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The Forum > Article Comments > Peak oil and retirement > Comments

Peak oil and retirement : Comments

By Michael Lardelli, published 6/10/2008

When planning for retirement in a post-peak oil world a new attitude is needed.

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A timely and thought-provoking arrticle - I have long pondered these matters myself. There is of course a fundamental connection between retirement and energy input. The energy consumed both directly and indirectly by retirees must in some sense be made up from younger people still in the work force, and (at this stage at least) by energy input via oil or coal. As the lifestyles of those still in the workforce themselves become increasingly dependent upon oil/coal energy input, the problem(s) worsens exponentially. With decreasing availability of reclaimable oil/coal reserves we cannot be far from the knee of the exponential curve - perhaps even past it.
The final outcome - ie survival liklehood - of humanity and many other species gets down to a race between the energy factor on one hand, and international population decimation via infection of various sorts on the other. The current concern with a particularly virulent strain of TB; the sleeping giant that is malaria; aids; bird flu; etc etc provide ample cases in point. It should also be born in mind that medical research itself is dependent upon energy input. It all gets down to cheap and available energy.
To me, it seems that nuclear power generation is the way to go - indeed the only way - despite the real or imagined risks. We are possibly damned if we do and undoubtably damned if we dont.
Above all, we must dispense with any notion of a caring earth or indeed a caring universe. We must collectively internalise the notion that the earth simply doesn't care, and that there is no 'god' of any persuasion or of any teleological significance - we are on our own.
We must either actively cultivate this mindset, ot have it thrust upon us by default - or at least thrust upon those of us who might remain.
Posted by GYM-FISH, Tuesday, 7 October 2008 10:27:39 AM
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There has been a lot of talk about peak oil over the years with all the
"experts" suggesting that this will occur anywhere between 1970 and now
Regardless of any of these forecasts energy will become extremely costly
to produce and buy.Our ability to buy any form of energy is, or will be,
relative to the current financial situation. In the last few weeks a barrel of oil has gone from $153+ to less than $100
which would suggest that it should be 1/3 less in price, but at the same time our dollar has
crashed from 97c to 67c cancelling out that 1/3 decrease.
Various articles refer to the "recovery" of oil suggesting that it may have been lost or misplaced.
Oil is not recovered, it is extracted from the earth and in all its various forms used. The only recovery of oil is
the recycling of so-called waste oil
Posted by Oldbugger, Thursday, 9 October 2008 2:21:25 PM
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Old Bugger,
I don't think anyone has been suggesting 1970, unless you
were refering to the US alone, and that was a spot on prediction.
The general concensus seems to be that it is somewhere between 2005
and 2012. Certainly it has been flatlining since May 2005.

The current financial kerfuffle will probably hold the depletion off
by a year or two or three because of lower demand.

I was talking to a retired bank loans officer just a couple of days
ago and he expressed concern about how long the recovery might take.
I pointed out to him, that if depletion of oil supply starts then the
current financial mess could be permanent with no recovery ever.
This to him was an impossible concept, but alas it is quite on the cards.
Posted by Bazz, Thursday, 9 October 2008 2:53:35 PM
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