Notes and ideas turn into small book.
Our whole western civilization is running on oil every minute night and day. Ending oil will be an enormous challenge – possibly an impossible one.
How can we just stop oil whilst averting an inevitable humanitarian disaster as the food and transportation system grinds to a halt?
Will we be able to feed clothe and heat eight billion people and counting without the use of oil?
Renewables simply aren’t ready to replace oil and maintain a quality of life we now all take for granted. Renewable energy only accounts for electricity and does not factor in the other 80% of energy use. With the rise of AI there will be associated data centers that will require a continuous supply of power all of the time. Wind and sola especially in the UK will not suffice for these demands.
Data centers and AI require uninterrupted, high-quality energy 24/7, something renewables simply can’t provide. Downtime is unacceptable, and the variability and unreliability of wind and solar makes them impractical.
The International Atomic Energy Commission projects nuclear will account for only 10% of global electricity in 2050 with just 3% of total energy use.
Jevons paradox will ensure that for all the gains we make in procuring more energy from renewables there will be an increase in demand as soon as they become more efficient. We will have to keep walking in order to stand still.
In order for us to ‘Just stop Oil’ fertility rates have to come down in all parts of the globe. Population increases will increase more energy demand and more oil for fertilization of crops and transportation.
No international energy agency supports the argument that the world can eliminate fossil fuel use within the next few decades. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects that fossil fuels will still comprise of 63% of final energy consumption by 2050. ExxonMobil estimates a 69% share, while the Energy Information Administration forecasts 70% by 2050.
