h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't blieve that anything can prevent another world war. Humans are just too stupid to not start one again.
I don't think that a third world war would be the end of the world even if somebody DID use nuclear weapons. Actually I don't think anybody would use nuclear weapons. A world war is about conquering the world so if somebody would start to use nuclear weapons there would be nothing left to conquer.
However, people would probably use biological weapons, a missile which is filled with a virus which can kill a lot of people and can be dissposed of more than nuclear pollution. I don't think that any kind of diplomatic can't prevent a world war.
No, I just can't believe it. But it might not happen in your life time, if your lucky.

As much as I hope that we'll never enter into another World War, it could very easily happen. I think the main hotspot will be in 20-30 years when we run out of oil... No fuel, plastic, etc.

Saying that, with the American government seeming bent on producing their Missile Defence System, it isn't helping things. It won't start a war, but it could mean that when one happens all the nations will be a lot more tooled up!

Uncle Travelling Mac

I don't think we're anywhere close to running out of oil. When I was growing up, we were told we'd be out by now. Guess what, we're not. It's like those folks who keep saying we're about to run out of food. Food production keeps matching the population (Distribution may be a bit weak though).

I think that a virus would be the wrong if you want to conquer territory. They mutate too much and they're to hard to fight. Hence the ongoing probelms with AID's, the common cold, etc. Bacteria would be far easier to employ and to innoculate your poeple against.

I'd rather deal with nukes than biological warfare any day of the week. Radiation is far easier to detect and to protect against.

If we did have a real nuclear exchange go down somewhere, think of all the money the victor could make by opening up the radiologically contaminated area for nuclear waste storage. If it's already shot, what's a little more waste?

Agreed - biological warfare scares me, if only because it is so uncontrolled and the results so ugly.

However, I must disagree on the oil issue. The analogy with food is not valid - we can grow more food, through better farming methods, and even genetic tampering (not popular, but possible). The same is not true of our oil supply, it is finite. We are already starting to run dry. Our only hope is to embrace alternatives now, and stretch out what we have until we can either find alternative methods of production or learn to do without.

It's time for smaller cars, higher fuel charges (with caveats(sp?)), and government responsibility. We need to really give other methods a chance - even at a cost. Come to think of it, it is about the only thing I'd be prepared to pay more tax for!

This could be an unpopular view, and is not intended to antagonise. I'm just pointing out the way I see it.

Uncle Travelling Mac

Biotech will replace the traditional oil-based industries. Modified plants will be able to produce plastics (sounds strange, but think where oil came from in the first place) and petrol substitutes will be made available. Even though we need hydrogen-powered or non-polluting vehicles damn soon.

Actually, we have no real idea when oil starts to run out, theres tons of teh stuff under russia that ahsn't been exploited yet, and posably stuff in africa too according to a geologist I know. One fo the big fears for all you US citizens out there is that your ocuntry runs out of its own oil, and not without reason. One of the things about teh US is that its a stable region which is also completely self sufficiant. The US coudl close off its borders and isolate itself permenantly and at teh moment its rare fro a nation to be able to do that. (I know Britain cant) But teh US (at least under Clinton) was working in Hydrogen power, and in replacing oil. The worry is that, shoudl Oil be replaced and deemed valuless, it could impact several economys (Middle eastern, Scottish) which coudl start scuffles, which could escalate. In teh end, for war, tehr eis rarely one reason why it started.