Guys, this isn't Longboarding, but I wanted to throw it out there...
The Romans had their 5-10-15 year intervals between major conflicts / wars / take overs... From 1900-2014, we aren't much different, as a world, but on a larger scale... We still have wars on similar intervals...
Romans had water & sewer as their major infrastructure developments. Plus some good engineering and concrete...
We have ENERGY, instead of water... Gas, Petrol, and Electricity, that underpins our civilisations...
I have "greenie" "mates"... But being green is pretty much a phallicy (phellic/wank!) in our current civilization... We all consume ridiculous volumes of energy... But some strive to be 10% to 20% more energy efficient... The full-on 60's 'commune' is the real winner... But my cousin wasn't able to stick it out either (in the commune)... Real commune living, is "off grid power" / no power!..., maybe 1 car between 20 people, so you can get "essentials" (I use this term broadly...) ...items from town, or go to the doctors, for the kids, etc... Fully self sufficient, or at least 99.5% self sufficient is the future...
The future of energy: .... Energy underpins our current civilisation... You think it might be underpinned by commerce or finances... But it's the energy sector that defines the way we want to live... Electricity & Gas to run our homes, and petrol to run our cars... Without that energy, our society as we know it would be screwed!
The good (and bad) news... We have stacks of energy left... Hundreds of years... We are inventing technology to get energy from "deeper" off shore wells...(gas for power and cooking, and petrol for cars, etc)... (also see BP's Deep Sea Horizon Project - that was the stuff up, but we as humans have learnt heaps from this disaster)...
Grid Power / Electricity - I'm really sorry, but Solar and Wind can't get above 20-30% of grid supply, without significant battery back-up improvements/inventions... They are unreliable sources of daily energy requirements... Yes, we live day-to-day in terms of electricity production... It is carefully balanced and monitored by the High Voltage Electricity Supply "Guys"... (perhaps in the future, we will have masses of excess Solar and Wind, and some battery back-up, to balance the system, when solar is "low/off", and when wind is "slack")... The medium term solution is perhaps 30% coal, 30% gas (including renewable gas methane / dirty "poo" methane / methane from sewer systems...), plus 50% solar, and 50% wind = 160%! Yes, 160%, to cover when wind and solar aren't performing... Yes, an inefficient system, but "friendlier" system!... Maybe... But harder to manager...
I really think that sustainable future is 1 Billion people, world wide, and a 1 child policy (for the entire world - hats off to China!)... Europe's re-grouping into the EU needs to be heavily commended... It's like the old Roman Empire! it should provide a better balance across societies/communities, even though it comes at higher cost... Just like the Roman Empire...
The "futurist" within me believes that in 500-1000 years, we will be back at 1 Billion People, in a "dark ages" style existence...
The alternate - we eradicate war, and social/racial boundaries, but still "cap" the population, ... and if we can solve the impending energy crisis... then our current version of civilisation can continue for a longer term...
The future energy crisis... this is why I think that Ecologically Sustainable Battery Technology will be the saviour of our society... Eco Friendly Back-Up Power, and Battery Power to cars/transport, will form a big part of out future, if we want to continue consuming these volumes of energy...
Interesting read even for someone like myself. Younger that is.
Do you do this for a job or what?
I will be interested to see what happens in my lifetime. I reckon in the next 3-4 decades we will be over taken by China. With our resources and what not.
Better learn Mandarin! (is that fruity spelling or what?)
Heavy weather indeed.
Cheers
Wow mate that's some deep pondering!, resources will definitely be a bone of contention , but I feel future wars ,take overs and the like will be over usable land ,eg sustainable food bowls , and water , he who controls the water has control. so your probably right , need to start brushing up on Chinese
Do we get free smoking hot Russian girls , unlimited Board Porn & cosmic waves to pig Simondo-san ????? .... if this is decreed so ..... and I get to dish out the Beerfines
....... I am in 
My biggest worry atm is that Chevron is keen to use that technique in Oz where they shatter underground rock to extract gases by pumping heaps of poisons into the ground that ruins underground water. They have been advertising a lot on West Oz TV lately & I've read about the proposals that have been beat up as a positive thing for us. However when I've seen ignitable water coming out of rural US house pipes & a huge increase in chronic illness. You realize its far from a good thing.
Very sad these days that the peoples need for energy resources overides the peoples health.
"Without that energy, our society as we know it would be screwed!" True...& yeah true communal living, working together, eliminating waste & reducing global population would help. But with improvements in health, global NGO programs to aid the 3rd world in environments non supportive to human habitation & financial gains to countries with high populations through manufacture shifting away from developed countries that enable financial viability for larger families. Unfortunately the only thing that would reduce world population would be a world war.
I have made / do make my living from massive infrastucture projects - water, gas , rail , road, marine.
No matter what we would like, anything that does not involve burning masses of carbon stuff does not stack up.
The more time goes by, the more I hate what I do.
But I am yet to see a realistic alternative to this stuff.
And the vested interests mean alternatives will not get off the ground, much less fly.
Mind you, let the industry take care of itself and they will safety/enviro/ regulate themselves out of existence.
Right wing rant postponed.......for now. Left wing feelings kept in check.
Simmondo - great post and the more it is talked about the better!, but I have Scotty's 50 word phobia andd may have skimmed a lot of it,
If I knew how to do those smiley face things I would.
TK read and report back to us.
Select to expand quoteNozza said..
I have made / do make my living from massive infrastucture projects - water, gas , rail , road, marine.
No matter what we would like, anything that does not involve burning masses of carbon stuff does not stack up.
The more time goes by, the more I hate what I do.
But I am yet to see a realistic alternative to this stuff.
And the vested interests mean alternatives will not get off the ground, much less fly.
Mind you, let the industry take care of itself and they will safety/enviro/ regulate themselves out of existence.
Right wing rant postponed.......for now. Left wing feelings kept in check.
Simmondo - great post and the more it is talked about the better!, but I have Scotty's 50 word phobia andd may have skimmed a lot of it,
If I knew how to do those smiley face things I would.
TK read and report back to us.
Why me report back? 
Smileys are on the left, click on one and voila! Left of the box where you type 
Homework TC homework.
What you fail to see from this is that the Gentlemen of the Greenroom are secretly coaching you.
So stop naffing around and get down to it.
And report back to me too.
ET.
Select to expand quoteE T said..
Homework TC homework.
What you fail to see from this is that the Gentlemen of the Greenroom are secretly coaching you.
So stop naffing around and get down to it.
And report back to me too.
ET.
Fark no old man! I hate this kinda stuff Maths and science anyday
I can't see the future, I'm no oracle
The Future is yours, TK
We are close to, or more than 40 years older than you.
You need to find a way to get Green without committing economic suicide.
Although I do recall reading an article when east coast Australia was in drought, that said future economic control would centre around water, rather than energy.
We need an opinion from someone who is not jaded or burnt out from the last 40 years of just coping with life.
You need to take your surf energy out in to the wider world!!!!Hey, I did a smiley!
Select to expand quoteNozza said..
The Future is yours, TKWe are close to, or more than 40 years older than you.
You need to find a way to get Green without committing economic suicide.
Although I do recall reading an article when east coast Australia was in drought, that said future economic control would centre around water, rather than energy.
We need an opinion from someone who is not jaded or burnt out from the last 40 years of just coping with life.
You need to take your surf energy out in to the wider world!!!!Hey, I did a smiley!
Like fark I'm nearly 40 years older than him
Select to expand quotethePup said...Nozza said..
The Future is yours, TKWe are close to, or more than 40 years older than you.
You need to find a way to get Green without committing economic suicide.
Although I do recall reading an article when east coast Australia was in drought, that said future economic control would centre around water, rather than energy.
We need an opinion from someone who is not jaded or burnt out from the last 40 years of just coping with life.
You need to take your surf energy out in to the wider world!!!!Hey, I did a smiley!
Like fark I'm nearly 40 years older than him
More like 140 years
My opinion of you pup is that you are the Hugh Hefner of the green room.
Select to expand quoteNozza said...
The Future is yours, TK
We are close to, or more than 40 years older than you.
You need to find a way to get Green without committing economic suicide.
Although I do recall reading an article when east coast Australia was in drought, that said future economic control would centre around water, rather than energy.
We need an opinion from someone who is not jaded or burnt out from the last 40 years of just coping with life.
You need to take your surf energy out in to the wider world!!!!Hey, I did a smiley!
I will be interested to see just how green projects undertaken by me as an engineer will be. I am sure as I progress through my career and life, there will be greener and more economical ways of doing things.
Time will tell I guess . Going to be a good ride!
Nice smiley!
