>As world oil supplies meet ever increasing world demand, both the
price
>and the environmental consequences of continued carbon based fuel
>burning will create a need for clean, non-nuclear alternatives. All
of
>which doesn't mean that existing petroleum cannot or would not be
>useful to market for purposes other than mere burning. Marketing
these
>technologies, while creating an efficient transportation
>infrastructure, (and the "how-to" knowledge which could in turn be
sold
>on the world market) would provide Russia with the much needed,
>developmental cutting edge in the years to come.
Yeah, all that's true, but given a choice between a sure thing in the ground and some pie-in-the-sky technologies, which is any rational profit-maximizer going to choose?
Doug ****************************8
You're right, of course. Capitalists are pigs and blood suckers.
I thought though that the subject Tovarich Doss brought up (Menshevik that is he is ;P) was about long term economic planning by Russian rulers i.e. where to put national profits after owners have exported the country's natural resources. Global warming has become a fact of life, recognized by most of the ruling classes of the world, not to mention the scientific community. I thought, the question of where to invest the wealth, garnered from among other things, current oil sales, would be as much a political as an economic decision. The price of oil is going up, up, up, up, up and demand is going the same direction. At some point, in the not too far distant future, it'll be more "economical" to refrain from burning carbon based fuels.
Who will fill that need and with what kind of energy technology?
To me, this kind of economic planning within the chaos of marketplace is akin to playing a game of 8-ball. You need to plan your shots well ahead of the ball you're sinking, especially if you're playing against the likes of Fast Eddy Felson and Minnesota Fats.
Best, Mike B)
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