Why did the West burn fossil fuels like there's no tomorrow during Cold War?

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Why did the West burn fossil fuels like there's no tomorrow during Cold War?05-03-2019 18:19
Tai Hai Chen ★★★★☆ (1085)	It didn't seem like they were concerned about CO2 back then.
05-03-2019 18:36
HarveyH55★★★★★ (5197)	That was sort of the point, at any time, there may not be a tomorrow... Even if we pushed our launch button first, the commies could still launch a few dozen of their own. Doesn't really matter how many reach their intended target, plenty enough radiation to share with the entire planet. Might not be an instant, fiery death, like WWII Japan, but few days or weeks. Basically, when the missiles start to fly, we all new the world was F.B.R., fortunately never happened. Personally, I think we all should get rid of the nukes, nobody actually uses them, easier to slap around countries bent on building some of their own.
05-03-2019 20:08
Wake ★★★★★ (4034)	The Cold War started almost immediately after WW II. The west needed energy to recover from the War. This wasn't "like there was no tomorrow" but rather to make a new tomorrow.
05-03-2019 23:31
Into the Night★★★★★ (22646)	Tai Hai Chen wrote: It didn't seem like they were concerned about CO2 back then. We didn't burn it like there was no tomorrow. Fossils don't burn. Many homes used oil heating back then. Not so popular now. There are cheaper ways to heat a home that don't have the problems of oil heat. Gasoline was pretty cheap then as well (not as cheap as today, adjusted for inflation!). There was less regulation on everything, and the economy was better, so more people were buying cars, boats, airplanes, snowmobiles, motorcycles, and lots of other stuff that use gasoline. Yes, they did concern themselves with the gasoline they used. It still cost money. The difference is the money was available. Today, gasoline is dirt cheap (adjusted for inflation). The money, however, is NOT as available as it was then. Real wages are down (wages adjusted for inflation). Less people are working and more of them are sponging off the government or other welfare programs. Fortunately, the engines have become more efficient than those old carburetor designs (at least in cars, thanks to engineers, not government). Gasoline is much more regulated too. Despite this, it's still cheaper than it was during the sixties (adjusted for inflation). The regulations DO cause shortages from time to time, especially as we change from 'winter mix' to 'summer mix'...sometimes known as 'boutique gas'. We also spend our available money on more things than ever before. We buy computers and video game console with it. Take more trips to faraway places. Spend more on communications systems (like Internet service and cell phone service). Buy more exotic food. And the biggee...spend a LOT more on government (even adjusted for inflation). The Parrot Killer Debunked in my sig. - tmiddles Google keeps track of paranoid talk and i'm not on their list. I've been evaluated and certified. - keepit nuclear powered ships do not require nuclear fuel. - Swan While it is true that fossils do not burn it is also true that fossil fuels burn very well - Swan
05-03-2019 23:48
Into the Night★★★★★ (22646)	Wake wrote: The Cold War started almost immediately after WW II. The west needed energy to recover from the War. This wasn't "like there was no tomorrow" but rather to make a new tomorrow. In a lot of ways, quite true. It was during this explosion in the economy that Disneyland was built, computers became commonplace in many larger corporations (remember the bills on punch cards? ), more and more airlines were created, the freeway system was built, the internet was built, many new car designs with improved handling and style came about, many new materials were created like many different plastics or chemicals. We developed atomic energy (then billed as energy so cheap it would be free). We even went to the Moon. All dreams of a better tomorrow. That new tomorrow is here. We have computers in almost every home, the internet is a central part of our communications, the freeway system is very popular (even to the point of traffic jams!), cars are better than ever and have more styles and more reliable designs, and a whole variety of plastics and chemicals that we just take for granted today. Unfortunately, along with it is an increase in cynicism and ignorance. Nuclear energy isn't as free as it was hoped it would be. We can barely get off the ground, must less fly a spacecraft to the Moon. Socialism is commonly accepted now. We import instead of building it here because of regulations and high costs. What will our tomorrow bring? The Parrot Killer Debunked in my sig. - tmiddles Google keeps track of paranoid talk and i'm not on their list. I've been evaluated and certified. - keepit nuclear powered ships do not require nuclear fuel. - Swan While it is true that fossils do not burn it is also true that fossil fuels burn very well - Swan

06-03-2019 06:07
GasGuzzler ★★★★★ (3045)	Into the Night wrote: Wake wrote: The Cold War started almost immediately after WW II. The west needed energy to recover from the War. This wasn't "like there was no tomorrow" but rather to make a new tomorrow. In a lot of ways, quite true. It was during this explosion in the economy that Disneyland was built, computers became commonplace in many larger corporations (remember the bills on punch cards? ), more and more airlines were created, the freeway system was built, the internet was built, many new car designs with improved handling and style came about, many new materials were created like many different plastics or chemicals. We developed atomic energy (then billed as energy so cheap it would be free). We even went to the Moon. All dreams of a better tomorrow. That new tomorrow is here. We have computers in almost every home, the internet is a central part of our communications, the freeway system is very popular (even to the point of traffic jams!), cars are better than ever and have more styles and more reliable designs, and a whole variety of plastics and chemicals that we just take for granted today. Unfortunately, along with it is an increase in cynicism and ignorance. Nuclear energy isn't as free as it was hoped it would be. We can barely get off the ground, must less fly a spacecraft to the Moon. Socialism is commonly accepted now. We import instead of building it here because of regulations and high costs. What will our tomorrow bring? Interesting...I do remember distinctly sitting in 2nd grade (1981ish?) reading some predictions for the year 2020. I thought ALL of these were CRAZY. These are the ones I can remember. 1. Televisions would be 20-30 times clearer than the best picture today. Yep. 2. Computers would be the central "brain" of every system in every new home. Getting there but not quite yet. 3. Every new home would have a "cooking center" and you will tell the computer what to make for dinner. The cooking center would be stocked with ingredients and inventory logged by the computer. As long as ingredients were available it would make what ever you wanted for a meal. I don't think this one happened. 4. "Wall phones will be obsolete and a phone will be part of some type of communication device carried with you at all times. Very close to that. 5. No one will shop in "stores" anymore. Every purchase would be made from a computer and delivered to your home. Heading in that direction but WalMart and Dicks Sporting Goods seem to still be doing quite well. 6. You will need to call a 1-800 air quality hotline to see if it is safe to go outside every day. Uummmm, no. Didn't happen. Call me old fashioned, I still feed my family by the work of my hands and my fairly still strong back....I do wonder if someday all this technology will somehow come full circle and bite us right in the ass. As of now though it does seem for every new invention that makes our life better/easier, it creates thousands of new jobs that manufacture, sell, install, and service that new stuff. Right now it's a pretty neat circle called free market capitalism. Ain't America great?
06-03-2019 22:15
Into the Night★★★★★ (22646)	GasGuzzler wrote: Into the Night wrote: Wake wrote: The Cold War started almost immediately after WW II. The west needed energy to recover from the War. This wasn't "like there was no tomorrow" but rather to make a new tomorrow. In a lot of ways, quite true. It was during this explosion in the economy that Disneyland was built, computers became commonplace in many larger corporations (remember the bills on punch cards? ), more and more airlines were created, the freeway system was built, the internet was built, many new car designs with improved handling and style came about, many new materials were created like many different plastics or chemicals. We developed atomic energy (then billed as energy so cheap it would be free). We even went to the Moon. All dreams of a better tomorrow. That new tomorrow is here. We have computers in almost every home, the internet is a central part of our communications, the freeway system is very popular (even to the point of traffic jams!), cars are better than ever and have more styles and more reliable designs, and a whole variety of plastics and chemicals that we just take for granted today. Unfortunately, along with it is an increase in cynicism and ignorance. Nuclear energy isn't as free as it was hoped it would be. We can barely get off the ground, must less fly a spacecraft to the Moon. Socialism is commonly accepted now. We import instead of building it here because of regulations and high costs. What will our tomorrow bring? Interesting...I do remember distinctly sitting in 2nd grade (1981ish?) reading some predictions for the year 2020. I thought ALL of these were CRAZY. These are the ones I can remember. 1. Televisions would be 20-30 times clearer than the best picture today. Yep. 2. Computers would be the central "brain" of every system in every new home. Getting there but not quite yet. 3. Every new home would have a "cooking center" and you will tell the computer what to make for dinner. The cooking center would be stocked with ingredients and inventory logged by the computer. As long as ingredients were available it would make what ever you wanted for a meal. I don't think this one happened. 4. "Wall phones will be obsolete and a phone will be part of some type of communication device carried with you at all times. Very close to that. 5. No one will shop in "stores" anymore. Every purchase would be made from a computer and delivered to your home. Heading in that direction but WalMart and Dicks Sporting Goods seem to still be doing quite well. 6. You will need to call a 1-800 air quality hotline to see if it is safe to go outside every day. Uummmm, no. Didn't happen. Call me old fashioned, I still feed my family by the work of my hands and my fairly still strong back....I do wonder if someday all this technology will somehow come full circle and bite us right in the ass. As of now though it does seem for every new invention that makes our life better/easier, it creates thousands of new jobs that manufacture, sell, install, and service that new stuff. Right now it's a pretty neat circle called free market capitalism. Ain't America great? That it is. The Parrot Killer Debunked in my sig. - tmiddles Google keeps track of paranoid talk and i'm not on their list. I've been evaluated and certified. - keepit nuclear powered ships do not require nuclear fuel. - Swan While it is true that fossils do not burn it is also true that fossil fuels burn very well - Swan

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