[DavidProvost]

What resources can take the place of oil? Once all the oil is gone whats the world gona run on?

[DriveElectric]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DavidProvost', 'W')hat resources can take the place of oil? Once all the oil is gone whats the world gona run on?

[JohnDenver]

Over the course of the next 100 years, I see the sequence like this:

1) Other fossil fuels: natural gas, coal, gas-to-liquids, coal liquefaction, non-conventional oil

2) Nuclear

3) Space solar (space mirrors, lunar space power, power satellites etc.)

[Starvid]

Take what part of oils place? Oils importance as a transportation fuel or oils part of the primary energy mix? It is a hell of a lot easier to replace the loss of primary energy than the loss of the transportation fuel. Peak Oil is a liquid fuels crisis.

Still, replacing the primary energy part of oil will be a huge endaveour on its own.

[0mar]

That's what we're gonna find out in 10-20 years buddy.

[MD]

Solar energy to grow plants. Plants to feed animals. Animals(and plants) to feed and work for humans. Humans to use muscles.

Windmills, passive solar, hydropower, bio ethanol and oil, fossil oil(in limited quantities).

Sustainable somewhere between 500 million and 2 billion with annual per capita energy use about where Peru is today.

[Doly]

This forum is dedicated exactly to try to answer that question.

[linlithgowoil]

if peak oil occurs before 2008, as looks very likely, then nothing will take its place. we'l just have less net energy each year.

however, there will be a massive reintroduction of coal everywhere. clean coal technologies, turning it into liquid fuels etc. renewables will also get a bit boost with biofuels being popular. natural gas, where it is in abundance, will also be used to power cars rather than petrol.

as for electricity generation, we'll just have to ramp up nuclear at first, whilst getting alternatives online too. fusion is the holy grail. we get fusion, we've solved all energy problems forever. we won't solve other problems however, such as environmental problems, with fusion, but if we did have fusion, the future will be pretty rosy.

however, fusion is always 50 years away, and it still is. no one has a clue how to do it yet.

peak oil isnt my most pressing concern though - its peak economy. i think my country (scotland and the UK) has already hit and passed its alltime wealth peak. I fear we are now well into the downturn - its just that most dont want to admit it and are trying to prop themselves up as long as possible.

[aahala]

What resources can take the place of oil?

Only human constraint can save the human race.

All energy is limited, some are depletable and some are renewable
but all are limited.

If the human race is to survive long term, humans must
reduce energy use -- probably about 70-90% of current usage and
before NG is exhausted, coal destroys the air or nuclear waste becomes
too great in volume.

Renewables like wind and solar can rise by great percentages, but they
can not come close to replacing the energy now being consumed by
oil,NG, coal and nuclear.

[gt1370a]

If anyone knew the answer to that, they'd be the richest person in the world in 10 years...

[venky]

I used to think space solar power was a joke of some kind of Sci Fi concept.
But NASA seems to be working on it, albeit it is still expected to be decades away.


http://spacesolarpower.nasa.gov/

[MicroHydro]

for the poor: walking
for the middle class: bicycles
for the well to do who can afford the hay: horse drawn carriages
for the very rich: biodiesel and ethanol powered machines

[MicroHydro]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('venky', 'I') used to think space solar power was a joke of some kind of Sci Fi concept.
But NASA seems to be working on it, albeit it is still expected to be decades away.


http://spacesolarpower.nasa.gov/

[pilferage]

We're going nuclear! Nothing else will work.

[BiGG]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MicroHydro', 'f')or the poor: walking
for the middle class: bicycles
for the well to do who can afford the hay: horse drawn carriages
for the very rich: biodiesel and ethanol powered machines

[ArimoDave]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('BiGG', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MicroHydro', 'f')or the poor: walking
for the middle class: bicycles
for the well to do who can afford the hay: horse drawn carriages
for the very rich: biodiesel and ethanol powered machines

[seldom_seen]

I fear for the forests, if thousands if not millions of people revert to wood burning to heat their homes.

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('DavidProvost', 'W')hat resources can take the place of oil? Once all the oil is gone whats the world gona run on?

[venky]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MicroHydro', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('venky', 'I') used to think space solar power was a joke of some kind of Sci Fi concept.
But NASA seems to be working on it, albeit it is still expected to be decades away.


http://spacesolarpower.nasa.gov/

[Optimist]

What comes after oil?
The markets will decide. As crude oil production decreases (gradually) it becomes more expensive. This makes alternatives more attractive. Ultimately, we are going to need a renewable fuel, but who knows how long this will take? We may go from crude and natural gas to coal to nuclear to the next step, as we deplete each source.

Eventually we are forced to turn to the only remaining source: waste. This is already happening. TDP, cellulosic ethanol, etc. As oil becomes more expensive, these technologies will attract more attention and investment dollars. Somewhere somebody is going to get very rich developing the fuel of the future.

But wait! you say. We need oil to produce waste!
No we don't. Based on the current market conditions, we use crude for everything under the sun. Future market conditions will change that. As long as we have the sun (and photosynthesis), we have everything we need: food, clothing, shelter, fuel, etc. and even waste.