Renewables

[stevebowers]

The issue of carbon dioxide pollution is a separate one, although TLTG does not really address it as one. CO2 is a result of fossil fuel use, so its production will decline as fossil fuels run out; however as shale oil exploitation technology increases, we might see an extension of the fossil fuel era (there is a metric fuckload of kerogen down there). I tend to think of CO2 as being a temporary problem, as developments in biotechnology and artificial photosynthesis will actually require this gas to be present in the air, changing the pollutant to a valuable resource. In fact, given sufficiently advanced technology, almost any pollutant can be repurposed as a resource, even nuclear waste.

But these sort of projected, hypothetical technologies depend on the continuation of our technological society. At OA we assume for the purposes of the scenario that technology will continue to advance, into realms we can barely glimpse at the moment. Some of the technologies that may result should help us get through the 'overshoot and collapse' scenario, but only if they are available when they are needed - this is not guaranteed by any means.