Oilprice: Energy and water shortages are just around the corner

January 3 2026 6 842 8

The world is heading toward an energy shortage, reports the business portal Oilprice.com. The global population is showing no signs of declining, and the cost of resource extraction is also becoming more expensive.

At the same time, people and their farms need energy and the goods it produces (for example, food products in the agricultural complex) even if the needs are reduced to a minimum.

Furthermore, ordinary fresh water may prove to be a scarce resource. In some regions, even in developed countries, such shortages are already a reality.

At the same time, China, as noted, has managed to make energy costs for artificial intelligence as optimal as possible, which gives it a strategic advantage.

Economy obeys the laws of physics. The global economy appears to be reaching its limits of growth, as readily available energy sources (as well as other resources, such as fresh water) remain in short supply relative to the world's population.

- the text says.

It is noted that the European Union will continue to experience difficulties in 2026 and may even disintegrate into individual states. In any case, energy consumption in Europe will decline, which will help other players overcome the deficit.

As the text suggests, the authorities of a number of countries will not convey to the population the true scale of economic difficulties.

It's worth noting that the article appeared on the website's pages less than a day before the American intervention in Venezuela. This Latin American country is the world leader in proven oil reserves, accounting, according to current estimates, for approximately one-fifth of the world's total, or 303,01 billion barrels.

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Alex_Kraus

0

3 January 2026 22: 34

Build a nuclear power plant and desalinate seawater. What's the problem?
1. k7k8
  
  0
  
  4 January 2026 07: 21
  
  The problem is that:
  - such water is much more expensive than natural water
  - such water cannot be used everywhere
  - The nuclear power plant still needs to be built.
  - building a nuclear power plant is not a cheap pleasure
  - Nuclear power plants cannot be built everywhere (for geological and hydrological reasons)
  - there are not many countries in the world that have the technology to build a full cycle of nuclear power plants
  There are many more reasons why building a nuclear power plant is still a crutch.
isofat

-4

3 January 2026 23: 01

The dollar is a problem. So we've switched to other sources that have real value.
Avtandil

-1

4 January 2026 06: 00

We haven't heard anything about "thermonuclear fusion" in a while. Apparently, the task of creating an "artificial sun" has proven insurmountable? That's no good; we need more and more energy. And food, and water. Whatever anyone says, the Earth's population needs to be stabilized. Otherwise, it's all over.
1. Alexander Petrovsky
  
  -2
  
  4 January 2026 22: 14
  
  Currently, a fusion plant consumes more fuel at launch than it produces. There are also problems with keeping the plasma away from the reactor walls. The Chinese recently made another useful discovery, but it's still a long way from being ready for commercial use.
  
  and the population of the Earth needs to be stabilized in quantity
  
  How do you propose stabilizing it? Carpet bombing cities, as they say and practice in Israel these days, is a great way to stabilize the population. Burn children in ovens? Maybe a safari for the oligarchs? Or a Hunger Games lottery? There's the tried-and-true idea of forcibly sterilizing women; civilized Europeans recently amused themselves this way in Western Europe in the 70s. Very interesting, please share your wisdom with us, otherwise I'm starting to think we've got another miniature Austrian artist here...
  1. Ron
    
    0
    
    5 January 2026 10: 41
    
    Why bombardment? There are more civilized methods. Like Bill Gates's advocacy: vaccinating the entire planet with a supposedly COVID vaccine, but increasing mortality from other causes and affecting the birth rate.
Vox Populi

0

4 January 2026 13: 15

It is noted that the European Union will continue to experience difficulties in 2026 and may even disintegrate into individual states.

This is a "forecast", and yes, a "valuable" one...
Alexander Petrovsky

0

4 January 2026 22: 07

Translating the article into plain English: the number of buyers of all kinds of resources on the planet is unrelated to population growth; a commodity is only a commodity when it's purchased... There aren't that many solvent consumers of electricity, fresh water, food, and cars compared to the amount the global economy produces. What conclusion did the largest landowners and factory owners draw in the past to solve the problem? A major war... The present, unfortunately, isn't much different in its essence as a political economy.

I recently read an article about fresh water; they've patented it and are already building the first installation. The gist is that the equipment, which uses minimal power, is located at depths of 600 meters and deeper. Special membrane filters are installed, and the pressure of the water column itself pushes the water into the filters. All you need to do is pump it up to the surface. The entire planet could be supplied with fresh water cheaply (under capitalism, of course, not cheaply).