The PRC Forum - Julian Simon (2of6)

[Huttate1]

"On average people create a little more than they use up in there lifetime"

So how much fossil fuel, phosphates, fresh water, etc are you planning on leaving behind.

Were I religious I would think this man satanl he certainly fits the bill.

[Huttate1]

"Simple minded Malthusian theory" FFS!!!

I think the reason for his maniacal grin is the fact that he knew he would be dead before his chickens came home to roost and he did not give a flying fig about any of us.

I believe he was childless. Conincidence?

[lionsatthedoor]

@acavideo i agree to the first bit, whilst an increase in population may lead to technological "advancements" this may not always have a positive affect on the environment, eg. as a result of timber shortage deforestation techniques improved (chainsaws etc) and whilkst this benefits humans, it has an environmental cost

[kapedanialb]

@acavideo "Too bad Simon didn't live to experience Peak Oil, which will be the harshest debunker of his claims. "

You failed to understand the point Simon makes. It doesn't matter whether oil runs out or not. What matters is what it is used for, and whether better substitutes are found if it runs out, ie it is the "job" it does that matters. There will be more and better and cheaper energy available in the future than today, and there always has been. Oil, will be replaced by natural gas etc.

[Huttate1]

@kapedanialb You sir are an ignorant idiot! You obviously have no concept of that which you speak of. "Oil will be replaced by natural gas" How???

I suggest that you educate yourself on how we use 30 Billion barrels every year for a start.

Only then think how we might replace it (We cannot by the way)

Then look into the Haber process and how it feeds 1/3 of the worlds population.

Then think how you will explain to your kids/grandkids why you did nothing about an obvious problem.

[xtoet]

If people didnt worry or panic about runing out of this and that then they wouldn't create the solutions...

[lionsatthedoor]

@xtoet i disagree;

simon is saying that it is not the direct need for more of a resource that leads to technological advances (i.e. an alternative, a means of extracting more, or a means of using it more efficientyl) but it is the raise in price of a resource (as a result of its scarceity) that leads to the advances.

[triforcelink]

@xtoet worry/panic also creates narrow-mindedness, which limits creativity and solutions

[hitssquad]

@acavideo "U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 and the Alaska subset peaked in 1988. Nature forced us to outsource our oil supply"

Really? Suddenly-cheap Saudi oil in 1970 didn't *allow* the US to outsource its oil supply? And how much does Saudi oil cost to produce now?

google. com/search?q=crop+circles+in+t­he+desert+saudi+oil

[slipkool1]

Simple-minded Malthusians ?? unacceptable ...

[totallymassive]

Gains? More like Loses, humans have lost thousands of species. Human gain at the environments expense, at our futures expense. Yes, pills are the answers... Let’s not prevent the reasons for the diseases, just treat the end result... Better air quality? no. Getting better in what way? Dont panic, let the decay of our resources and our way of life happen so we will be better off now but our future generations will be left with little to nothing in the future.

[njneopatriot]

Julian Simon has a positive outlook on the global situations we are all faced with.

[Myndir]

9-9:15 sounds reminiscent of the US intervention in Iraq.

[hitssquad]

Actually, he seems to be referencing Jimmy Carter's rationing of gasoline in 1979, an action which created, rather than relieved, shortages and long gas-station lines.