A Tank of Gas A World of Trouble
I haven’t lived through a great depression, a world war, fought in a conflict, I haven’t even experienced a moon landing. So what will turn out to be the most important global event I experience?
The defining event of my lifetime could well be peak oil.
I would like it not to be so, maybe something positive like a Mars landing or discovery of friendly aliens would be something you would like to choose.
100+ years of dependence on cheap petro energy is coming to an end. Ultimately it might even be a very positive thing for the planet but there will be a lot of pain to live through.
Paul Salopek has written a brilliant article (he’s some writer) on the issue in a format which makes for a very useful introduction to the problems facing everyone.
August 19th, 2006 at 6:20 am
Nobody will want to change the way they live and the freedome they have.
There will be more politicians thrown from office than ever before, more promises, more lies, more snake oil.
Before that happens, we should start some basic conversation measures. How about less packaging of goods, less disposable crud (razors, knives & forks, plastic bags, etc etc)?
How about banning those hideus, fuel guzzling, dangerous SUV / 4WD tanks?
How about governments using some of their budget surpluses to subsidise industry energy conservation measures? It would be a one-off cost after all, with large long term social benefit.
And how about some world pressure on the Chinese government to raise their fuel prices? (Currently A$0.45 per litre!!)
All these dumb things we use oil for, with a fleeting lifetime, will be used to judge us harshly. History will condemn the 1980’s to the 2020’s as the most wasteful period in the whole of human history.
August 19th, 2006 at 11:59 am
Hi Ashleigh,
Thanks for the comment.
I’m curious as to why we will change after 2020?
I have heard it said that Americans will be addicted to oil and consuming till the day they die, which makes sense.
One aspect of peak oil is that it kind of won’t matter whether the Americans change their SUV’s to Totoyat Priuses’s (sp?) as the mathematics of the situation is that most of the demand growth is coming from Asia and their numbers don’t plug in with reality. 1 Billion Indians and 1 Billion Chinese trying to reach the Big Mac lifestyle on 1 planet just doesn’t compute.
I much more inclinded to believe that market forces will be more help than any politician, when petrol is $5 a litre the invisible hand will be frantically looking to substitute supply from wherever, should be some big bumps on the road to survival unfortunately.
Perhaps it’s a case of cooking the frog slowly by gradually increasing the temperature of the water, if oil can increase in price gradually then great, if not then… who knows.. Watch out!
August 21st, 2006 at 2:25 pm
2020 is a rough guess as to when it will HAVE to end…
October 25th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Actually supply figures would indicate that we are presently very close or have even reached Peak Oil, at least from my research.
Potential solutions to PO such as increased useage of coal and oil sands is also tied in with Global Warming in many ways, hardly a thought to cheer your day.