-----------------------
Without fossil fuels this planet could only support a fraction of the people we have now, imagine, transport by horse and carriage, and sailing ships, virtually no electricity, back to the days of whale oil lamps for lighting, no refridgeration, AC TV personal computers, no ATM's no instant communications, no cat scans, lazer surgery, wow it is a horrendous thought, life without fossil fuels is life in the dark ages.
Be hard pressed to deny that. Even the animals benefited. Our major lubrication came from animal fat. Our lighting came from whales and they were on the verge of distinction. All those whales you see today are a direct result of petroleum.
Try to move food without oil. Try to move building materials without oil. Man's speed has improved due to fossil fuels. Man can fly where he wants due to fossil fuels. It has increased the quality of life immensely. No doubt about it.
The only thing that has come close to improving the humans chance of survival other than fossil fuels is the human brain.
Fossil fuels in the past 200 years has brought us to the point of each human having the equivalent of fifty slaves in Egyptian times, and that is considering that we are now over 8 billion because of oil. Yes for the first time in the 200,000 years of human history we found and opened the Pandoras box to human survival, and now its time to use that one other thing that has got us this far, our brain.
"What has IMPROVED life for all humanity more than so called fossil fuels?"
Too many things to mention:
- a safe community water supply,
- freedom from predation,
- specialization allows some NOT to be farmers, ranchers, or miners,
- handling wastes,
- education of the young, first through apprentice / journeyman / master system, then through the currently really poor "public education system",
- medicine extending life, improving overall health (and a common educational system helps here... so...)
"Is there anything that has improved life more than natural fuels?"
Yes. Fuels simply allowed more of us to exist on the planet, allows even more specialization.
"Would strides forward in medicine have been possible without natural fuels?"
Sure. But would they have been *necessary*? Without the human race covering the entire Earth, pandemics would not be possible.
"Lifespans did not dramatically increase until the industrial age with the use if natural fuels, we've always had plants and animals but only recently have we had much longer lives, see what I mean?"
False in specific, if not in general. Longest lifespans are in agricultural rural Russia. Longer lifespans for humanity as whole, yes, granted.
"Where would agriculture be today without the tractor, powered by natural fuels?"
Where it would need to be for the amount of population.
"Was fuel-oil furnaces and air conditioning part of that adaptation?"
Geothermal steam, even wood fires, are used many places.
[EDIT: "You seem to have avoided the point of the question. Few if any of the things you mention are advent."
Errr, no. You'd better read the question again. It does not ask, "Aren't fossil fuels wonderful? How could we survive without them?"
It asks what has benefited humanity more than fossil fuels. I have provided a list. Perhaps you think clean water, sewer, health, education, and so on are not as important. I think they are.
]
The development of agriculture using wheat and other grains was a giant step forward in human civilization, another giant step was development of iron industries, and another was developing so called fossil fuels. Without petroleum, we wouldn't have plastics. Our world would be poor and it certainly couldn't support so many people.
99% of all medicines are found in plants and animals, so I would argue medicine is a far more incredible life saver to man than fossil fuels. HUmans can live without oil, but we can not live without plants. see what I mean?
Advances in farming techniques although much of that was due to fossil fuels as well.
Humanity's ability to adapt to every climate on earth.
Is there anything that has improved life more than natural fuels? Would strides forward in medicine have been possible without natural fuels?
-----------------------
