In todays news...

[Mr. Dazzle]

Not really, the negative price thing was as a result of an interaction of futures sales, COVID and a price war among producers which only lasted a very short period. It wasn't a sustained period of mega cheap oil although it was cheaper than it is now.

The price hasn't been above $130 since 2020 at any point, so clearly your story has some holes.

[Cousin Jack]

It's all linked in every direction though. The best way to limit population is to raise living standards and education (particularly for women, obvs) which usually comes with greater energy and resource consumption.

The western world actually has a serious population problem brewing, there could very well be too few people in the coming decades. China is already either about to start a population decline or is already in one.

Why should that be a problem? It is only a problem because people consume all their working life, and then expect the next generation to support them.
We need a major change, in the NHS, in the benefit system, and in the people's mindset. Stop acting as if there is no tomorrow, you are responsible for supporting yourself, now and for the rest of your life. No one is going to stop you freezing/starving.

[mangocrazy]

It's all linked to the mantra of endless growth, which also requires an ever-expanding population to endlessly consume. And all this on a finite planet with finite resources and finite space to grow food and house this ever-expanding population. People talk about 'saving the planet' - the planet will survive. Humankind however does not appear to have the wit to save its collective sorry arse.

[ZRX61]

Not really, the negative price thing was as a result of an interaction of futures sales, COVID and a price war among producers which only lasted a very short period. It wasn't a sustained period of mega cheap oil although it was cheaper than it is now.

The price hasn't been above $130 since 2020 at any point, so clearly your story has some holes.

JFC, forgive me for not having the price per barrel for every fucking day over the past 3 years.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Why should that be a problem? It is only a problem because people consume all their working life, and then expect the next generation to support them.
We need a major change, in the NHS, in the benefit system, and in the people's mindset. Stop acting as if there is no tomorrow, you are responsible for supporting yourself, now and for the rest of your life. No one is going to stop you freezing/starving.

I already save significantly more of my income than I'm obliged to precisely because I don't think there will be enough next generation to pay my way. Certainly not in the way working people today support the elderly.

The triple lock thing is bullshit and the retirement age needs to go up a decade....or something along those lines anyway I don't blame anyone for voting to support themselves but I DO blame young people for not voting! I'm just doing whatever I can to aid myself.

Money is only half of it though, if someone is 80 in the year 2075, there's a very real chance there simply won't be enough young people around to do all the things which currently get done and said 80 year old will be a bit stuck.

This is one area where the positives of stuff like AI will be a major factor.

[Mr. Dazzle]

JFC, forgive me for not having the price per barrel for every fucking day over the past 3 years.

Could just admit it's not as simple as Trump Vs Biden

[MyLittleStudPony]

This boosts the publicity for these plucky protestors and their worthwhile cause.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/just-stop-oil ... 00041.html

The idiot they interviewed owns a record company... where the fuck does he think vinyl comes from? or the plastic to make their wally bibs?

High viz vests can and are made from recycled plastic or from biological sources.

Fuck knows about records, I imagine most are existing ones being resold, not newly manufactured ones.

[Cousin Jack]

I already save significantly more of my income than I'm obliged to precisely because I don't think there will be enough next generation to pay my way. Certainly not in the way working people today support the elderly.

The triple lock thing is bullshit and the retirement age needs to go up a decade....or something along those lines anyway I don't blame anyone for voting to support themselves but I DO blame young people for not voting! I'm just doing whatever I can to aid myself.

Money is only half of it though, if someone is 80 in the year 2075, there's a very real chance there simply won't be enough young people around to do all the things which currently get done and said 80 year old will be a bit stuck.

This is one area where the positives of stuff like AI will be a major factor.

I agree about the triple lock, and I am sorry for those who will find themselves in poor health in their 80s, but tough shit. I intend to live my life as well as I can, but would welcome assisted suicide for when I can't. Again, being brutal, medical science can now prolong many lives, but that doesn't mean it should, especially when someone else has to pay.

[ZRX61]

High viz vests can and are made from recycled plastic or from biological sources.

Fuck knows about records, I imagine most are existing ones being resold, not newly manufactured ones.

Try again.

Also: I had no idea recycled plastic doesn't involve oil, do they harvest it from trees?

[MyLittleStudPony]

High viz vests can and are made from recycled plastic or from biological sources.

Fuck knows about records, I imagine most are existing ones being resold, not newly manufactured ones.

Try again.

Also: I had no idea recycled plastic doesn't involve oil, do they harvest it from trees?

I think they are protesting against granting new fossil fuel consents, they don't have a problem with recycling existing plastics.

[wheelnut]

Again, being brutal, medical science can now prolong many lives, but that doesn't mean it should, especially when someone else has to pay.

It’s a valid point and some difficult conversations are heading our way. Through the course of my job I sometimes have to go in to care homes. They are truly terrifying places and you look around and think ‘what are we doing?’.

When the amount of money we are spending on keeping the elderly alive (with no quality of life) is exponentially greater than we are spending on the education and development of children then something is topsy turvy.

[Noggin]

It's all linked in every direction though. The best way to limit population is to raise living standards and education (particularly for women, obvs) which usually comes with greater energy and resource consumption.

The western world actually has a serious population problem brewing, there could very well be too few people in the coming decades. China is already either about to start a population decline or is already in one.

To limit population we must educate women?

Never realised us girls could create life all alone!

I’ve barely comprehended anything you wrote after that! Still wondering how men aren’t required to have some responsibility for over population!!

[mangocrazy]

I think Mr D is assuming that educated women have less sprogs as they are more interested in a career. Not sure whether that holds water or not.

[demographic]

It's all linked in every direction though. The best way to limit population is to raise living standards and education (particularly for women, obvs) which usually comes with greater energy and resource consumption.

The western world actually has a serious population problem brewing, there could very well be too few people in the coming decades. China is already either about to start a population decline or is already in one.

To limit population we must educate women?

Never realised us girls could create life all alone!

I’ve barely comprehended anything you wrote after that! Still wondering how men aren’t required to have some responsibility for over population!!

In pretty much every country where women have had access to a more widespread high standard of education they've had less children.
On average better educated women have less children.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I think Mr D is assuming that educated women have less sprogs as they are more interested in a career.

I'm not assuming anything, just have a read around.

Not saying its wimmins fault or anything like that, its just a very clear relationship. Multiple factors generate it but its pretty apparent over many decades.

Its even more basic than being interested in a career. You are talking in UKesque terms but in many parts of the world women don't have any opportunity to be anything other than a wife and a mother, they don't even have a choice. Again I'm not saying that's their fault but the outcome is obvious.

https://blogs.worldbank.org/health/fema ... -look-data

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... JTxRMUL6gd

[Skub]

Never realised us girls could create life all alone!

Right from the day Eve talked Adam into getting his gnashers around the forbidden fruit,the wimminz has been luring us poor weak males into all kinds of trouble.

[mangocrazy]

I think Mr D is assuming that educated women have less sprogs as they are more interested in a career.

I'm not assuming anything, just have a read around.

OK, so 'assuming' was a bad choice of word. Does 'stating' or 'asserting' as a substitute make you happier? The broad point I was making ties in with your and Demographic's comments.

There is also the point that education and an enlightened, progressive regime in which to be educated and to live are equally a requirement.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Indeed, that's why I said standard of living and education, which typically comes alongside a more energy consuming lifestyle.

[Noggin]

I think Mr D is assuming that educated women have less sprogs as they are more interested in a career. Not sure whether that holds water or not.

Shame that doesn't work for educated men then, huh?!!


I do get that 'in general' educated women have less kids for a variety of reasons, but there is still the ongoing issue that many uneducated women don't have kids from choice - their men (probably equally uneducated) are fully involved and equally responsible, and often lack the control or discipline to help with having less kids!

But, yes, that is a different conversation, mostly!

[Noggin]

Never realised us girls could create life all alone!

Right from the day Eve talked Adam into getting his gnashers around the forbidden fruit, the wimminz has been luring us poor weak males into all kinds of trouble.

Excuses excuses!!