MovieChat Forums > Collapse (2011) Discussion > So is the whole message of the movie...

So is the whole message of the movie...

posted 14 years ago by zeppieri_09
11 replies | jump to latest

that we should stop relying on fossil fuels? I read the summary and i've seen many theories and documentaries regarding the subject. So much so that this movie revolving around this little prediction really doesn't make me wanna see it very much.

i mean...to those who have seen zeitgeist addendum and other such movies, was this movie a good watch?

I don't believe once we are "out" of fossil fuels the world will be on edge. First of all, there are already so many different sources of energy that relying on fossil fuels remains a choice by the government. Not it's only choice...just the convenient one.

if they stop using fuel it will shut down all the major oil companies etc. The more rare oil becomes the more profit the government makes selling it.

Basically what i'm saying is...if i don't agree with the statement from the summary "As Ruppert sees it, civilization and the global economy has yet to wean itself off fossil fuels, and when the world’s supply of oil finally runs out, it will lead to a global financial catastrophe that will leave no one unscathed." will i still enjoy the movie?

PLEASE ENLIGHTEN!

[–] vanontom 14 years ago

If you liked the Zeitgeists, I think you'll enjoy Collapse a lot. It's very hard to stop watching. Ruppert can seem a bit "unstable" at times (genius at others), but it's hard to dismiss his argument given his background, credentials and many years of total devotion to the subject. And the facts themselves, of course.

Regarding oil ("I don't believe once we are "out" of fossil fuels the world will be on edge."), I think Ruppert's extensive knowledge of the subject will keep you interested. He goes on to explain how absolutely dependent the entire industrialized world is on oil, not just as an energy source but as the form of plastics and thousands of other uses, all of which we have to come up with alternatives to as the oil production continues to decline. He also connects it to the explosive growth of human population itself, and so many other facets of life.

I also like that Ruppert isn't allowed off the hook, and is countered a few times with some tough questions. He is allowed to tell his story, but as Savant-2 said, "The facts are accurate. The conclusions... are up to you."

[–] Satchboogie3 14 years ago

OMG, we might need to change the way we make stuff! OMG!!!! Say it isn't so!!! Americans have been extremely innovative since the industrial revolution, I don't see why we can't come up with good alternatives once we reach the end of oil. Will it end some companies? Sure, but it's their fault if they don't adapt.

Personally I wouldn't mind seeing the economy collapse (like it isn't already). If it were up to me, I'd take all the money back from the Wall Street criminals and Fed Bank criminals, bring the Fed Bank back under the control of the Gov't, and do a complete "clean slate" of the Gov't positions and review (get rid of) every unnecessary law. It's time to take this country back from the rich criminals who are destroying it.

[–] vanontom 14 years ago

"OMG, we might need to change the way we make stuff! OMG!!!!"

It'd be great if it was that simple. Try to catch the film sometime, as Ruppert makes the case better than I ever could: Not only has the oil bubble already popped, but it is so unbelievably involved in modern society that its exhaustion will continue to be absolutely devastating. Not to mention decades of time to "change the way we [do] stuff!" has already been wasted.

I don't want to try to summarize the film, I just wanted to make my point about why people (esp. fans of films like Zeitgeist and its subjects) may enjoy Collapse.

[–] mark6785 14 years ago

you cant just 'invent' you way out of this.
the alternatives are a joke.
nice
clean
but just not viable.
just look at the output of them in MW

plus the oil dosent even have to run out, as soon as society gets a sniff of oil declining, and realises the consequences it'll be anarchy.

[–] xenophile2002 10 years ago

That's what they said about Peak Food. When the population of the word tops three billion, it's all over, because you just can't feed that many people. Even the most productive farmland in the world only produces × amount of food per acre per year, and even if every farm in the world could produce that much, even if you chopped down every forest and planted crops, you just can't grow enough food for that many people! You can't just 'invent' your way out of this!!

Except that we did. We didn't even have to chop down every forest to do it, though we've chopped down far too much. And now world population is more than twice what it was predicted could never be fed. Hunger still exists in the world, but it isn't because we can't grow enough food.

We are in fact pretty good at inventing our way out of things, and have done it many times, and we will do it again. Unless, of course, too many of us become convinced that we can't. And that would be the real Doomsday.

I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler.
- Jon Stewart

[–] zeppieri_09 14 years ago

Thanks alot for you're intricate response. I will give this movie a watch due to your post alone. Thanks to all others for responses.

[–] the_greekcanadian 14 years ago

We cannot pretend to know exactly what the carrying capacity of the earth is without doing a planetary assessment of the resources.

Combining all the alternative resources together could easily make up for the energy we need.

-wind, solar, tidal, wave, geothermal.
And all this considering a small budget to its research.

Once we have a certain amount of sustainable energy we can use THAT energy to continue the process of extracting the left over oil in Every location around the world that was left over because of the cost using oil for extraction.

That oil can then be used for everything else we need oil for other then fuel and electricity UNTIL we can produce almost everything else with an alternative.

HUMAN INGENUITY DOES NOT CEASE TO EXIST ALONG WITH OIL

www.thezeitgeistmovement.com

www.thevenusproject.com

[–] proteus122 14 years ago

There are a lot of alternatives to oil in manufacturing as well.

Take a look at this:

http://alpha411.blogspot.com/2008/03/henry-fords-soybean-car.html

Car body panels, interior parts, paint, etc made from soybeans, essentially.

Mankind can wean itself off oil for the most part. It's just a question of the cost and the time needed. Maybe we won't make it but I hope we do.

[–] mark6785 14 years ago

its also a matter of the amount of land required to grow your beans. of which there is nowhere near enough.

There is not even enough land to feed the present population of the earth without the intensive growing enabled by fossil fuels.

did you watch the film?

[–] DHouse69 14 years ago

"There is not even enough land to feed the present population of the earth without the intensive growing enabled by fossil fuels.

did you watch the film?"

^He never said this^

[–] xenophile2002 10 years ago

No, but he did say never a lot.

We will never leave Iraq. (we did)
There will never be 800 million electric cars. (and why not?)
Coal can never be clean. (actually, coal that is clean can't compete economically with dirty coal, but the technology works just fine)

Every time there's some solution to some problem proposed, he just says that it will never work and goes on, as if that was settled back in the Renaissance or something. And that's because the last thing he wants is for us to solve our problems. He's become wedded to Doomsday, and he doesn't want any engineers or anybody else breaking up his marriage.

I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler.
- Jon Stewart