2012 at 10:56:53 AM EST
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Re: The Hydrogen dream (none / 0)

Gah: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: Treatment of "illegal," or "black," children born outside the one-child family planning policy; whether unregistered children are denied access to education, health care and other social services (2003-2007) (26 June 2007)

tens of millions of people stand to see their lives ruined because the bureaucrats at the ECB don't understand introductory economics -- Dean Baker

by Carrie (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Feb 8th, 2012 at 03:22:34 PM EST
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The Hydrogen dream | 49 comments (49 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)