The Aftermath of no fossil fuels

[80watts]

The burning of fossil fuels in Internal Combustion Engines, was a big step up for food production and efficiency of farming grains. This enabled humans to have cities numbering in the millions; suppling them with food.
There is no quick answear for the replacement of the the ICE. So when fossil fuels run out, how are cities gonna maintain the millions of people (in large cities) without the food to keep them fed.

 

[Deguire]

I don't think that fossil fuels will run out. There's lots still to be discovered and various substitutes will reduce demand. The stone age did not come to an end because the world ran out of stone.

 

[oldshark]

Oil reserves are quite large and depletion will slow down as people substitute for oil. If you are only using the equipment on your farm where you have infrastructure alternatives are possible. Don't see this as a problem.

 

[80watts]

I like your attitudes, I'll just stick my head in the sand like an ostrich....
There is no infrastructure to replace fossil fuels. Farming and Fishing depend on Fuel to drive engines that harvest crops and fish. The US hit peak production of oil in the early 70's. Today they use fracking (injecting water and/or steam) to reclaim used up wells. The environmental impact of this not really observable, but it can not be good. IN every place they have drilled for fracking, there have been minor earthquakes, the land underneath changing. Since the 1930 to wade off drought, farmers in the southern US have been drilling wells deeper and deeper to get water. Calculate fracking in the mix, the situation will only get worse.
The world estimated peak supply of oil is supposed to happen in the 2020's, not that far around the corner. When farmers can't get their crops out of the fields because the machinery can't run, then the millions in the city will start to starve....
The farm machinery runs off fossil fuels, with it in short supply, food from the fields won't come in.
I recently watched a documentary on the war in the middle east... The thing was, the side losing always set the oil fields on fire....
You can always go back and doing everything on a farm by hand, which takes too much manpower. But you also need water. Look at how many wells depend on a pump to deliver the water. Whether it is run by electricity or diesel engine, a portable generator usually runs on fossil fuels.

 

[BobbyMcgee]

A. Venezuela still sits on the largest unused oil supply in world.
B. Petrol based machines are not going away anywhere anytime soon. Planes, ferries, trains, dirt bikes, Nascar, chainsaws, and agriculture, mining, forestry industry. All petroleum.
C. Africa, south america, middle east, australia, russia, china and all of the smaller asian countries will burn petroleum for another 100.
D. We are cutting off the hand that could be feeding our country trillions to shake the hands of those who don’t really care about Canada.

 

[oldshark]

Lots of oil still left. They are finding it off of South Africa, the north coast of South America. Big supplies available in Iraq. Company I work for is in there developing the fields as we debate.

American oil that you have to frack for is expensive. Canadian oil sands is expensive. Right now in Nigeria, oil into the tanker from an offshore field ranges between $5 to $10/barrel.

Farm machinery can run off battery packs as well. People are already building the equipment. I am sure that the farmer can afford the charging station. Mining as well now has a lot of equipment connected to electrical power, trucks are trolley assisted.

The real, real big issue for farming, mining and so many other things is good quality water. Water is the problem not energy.