The Politics of Oil

[SovaNu]

out with the fiend!!!!!!!!!! oil is eeevil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Calandale]

Not olive oil. 

[SovaNu]

yeah i like olive oil too.

[duncvis]

So did Popeye. Ag ag ag ag ag ag!

[Oil Investor]

Investors are in it to win it. Speculators are hare-brained Johnny-come-latelies, who'll jump ship as soon as shares dip or who "Sell, sell, sell!" after the first few rises. But I know - based on my astute cerebral machinations - that oil is here to stay and that, therefore, investing in it is absolutely a one stop road to profit. Why would I tell you? I mean, I'd want all the profit for myself, right? Wrong. See, I believe in oil. I don't just know I'll make money out of it, I like it! 'Cause I know it's the best thing God put on this planet!

How do you figure that "oil is here to stay and that, therefore, investing in it is absolutely a one stop road to profit," Oil Investor?

Isn't there just a finite amount of oil and isn't there a huge demand for it?  What happens to your investment when the oil supplies that are relatively inexpensive to recover run out?

Welcome to Intensity.  I think it is good to see another point of view represented here.

Easily solved. We start making smaller cars. Already being done in France. Peugeots, Citroens and Renaults are all reducing engine sizes drastically and improving energy efficiency. The trend will continue and thus oil will last longer.

[Oil Investor]

Investors are in it to win it. Speculators are hare-brained Johnny-come-latelies, who'll jump ship as soon as shares dip or who "Sell, sell, sell!" after the first few rises. But I know - based on my astute cerebral machinations - that oil is here to stay and that, therefore, investing in it is absolutely a one stop road to profit. Why would I tell you? I mean, I'd want all the profit for myself, right? Wrong. See, I believe in oil. I don't just know I'll make money out of it, I like it! 'Cause I know it's the best thing God put on this planet!

Global warming excites me -- it creates so many economic opportunities. Larger crop yields in previously poor-performing Northern European agricultural sectors, etc. Revival of British tourist industry. Job creation through opportunites of the cleaning up of climate disasters. Eradication of poverty is what drives my love affair with petroleum. Tackling climate change does and will harm the world's poorest who depend on deforestation and farming with chemicals in order to make money through selling land and through higher crop yields. So if you're wise you'll do the same as me and invest in oil. Get in there quick 'cause soon Iraq's parliament will have passed legislation to enable private companies to start digging in what might be the world's more fruitful oil reserves and oh yeah, you betcha, I got plenty of shares in ExxonMobil. Always back a winner.

Don't you realize a rise in global temperatures is going to decrease drastically Australian (which is a major wheat exporter), Western North American and Southern European agricultural productivity, because they will get drier. Which will cancel out rises in agricultural productivity in Northern Europe, Russia and Canada. Plus a lot of low lying places (anywhere below say few meters above sea level will be flooded in the following centuries as West Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets melt).

That is with a temperature increase of 2C, which would put the earth's temperature at warmest level in 2 million years. Which is at the lowest projections for the Earth's temperature.

Innovative technology will prevent the fallout from global warming in Australia, North American, Southern European and African agriculture.

[Lucifer]

why not try using cars less altogether?  that'd cut oil usage right down.

all this talk about recycling, and buying more environmentally friendly stuff - how about not buying it in the first place, cos you don't need it anyway?  remember, children: 

Reduce
Re-use
Recycle.

in that order.

i thank you. 

 

[Oil Investor]

I'd never give up my automobile. Anyone who would in my opinion doesn't understand freedom. You can't be free if you aren't able to go where you want, when you want without the government regulating your every move.

Public transport, cycling, walking etc. are all strenuous exercises easily controlled by an autocratic big government. To maintain the rights of citizens and to stop government oppression we must defend our motor cars at all costs.

Smaller government, less taxes, cheaper fuel, more houses! Live how you want to live.

[duncvis]

I suppose the idea of people freely pooling their resources (e.g. car/minibus sharing, community run transport initiatives, the now defunct bike scheme in Amsterdam) to cut down on usage/waste would be anathema to you also, or you would consider that somehow unfree? Pretty much as selfish, amoral shitbags gloating at making money off others' exploitation makes my stomach churn.

[Teejay]

Innovative technology will prevent the fallout from global warming in Australia, North American, Southern European and African agriculture.

Actually I would think Sub-Saharan Africa would get wetter with a warmer climate, higher sea surface temperatures, stronger summer monsoons. Thus increasing agricultural productivity. The regions I described are in the areas where the rains come in winter, the more north or south these rain bearing winds move.

There are limits to technology overcoming problems like a climate getting drier. In many of these areas extra irrigation might not be an option because there will be competition between urban and rural water users for limited water supplies.

[Eclair]

I'd never give up my automobile. Anyone who would in my opinion doesn't understand freedom. You can't be free if you aren't able to go where you want, when you want without the government regulating your every move.

Public transport, cycling, walking etc. are all strenuous exercises easily controlled by an autocratic big government. To maintain the rights of citizens and to stop government oppression we must defend our motor cars at all costs.

Smaller government, less taxes, cheaper fuel, more houses! Live how you want to live.

Roads are controlled by the government too.
I don't get your point there.  And walking?  Controlled by the Government?

[odeon]

You'd better run since they control walking.

[Calandale]

You'd better run since they control walking.

No, that's strenuous. The only safety is in your registered
automobile, with your license, so that the government
can't control you.

[Lucifer]

how about hopping?  or limbo?

[Calandale]

Skating might be okay.