An observation worth noting … and pondering, from Tom Whipple:
Our society cannot sustain itself with energy returns in the 5-7 range without drastic reduction in our overall energy consumption. To rely on unconventional petroleum and maintain any lifestyle close to what we currently have means that we need to cut our total consumption in half…by 2030.
In the real world, our population will continue to grow. No matter where you think our energy will come from over the next 20 years, we have to reduce consumption considerably or more and more Americans will be facing a Third World standard of living.
Nature doesn’t grant entitlements. The laws of physics apply to everyone. If we don’t start coming up with innovative ways to solve the problem (our current behavior requires too much energy) instead of the symptom (we need more energy to support our behavior), physics will bite us in the rear.
It’s a fairly straightforward message. Not especially pleasant, to be sure, but there are times when the facts are just the facts without any possibility of a nice spin attached. We’re now expending more energy to get the energy we need, and that math does not work forever.
If today certain industry, political, and media leaders need to spin reality to assure followers and supporters that all is well in Energy Supply Land, the purpose served is a short-term one at best, and one benefitting the few at the expense of the many. The problem is that denying we have challenges and concerns—and in the process misinforming if not misleading those same followers and supporters—means that the challenges and concerns later on will only be worse.
That’s actually not such a good thing, unless “making things worse” is an objective. Then, it’s a great strategy!
An added bonus is that we’ll have less time, fewer economic and energy resources available, and less knowledge and preparation in place to deal with those more severe problems. Ignoring reality and facts in order to present a Happy Face to the uninformed comes at a price. Facts, physics, nature, geography … there are reasons why they play such important roles in life here on planet Earth.
How much information from facts, physics, nature, geography can we afford to ignore? No one likes the message the facts are suggesting, but to do nothing will leave us with fewer options and opportunities and even less to be pleased about.
Leadership and the honest exchange of information from those who know would help right about now.
Adapted from a blog post of mine
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