WORTH magazine published my letter

in the November edition of the mag on pg 18. its in answer to an article they published about some guy stating that international trade would collapse because of a lack of oil

 

OK, for everybody who doesnt get the WORTH heres the letter they published

"Regarding FUEL FOSSILS, Simmons states transportation uses 70% of oil and increased oil costs will force corporations to reorder supply chains to minimize shipping costs. For thousands of years human Empires had robust intercontinental trade using sail power and horses. Humans have always overcome adversity and an oil shock will only bring out the best in revolutionaries such as Paul Allen and Burt Rutan who built the first privately funded and owned spacecraft.
Aircraft can be made more efficient. Automobiles, trucks, and trains can use hydrogen, vegetable oil, or natural gas so expensive oil will not end international commerce. France acquires over 50% of its energy from nuclear, Germany obtains significant energy from solar, the US and China have enormous coal reserves and dams so progress requires exploiting these alternate resources. As oil prices rise, alternate energy which may be expensive today, will become more competitive.
In the future as ever increasing demand for diminishing natural resources accelerates, humans will have to seek new mineral, water, and energy resources off our planet.
There are two possible futures for civilization, the first is a nightmare where humans keep depleting resources of Earth, as population rises towards 10 billion we begin continuous war over decreasing resources to feed an unsustainable population which would end in Armageddon with a mass dying off of billions through war, starvation, and disease.
The second future involves humans venturing beyond Earth to access the limitless raw materials of space which would easily accommodate any number of humans and allow wealthy countries to continue consumer driven economies unabated while avoiding resource wars. A serious space exploitation program is the only way humans can sustain unlimited consumption economies.
Our greatest conquests like Columbus or America’s western expansion were about securing more resources. In the 21st C there is little unexploited land left on Earth so space is the logical place for growth. Our solar system has enough resources to outlast humanity so an oil shock should not threaten us.
As long as we have visionaries like Allen, Branson, and Rutan the future of international trade will be secure."
William H