Desalination plants are really expensive though. Not entirely sure why, it's a simple process.
The stuff needed to make plastics. Cant remember its name.
Sugar
For the sake of argument, lets assume we discover sustainable fusion (see e=mc2, B+p=3He+energy). We now have huge stockpile of energy. The only downside would be we all start sounding like Chip and Dale.CameronPoe wrote:
.....we found a plentiful cheap renewable supply of energy that could replace oil what would dictate global economic matters? What commodity would dictate the purchasing power of money most and why? What resource would we be killing each other over? How would it impact the global political power balance?
Water is not going to be a problem since the cost of producing potable water from sea water is going to plummet because we have cheap electricity.
Agricultural land won't be a problem since water will be available in quantity so land eventually land could be reclaimed from the desert.
Anything that requires energy to produce will be cheaper so what else is there? I can't think of anything at the moment.
Unfortunately, replacing oil with fusion will destabilize the planet's political scene. Hard to predict how but I don't think it will be pretty.
Last edited by Stubbee (2008-09-11 17:04:52)
The US economy is a giant Ponzi scheme. And 'to big to fail' is code speak for 'niahnahniahniahnah 99 percenters'
Water.
I'll have to go with water as well...especially since there are already squabbles over the stuff today.
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
― Albert Einstein
Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
Water, and I believe soon it will just be livable real estate. The wars in Israel, South America, and Africa right now are all being fought over land, not oil... and we'll start to see a lot more of this as our global population continues to exceed a comfortable number for this planet to house.
jews.
You rang?Parker wrote:
jews.
That's not all they are doing. They have started handing out ticketed fines to people who they see "wasting water".TrueMusou wrote:
Isn't there a way to convert seawater into drinkable fresh water?SGT_Dicklewicz wrote:
Water. Then we could charge the Middle East $140 a barrel.
Other than that how about grain and anything you would need good soil to plant.
I mean, in CA right now, water usage is being watched quite closely. If a household uses over a certain set limit, that household would have to pay a higher rate. Just turn sea water into fresh drinkable water and problem solved...GET TO IT ARNOLD!
Ve-e-e-e-e-ry expensive. And energy intensive.TrueMusou wrote:
Isn't there a way to convert seawater into drinkable fresh water?SGT_Dicklewicz wrote:
Water. Then we could charge the Middle East $140 a barrel.
Other than that how about grain and anything you would need good soil to plant.
I mean, in CA right now, water usage is being watched quite closely. If a household uses over a certain set limit, that household would have to pay a higher rate. Just turn sea water into fresh drinkable water and problem solved...GET TO IT ARNOLD!
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
~ Richard Feynman
someone would control the energy, the machines to acquire it have to be designed, marketed, advertised, produced, and of course all of the raw materials to produce the energy in the end are also required.
To answer the post, we'd fight over land.
To answer the post, we'd fight over land.
I dont think it would be a resource, maybe land and groups wanting seperate states.
It's relatively simple, but you have to purify an absolute crapload of water to meet the consumption levels of cities and industries.ghettoperson wrote:
Desalination plants are really expensive though. Not entirely sure why, it's a simple process.
Our Carriers do it. The US sends them to places after emergencies. You're welcome.Spark wrote:
Ve-e-e-e-e-ry expensive. And energy intensive.TrueMusou wrote:
Isn't there a way to convert seawater into drinkable fresh water?SGT_Dicklewicz wrote:
Water. Then we could charge the Middle East $140 a barrel.
Other than that how about grain and anything you would need good soil to plant.
I mean, in CA right now, water usage is being watched quite closely. If a household uses over a certain set limit, that household would have to pay a higher rate. Just turn sea water into fresh drinkable water and problem solved...GET TO IT ARNOLD!
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something. - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
All the talk I've heard of "water wars" is pure bollocks. Sure there might be a few small conflicts over rivers/lakes where two countries have shared access, but the logistics of transporting water across vast distances will limit the scale of such conflicts.
There's a difference between that and supplying water to millions upon millions day in day out when no one is being paticularly 'waterwise'.DBBrinson1 wrote:
Our Carriers do it. The US sends them to places after emergencies. You're welcome.Spark wrote:
Ve-e-e-e-e-ry expensive. And energy intensive.TrueMusou wrote:
Isn't there a way to convert seawater into drinkable fresh water?
I mean, in CA right now, water usage is being watched quite closely. If a household uses over a certain set limit, that household would have to pay a higher rate. Just turn sea water into fresh drinkable water and problem solved...GET TO IT ARNOLD!
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
~ Richard Feynman
Read up on the Okavango. Just how small is "small"?Pubic wrote:
All the talk I've heard of "water wars" is pure bollocks. Sure there might be a few small conflicts over rivers/lakes where two countries have shared access, but the logistics of transporting water across vast distances will limit the scale of such conflicts.
The paradox is only a conflict between reality and your feeling what reality ought to be.
~ Richard Feynman
~ Richard Feynman