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Personally, I'm only interested in solutions capable of reaching 100%.

*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Mon Apr 7th, 2008 at 05:37:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]
All we need to do is cut our liquid fuel demand by 95%...

When the capital development of a country becomes a by-product of the activities of a casino, the job is likely to be ill-done. — John M. Keynes
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Mon Apr 7th, 2008 at 05:44:55 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I don't think anybody here, and increasingly in mainstream discourse, sees biofuels as anything more than a very problematic and marginal "solution" to  the issues created by peak oil.  100% efficient energy solutions are physically impossible, as everything has a production/transmission/utilisation/efficiency cost.  Beyond the obvious solar/wind/wave solutions it gets more problematical with fission and yet to be proven fusion sources.  The biggest contribution will probably be made by demand reduction - due to policy and price pressures - which will tend to impact on the poorest most.  We will probably come to be known as the most profligate generation ever, who presided over a planet wide devastation/exploitation/looting of non renewable resources with irreversible ecological consequences - unprecedented in 65 million years.  Probably at some point there will be world-wide resource wars with Malthussian extinctions of populations in most effected areas.  

A sad commentary on the joys of human "rationality" and our religious devotion to magical market thinking without somehow managed to factor out the ecological impact of our depredations.  Ancient civilisations made a God out of nature and we decry their barbarity, but have we been that much wiser when we ourselves became the masters of nature and proclaimed our subjugation of those Gods?

"It's a mystery to me - the game commences, For the usual fee - plus expenses, Confidential information - it's in my diary..."

by Frank Schnittger (mail Frankschnittger at hot dotty communists) on Mon Apr 7th, 2008 at 05:56:16 PM EST
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