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Oil-producing kingdoms[a] like Saudi Arabia face an existential risk. If the world transitions away from fossil fuels, and these kingdoms fail to develop techno
by cs702 3y ago
Oil-producing kingdoms[a] like Saudi Arabia face an existential risk. If the world transitions away from fossil fuels, and these kingdoms fail to develop technological engines of economic growth in clean energy, electric vehicles, software, AI, robotics, biotech, space exploration, and other new fields, they could become... poor.
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[a] Yes, kingdoms. Yes, in the 21st century. Yes, very different from the West.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoGoing back to camals, and they are deeply afraid of that. > The founder of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid, was asked about the future of his country. He replied, "My grandfather rode a camel, my father rode a camel, I ride a Mercedes, my son rides a Land Rover, and my grandson is going to ride a Land Rover…but my great-grandson is going to have to ride a camel again."
- EA-3167 3y agoI think at this point there's an element of, "If we don't have the money to wield absolute power, our own people are going to tear us to pieces before they retreat back into the sunset."
- toomuchtodo 3y agoIf they keep up trying to keep the world on oil, we (collectively the nation states funding or providing military support to these kingdoms) should let their people at them. Some folks only understand that incentive mechanism (believing discussion, collaboration, and diplomacy weakness to be exploited, only responding to force, or the threat of it).
- EA-3167 3y agoI really do think that's how this all ends, but not until said funding nations have settled alternatives to oil. Pretty much the day after that happens, I think it would be a bad time to stay in the Middle East.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoAgree, but I also put forth that with EVs and renewables on a fast takeoff trajectory, that day is rapidly approaching. Were deploying more than 1GW of solar a day at current rates, and approaching 15M/units of EVs sold this year (1/6th of total global light vehicle sales), and these manufacturing and deployment flywheels are still coming up to speed. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1gw-per-day-futureenergyventures-gvf6e https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1gw-per-day-futureenergyventu...
- EA-3167 3y agoSolar is definitely the big success story of my lifetime, one of the areas where the need for more generation, the need to decarbonize, AND the economics actually align.
- toomuchtodo 3y agoAdditional citations: https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/09/1-8-million-barrels-of-oil-a-day-avoided-from-electric-vehicles/ https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/09/1-8-million-barrels-of-... (“1.8 Million Barrels of Oil a Day Avoided from Electric Vehicles”) https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/09/ev-sales-growing-faster-than-expected/ https://cleantechnica.com/2023/12/09/ev-sales-growing-faster... (“EV sales growing faster than expected”) https://assets.bbhub.io/professional/sites/24/2023-COP28-ZEV-Factbook.pdf https://assets.bbhub.io/professional/sites/24/2023-COP28-ZEV... (“Zero Emission Vehicles Facebook”)
- waveBidder 3y agoin that case he wouldn't be riding anything, he'd be dead.
- coffeebeqn 3y agoIf camels can survive the climate in the desert in the future. Might be walking
- sillywalk 3y agoThey'll get to fly away when their country becomes too hot to survive in. They can still drive luxury cars wherever they flee to.
- raincom 3y agoIt is good for the world in three different ways when the world doesn't depend on oil-producing kingdoms: (a) environment (b) economy (c) politics.
- lemper 3y agowhich west? kingdom of netherlands? spain? denmark? brit?
- notfromhere 3y agoIn Saudi the monarchs wild real power. In Europe, its window dressing.
- rcarr 3y agoBullshit, this is just the standard lie rolled out to keep people from questioning it.
- mtnGoat 3y agoI’ll bite, what real powers do European kings and queens still have? And do those powers supersede the powers of elected officials? Whereas, we know Saudi kings can order assassinations on foreign soil and request a live recording of it… and get away with it.
- stillwithit 3y agoWhy all the free material riches and special treatment then? If they’re effectively useless, why provide such privilege?
- rayiner 3y agoTheir power is symbolic, but symbolism provides an important service.
- stillwithit 3y agoDisagree.
- zaphirplane 3y agoThis sounds like a school answer. What is symbolic power mean? Like Dry rain When we figure out what symbolic power mean then we can dig into its importance
- Log_out_ 3y ago[flagged]
- petre 3y agoThey'll probably stop being kingdoms when the fundamentalists that currently pay zero taxes overthrow the likes of MBS and his family once the kingdom can no longer survive off oil. That's why SA is hosting sporting events, raining money onto football stars and building multibillion real estate projects like Neom: they're trying to copy Dubai, bring in tourists and whitewhash their image.
- mrangle 3y agoEveryone will become poorer. Not to mention after the severe "population shrink". Of course, countries don't want to actually do away with fossil fuels. As leadership also depends on them. What they want to do is justify continued antidemocratic power in the name of nebulous concepts that, ideally, are articulated as problems that aren't actually solvable.
- travisporter 3y agoWhatever leaders think, many younger people are keen on doing away with fossil fuels.
- mrangle 3y agoThat's been the case for decades. Those young people eventually became older.