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No More Overseas Travel? - Running out of oil? 26-Oct-2007 At 1:49:30 PM oweng

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On 26/10/2007 jackb wrote:
>Its not just about the cost of fuel we should be worried about. Petrochemical's
>are used in the manufacture of just about everything. Everything you wear
>and most things you buy. Oil reserves are expected not to last past 2050
>even if we curbe our growing use of it. So when it runs out what will our
>slings be made of, or our harnesses and ropes?
>
>Everything will get more expensive.

Yes the cost of fuel is the immediate short term effect. The cost of manufactured goods and food itself will become significantly more expensive. The world will plunge into recession. Already impoverished people around the world (particularly in Africa) will die in large numbers because the rich west (including us) will be buying large amounts of grain to convert into biofuels.

I found this piece of bleakness in an article discussing the reliance modern agriculture has on oil:

"The current peaking of global oil production (and subsequent decline of production), along with the peak of North American natural gas production will very likely precipitate this agricultural crisis much sooner than expected. Quite possibly, a U.S. population reduction of one-third will not be effective for sustainability; the necessary reduction might be in excess of one-half. And, for sustainability, global population will have to be reduced from the current 6.32 billion people to 2 billion-a reduction of 68% or over two-thirds. The end of this decade could see spiraling food prices without relief. And the coming decade could see massive starvation on a global level such as never experienced before by the human race."

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/100303_eating_oil.html