In what ways will the world have to change if we run out of oil?

Question

Would it dramatically change life as we know it? I am curious if others have thought about it.

Answer 1

There's a quite good documentary on this: _A Crude Awakening_ (http://www.oilcrashmovie.com/ ). Won all kinds of independent film festival awards.

Also check out this site: http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/ . It's kind of creepy, but interesting.

Answer 2

We'll adjust just fine. It's not like we've been oil dependent for thousands of years. We're barely running up on 100 years. When push comes to shove, nuclear and coal will have to be used to alleviate pressures caused by an oil shortage. Alternatives will be adopted sooner just because we have to. But they will be very pricey. We are still a long way from peak oil - unless you live in the U.S. And oil producing countries want Americans buying oil because it's the largest revenue generator they have.

How did we survive before there were automoblies, air conditioning, electrical power, cell phones and computers? We'll adjust.

Answer 3

I hope we 'run out of oil" VERY soon! Then things like solar power and other "green" alternatives will come to the forefront--as they COULD now if the oil companies didn't run the U.S.

I believe that life would IMPROVE GREATLY in every way once the lust for oil is over: cleaner air; quieter cars; non-poisonous heating; a whole new "Green industry" would bloom creating more jobs and, hopefully, higher wages as skills are learned.

Learn more: http://www.dennis4president.com/go/issues/a-sustainable-future/

Answer 4

It will drastically change everything. No more plastics from oil, etc. We need oil as a lubricant, not as a fuel. Fertilizer is petrol based.

It will be very bad. We're passed peak oil and a crisis may be here within twenty years.

Answer 5

No more planned obsolescence, so we will have to fix things instead of throw away and get new because it is harder to ship from China a new one, that is why you don't hear a lot about Peak oil is because Big Business does not want you thinking about it, the longer people don't get it, the more money they make off junk.

Answer 6

1 - Hard to say - not for those with super-duper crystal balls, of course, but for the rest of us, I mean.

2 - Depends on how fast it were to happen. Overnight - unbelievable worldwide pandemonium; a genuine crash (and clash) of civilizations. Since it isn't gonna happen overnight, check with #1 above.

3 - I've thought about it only a teensy-weensy bit. It's just too abstract for me; color me stuck in the real world of today. Or call it above my pay grade. Whatever turns ya on.

Answer 7

Yeah well we wont run out of oil!! Definately if we do life will be different and all the MIDDLEe eASTERN COUNTRIES WILL GO BROKE BECAUSE WE WONT HAVE A NEED TO BE DEPENDENT ON THEM after there oil is gone

Answer 8

Current population levels will be unsupportable by about a factor of ten. Ponder the implications of that one for a while...