Would there be less global conflict if a viable alternative to petroleum were found?

Answer 1

Only if there were a viable RENEWABLE alternative to petroleum would there be less conflict over energy resources, at least. However, the laws of scarcity come into play as a growing global population will fight over other resources, such as water, crops, etc. In order to lessen the likelihood of conflict arising, it would be necessary for developing countries to take measures aimed at curbing their exploding population growth and for those industrialized nations to adapt their overall lifestyles to a changing environment.

Answer 2

Why do you assume that a viable alternative HASN'T been found?

Oil is a big money industry. The oil companies spend BILLIONS on R&D of new products. Now...if you were an oil company, and you stumbled across a way to create cheap energy, would it be in your interest to release this technology? Or would you be better off putting it on a shelf for the next 50 to 100 years while the price of oil went up?

Logically speaking, you would shelve the technology.

The global conflict will continue to happen, because humans are petty creatures.

Answer 3

YES! Hemp oil among other natural sources, is a viable source of fuel that is alternative to petrolium. The US was built largely in part because of Cannabis. In fact the Declaration of Independance was drafted on hemp(cannabis) paper, and quite possibly with ink made with hemp (cannibis) oil. Hemp is not the be or do all cure to the petroleum industry, there are many facettes of change which need to be polished, but no matter what I or any other environmentalist will say, there is some educationally challenged individuals who will come out and say, "More power!!!"

Answer 4

Alternatives to petroleum already exist. Electric cars (Tesla Motors). The electricity can be generated by wind to be used to charge these electric cars.

diesel fuel and gasoline can be made from coal
ethanol from corn can substitute for gasoline (in part)
bio-diesel made from soybeans can be use to replace diesel.

Dependence on foreign oil can be reduced to zero!!!! If we put as much effort into alternative fuels and we do conflict and war, there would be no need for new petroleum to be found!!!!

Adequate energy supplies increase the likely-hood of peace, but there also needs to be lessening of conflicts.

Answer 5

Assuming a viable alternative to petroleum caught on--and I'm going way out on a limb here assuming that might happen--people would still find reasons to kill each other. There would be conflict over other resources--such as diamonds (Sierra Leone). People would still brutalize each other over religion and/or ethnicity. Heck, before people discovered oil, they probably were killing each other over race, religion, ethnicity, etc. And even with the conflicts over petroleum, they're still brutalizing each other over race, religion ethnicity.

Answer 6

The powers that be will not allow alternative fuels and energies to hit the markets. There are soooo many ideas and concepts out there that DO work it would make your head spin, why don't we see them except on television? Because it wouldn't be very profitable for the people making money on the way things are now, the people in power.

Answer 7

Probably not.

People are too set in their beliefs to even entertain the idea of driving a vehicle that doesn't run off gasoline.

Viable alternatives will be developed, the ideas then won't sell well until after the chaos of worldwide oil depletion.

Answer 8

There is an alternative that is working in south africa Sasol has a petrolium bassed fuel

But the american economy and lifestyle depends on Large volumes of oil

Cmon we going to war over oil you think well substitute it now

Answer 9

If the alternative were something that we would produce ourselves, then of course. Our interest in the Middle East would be greatly reduced. Our involvement in Middle East conflicts would be minimal. We would still try to perform humanitarian missions in conflict areas, where necessary, through international organizations.

Answer 10

It depends on the abundance of that alternative, I suppose.

However, by definition, any alternative would increase the supply of oil-like product, and would therefore decrease the cost of oil, which would defund the treasuries of the oil-based nations, some of which are responsible for some of the current conflicts.