What Happens When We Run Out Of...
…hydrogen? Well, for one thing, we’d run out of water. You need two of those things, plus one of oxygen to make wet. We’re making vehicles to run on it, ‘sted of gasoline.
There would be no stars in the sky. Those hungry little monsters change hydrogen into helium at a ferocious rate and have been doing so for billions of years. Can you imagine how much hydrogen must be out there for this to happen? 300 billion galaxies with as many stars, all going through hydrogen. No “h” means no stars.
Suppose we ran out of moon? That’s not so wild an idea, because we are. When created, it was 17 times closer to us than now. Moonrise in those days was something indeed. The moon is moving away from us at the rate of 1.5” per year. Not much, as we measure things, but rather substantial, methinks, in astronomical terms.
We are an oil-based society and economy. In the Olde Days, everything was local and close by. No malls, no physician offices miles away, no asphalt highways, no airplanes. You didn’t take a bus to Boston to catch a cruise ship. When you are driving down the street, look at everything which depends on oil.
Or if we ran out of talents? We depend on people who can fix cars, grow food, make furniture, get our electronics to market, sew clothes, run the city and so many other things. Not everybody can do everything; we need the talents of so many people around us to make our planet work. Otherwise, we are naked eating plants.
There would be no stars in the sky. Those hungry little monsters change hydrogen into helium at a ferocious rate and have been doing so for billions of years. Can you imagine how much hydrogen must be out there for this to happen? 300 billion galaxies with as many stars, all going through hydrogen. No “h” means no stars.
Suppose we ran out of moon? That’s not so wild an idea, because we are. When created, it was 17 times closer to us than now. Moonrise in those days was something indeed. The moon is moving away from us at the rate of 1.5” per year. Not much, as we measure things, but rather substantial, methinks, in astronomical terms.
We are an oil-based society and economy. In the Olde Days, everything was local and close by. No malls, no physician offices miles away, no asphalt highways, no airplanes. You didn’t take a bus to Boston to catch a cruise ship. When you are driving down the street, look at everything which depends on oil.
Or if we ran out of talents? We depend on people who can fix cars, grow food, make furniture, get our electronics to market, sew clothes, run the city and so many other things. Not everybody can do everything; we need the talents of so many people around us to make our planet work. Otherwise, we are naked eating plants.
posted by Tom Carten at 3:28 PM
2 Comments:
My father had a high school education - and he was very proud of it. I, on the other hand, have several degrees. And yes, I'm proud of them. With that said, if there was suddenly a catastrophic event where no modern conveniences were available, my father could survive much longer than I. He could build a house and keep it repaired. I'd be digging a pit toilet and eating birch bark.
What happens if the computerized cash registers go down and you buy something for $6.37 and pay with a $10.00 and those kids cannot give back the correct change?
What happens when we run out of bananas (not a joke), drinking water (no joke either), and how about sources of electricity?
Can you imagine owning a propane powered computer or TV?
CJV
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