The End of the World www.azpbs.org/horizon

[thegamerfrominside]

were so lazy that when we discovered oil we even have our own touch pad so we dont even have to push a button.

fact: a person who depends on one source is doomed from the start

[DeadJesus100]

Humans are doomed

We are destroying everything

[MissSovietBones]

We survived before oil and we'll survive again after it, common sense. Our lives won't go back to the Stone Ages either because alternate energy will replace SOME "necessities" we rely on that need oil. I don't understand how some of you people can live thinking like this. Are you trying to make yourselves depressed? You'll be just fine, maybe a little bit over extended for awhile, as long as you switch to electronic cars, solar energy, and try to grow your own food and stock up on water+seeds.

[DeadJesus100]

@MissSovietBones What do you know about common sense? Please give me a break.

[iksas2544]

the real end is going to be in 3 mil years because 2 universes will divine

[DeadJesus100]

@iksas2544 what drugs are you on?

[wilclielr]

OiL? Gas? LOL!!  People...it wouldnt take the loss of oil to start anarchy. If every fast food restaurant suddenly shut down permenantly, people would start killing each other. And heaven forbid we lose our cell phone ability..omg. Cant use a HORSE or a bicycle because it would make me late for my 2PM conferance call......omg.

[trousien]

i think wars will break out before anarchy the day that the gas isn't coming to the pumps, heating homes, manufacture products, ect...

[CONTRAHABS]

yeah.But Nasa are talking about colonizing the moon by 2019 which shows that something will happen to the earth soon.

[trousien]

that would be great to live on the moon for a few years but it would suck cuz theres nothing to really do just the experience would be cool

[CONTRAHABS]

Yeah, but it is a lifeless planet for a reason.Just by observing it you will notice that it has tons of holes caused by meteors.

[trousien]

yeah thats cuz it has no atmosphere to burn up the tiny meteorites demolishing the crap out of the moon if you think about it though the moon is growing in size because of it lol

[CONTRAHABS]

Good point!

[sbtech01]

That's out the window now... can't afford that anymore

[eddiequest3]

While I definitely agree with him that we REALLY NEED to stop the burning of fossil fuels, he sees it like so many others see it - that humans won't change that fast. However, one particular past problem does come to mind. The finding of the fact that CFCs were destroying the ozone in the stratosphere was followed fairly quickly by the eventual ban on production of that chemical. So there is at least a slight possibility that we can avert the disaster we see coming at us.

[monoape]

But the CFC created no personal sacrifice. It was an easy sell.

Global warming requires that we rapidly give up cars, flying, cheap plastic products, cheap food - the societal change is massive.

That's why so many people are in denial over it.

[mycatisromeo]

I use to think we'd scorch the planet, but the planet seems to have a natural balance of its own. I believe if the temp goes up 5+ degrees, we will shift into another ice-age. Either way, there are going to be much less people on the planet in the next 100 years do to species die-off. Oceans will rise a bit, and the number of displaced refugees will cause a collapse of civilization. I just don't think all the humans and oil in the world have the ability to make Earth uninhabitable.

[marsCubed]

mycatisromeo, the natural balance, or Gaia hypothesis, depends on life soaking up the carbon, however we are chopping down the trees and killing the oceans. under sea methane ice is melting, this has never melted before. the likely outcome is that we get a run away heating effect when we go over a tipping point, which will kill everything on the planet and make rather like Venus. a dead world, so the rich could keep their $ and property.

corporate greed is killing our planet.

[CONTRAHABS]

Well said.We cannot do anything against the corrupted government because they have the military and police on their side.

[CONTRAHABS]

Yet another sign of the end of the world as we approach 2012.The Mayen calendar and Nostradamus and the I-CHING will be right.

[reptile1000]

humans are fuckin stupid theres no god and theres no way we care about the future other wise we would have put a stop to this by now

[CONTRAHABS]

good point.We have been told lies all our fuck'n lives.The poor make the rich richer and the rich are always hungry for money.Welcome to hell on earth.Heaven will never come.

[FD2K9]

well if he says that , then we must act now not sooner or later because it could toast us in 2050 and we will all live underwater because of global warming.

[loveromen33]

Holy shit, this is very depressing, I feel horrible!!!.

[GodIsReal101]

How to become a Christian click on:

Godisreal101

[mycatisromeo]

Alot of these problems stem from our terrible political system. How could someone with influence in government (a panel) or the United Nations not see this coming 10 years ago? Who actually thought we could increase oil consumption every year (at 86 million/day) and continue forever at that pace? Who actually thought our society and suburbs would continue to grow forever?

When I was 14 years old I looked around at the world and was asking these questions - but nobody had answers.

[recordingsoftheflesh]

yes, very true. and nobody with power wanted to give answers - they just wanted to sustain their lifestyle with the money of working people.

[mycatisromeo]

money isn't real. It is a representation of 'human' resources. But for rich to get rich, they must take advantage of hundreds or even thousands of other people's life and labor.

[Seasonkahna]

BTW,

I believe there is a solution.

It won't just be because we stop burning fossil fuels that we survive.

Which is where law comes into preserve and make our lives better.

It's just too funny that with such this increase in knowledge, it's like the only thing qwe could come up with is to move faster,

no matter what was in the way.

I would say that ignorance also increased.

Like the ol' metaphor about the 'days before the flood'...goes to say?

[flatfacefred]

Why can't he focus on the positive and try and think of some solutions... Why do all doomsayers have to be so negative? It will be the end of the oil age... not the end of the world!

[Seasonkahna]

Because...

One must first know the negative of their actions, to be able to put knowledge into a positive action.

In otherwords: to do something that makes a fucked up situation into an awesome situation, we must realize that we are in a fucked up situation.

IMO

season

[alexanderqqq]

wont be that bad i mean yeah it would seize up cars,power stations,flight,foundry machines , production of goods and yeah basicly everything we have enjoyed for many years even my bike chain :S but we had alife before the industral age ,you dont need oil to make a fire , animals dont rely on oil either so plenty of food plus good aspects would be missles , bombs , guns will seize up to and production :D but yeah will be bornin if we dont find a alternative soon what about vegetable oil heh

[centervilletn]

humans are not the cause of global warming ...unless the mars rover is responsible for warming mars...its called solar warming..caused by the SUN...Mars is warming at the same rate as earth...if 3degrees is dinosaur days...dont you think humans can survive 3 degrees? i believe taking care of earth...water/air..but we cannot hope to cool the atomsphere...thermonuclear war might kick up enough ash to do it though..or major volcanic eruptions...look up the year without a summer...

[centervilletn]

compairing the whole country to New Orleans!...fortunately the rest of the u.s. doesnt have the same demographics...most will participate in the social contract ...they others...will be killed.

[bustermk2]

Most attention is given to oil production peaking ... but really the production of just about everything is peaking.

Too many people ... to few resources.

[abcpools]

Screw all of you scared little boys! Global warming is not man made. If you like I will let you in on the truth 2nd peter ch3.(the bible) for those who forgot or their loser parents did not teach them.( as the lord approches the earth for his second comming the elements shall melt) and no amount of hand wringing will stop it. Just becouse you can not keep up economicly do not expect those of us that can, to change. Hummers and fast boats forever!!!!!!!!!

[gqsmoothie]

The professor said that we're gonna stop burning fossil fuels. I agree that we're gonna stop burning so much oil because of a lack of supply. But there is soooo much coal. I think countries will just switch to coal to produce electricity. (electric cars which will be unfortunately be touted as "clean") Which will greatly increase global warming, since there is quite a lot of coal still in the ground.

Anyone else have any thoughts on that idea?

[pjarosz]

Man made global warming is a lie.

Peak oil uses an exponential function of growth based on current known supply. We have A LOT more supply then is being told to us. Once we do reach peak oil, technology will find another cheap source of energy. Always remember this that once oil runs out someone will be ready to sell us the next cost effective source of energy. The professor is wrong.

[DJMatus23]

You guys are both mad - the only reason we've got so much coal left, is because we stopped draining the planet of it in search for its bigger brother oil. As soon as we have to ditch oil, and move to coal, the rate at which it will disappear will increase dramatically. At the same time, we'll move to Uranium pretty damn quick, then that will start to run out. I figure you guys can't be convinced; probably best bet is to wait 15 years and see what happens...whats the worst that can happen? :)

[Bernd1964]

The amount of high quality coal in the ground was greatly overestimated in many assessments in former years. You must read the last papers of Richard Heinberg and the Energy Watch Group about coal! The conversion of coal into liquid fuels is very expensive and will never compensate the loss of gasoline due to the depletion of oil. The sheer volume of oil we use today for producing gasoline is tremendous. If we tried to use liquified coal instead of oil we had to mine huge volumes of coal.

[lexa0103]

Guess what Mr. Interviewer- There's no guarantee in life that every problem must come with a 'solution'. You aren't living in a hollywood movie.

[catbox]

Thanks for the post! For those of us who have looked at this for quite some time, it's old news....but, for many of you who are just waking up...do your homework!

[cynicalheretic]

I wish I could provide a comforting thought. I can't though. To all the doubters out, please take this to heart "it is real" I don't want it to be, but we are approaching the end. If you have the time and resources begin setting yourself up some place safe to live. Don't freak out though, by careful planning we can survive.

[776281]

Oil sands where never going to be viable and now we are mining them like crazy. The price of fuel is going to go up and up.

[rseveran]

Yeah it really isn't good. $150-200 oil soon? The oil demand is so inelastic (and don't forget the USD is becoming worth less, so oil is going up becuase of that as well).

The inventory reports seem to show that even with high prices and economic slowdown we are still using oil at a decent rate.

Get yourself a nice little farm. Wind generator, solar panels, whatever works in your area.

[sfradia]

the doubters and sarcastic comments are wrong, peak oil has been here,it's discovery of supplies vs. usage, discovery stops usage ramps up as the SUV mentality gulps ever more and it's in a decline.Our pathetic so-called leaders(who are getting richer from oil)will NEVER tell us the truth until it's too late(like bush's 2025 date to cut greenhouse gas)mr 9/11 profiteer he is,too little too late,despite the facts in his lap.The rich can be in denial longer than the poor.

[giffe00]

See what idiots we have teaching our kids.

[bustermk2]

I think that trying to pick an exact date for peak oil is irrelevant. On the other hand $112.00 a barrel speaks volumes.

[776281]

Three weeks since your comment and already it has got worse.

If we recognize the problem then just maybe we will do something about it.

[gazzyjeanne]

While the actual date of peak is still in question, we look to be in the ballpark now. And while the electric grid will fail, exact dates are only conjecture. Technology will not save us because it is knowledge applied to resources and both must be present. When resources are depleted, we are left only with knowledge to manipulate something we don't have available. The future will be a Malthusian nightmare with maybe a rapid 80% loss of population. Undertaker will be a prosperous occupation.

[Bernd1964]

I see many good opportunities for a sounder common way of life in a past peak oil world. Today there is simply too much traffic and too much consumption everywhere. The industrial civilization needs to slow down in many aspects to regain inner stregth and perspicuity. We live in an era of endless media amusement and distraction. We have lost many important social values and mindsets that preserved the very foundations of our existence for ages.

[cjlee41]

This guy is right...unfortunately, we do not have enough oil left to survive.

wars will be fought over the last drops but that will not help, we will all live in anarchy soon.

[Mikannika]

World oil production did reach a new all time high on monthly base in January, so the peak of may 2005 is out of the books. I think we will have some more time before the sh*t hits the fan. The end of this year is too soon. I think we have until the end of 2009. If you study the graphs i can't see where any additional production has to come from beyond that. The all liquids production peak is then about 89 mbd. However Russian oil production is now starting to decline suddenly. Good video, thx!