A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash

This weekend I watched a documentary that was very thought provoking.

The documentary examines the world’s dependency on oil and the impending chaos that’s sure to follow when the resource is depleted. Straight from the headlines, this hot-button topic may represent the world’s most dire crisis. Through expert interviews, the film spells out in startling detail the challenge we all face and underscores our desperate need for alternative energy.

Most of you who drive cars probably have experienced the much higher costs for gasoline in the past couple years. We tend to think smaller and just hope for better cars with higher gas mileage. This is only a drop in the bucket to solve the problems.

 

If you are like myself and most others you might not realize that the issue of oil goes much deeper and has a much larger impact then just gas for your car. Oil is used for just about everything (Well not everything….but more things then you think)! The one thing that this documentary made me more aware of is how dependent we are on oil for SO MANY THINGS (other than gas) and how we are locked into it without an alternative. I also had no idea that there is a great potential for this oil to be running out in the coming years (NOT 30-50 years) and not being able to keep up with our oil habit.

 We talk about problems related to global warming, but if there isn’t enough oil to supply the demand then we will see some MAJOR changed on this earth. Alternative fuel sources and a radical plan are desperately needed before things really do "crash".

I think it is important to be aware of things going on and I suggest that you watch this video if you can (Rent if from the video store, Netflix, or buy online). I for one like to be prepared…and hope you educate yourself as well. We can all help by making different choices in how we consume, getting involved in your political system, and praying for change.

You can watch a short video trailer about the documentary below and visit the Oil Crash Movie Website 

7 Responses to “A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash”

1. Hari Singh Khalsa says:

   March 4, 2008 at 10:46 am

   I hate to say it, but we’re not running out of oil anytime soon.  Most people know me now as someone who is very green and keen to accept and promote sustainable alternatives in all areas of modern life.  I do know, and have known for quite some time, the extent to which oil pervades our lives.  Anybody here who eats non-organic food is heavily reliant upon oil for their food (they use petroleum derived pesticides and fertilizers to fight against nature which would otherwise happily give an abundant harvest if sustainable diversified practices were employed).  Take into account the work that goes into harvesting and transport and both organic and non-organic agriculture is heavily reliant on petroleum.  There is a potential for a very scary "crash" coming from a decrease in oil production and a much more competitive global market for the resource.  If the current oil wells reach their peak shortly and the USA, China, India, Russia, or any other large super-power/potential super-power decides to become more aggressive in its pursuit of oil then we have a problem, especially as demand only continue to increase.  But I guarantee you we will never run out of oil in our life times.  A simple calculation based on the age of the earth and the years of organic life on earth will give you an idea of the vast vast amounts of oil that exist or can exist on this earth.  Some of this oil exists in a form or place that is currently uneconomical to extract or too energy intensive (i.e. you’ll spend more energy extracting it then you’ll get from it in the end).  But with the increased demand and increased price some of the techniques will become economical real soon.  There is more oil in shale in a single Canadian province than in all of Saudi Arabia.  Oil embedded in shale is one of the sources that will become economical soon.  This isn’t a problem of resources or technology! This is a social, political and economic problem.  It’s true that we do not have the current infrastructure to support a large shift away from oil dependence, but we do posses the technology that could get us there if the political and social will existed for it.  We also posses the power to start leaving sustainablely and leave a healthy earth for our future generations.  Some of this may involve making some sacrifices, which takes social will.  But the sacrifices would be minimal considering there are still some people living on this planet as if they were in the dark ages, and we’d be able to keep our first world modern amenities, we’d just need to learn to share more and change our lifestyles and habits a bit.  This problem can be whittled down to the same as all the other problems afflicting modern society, EDUCATION.  When the powers at be decide they want to yank the carpet right out from under us, they’ll do it with ease if we’re ignorant.  Meaning they raise the price of oil to such an extent that only the super wealthy can survive within the oil-dependent infrastructure we have in place.  The rest of the people will become instantly dependant on others for food which they can’t afford, for heating in their house, for the means to transport to another place to look for better alternatives and for petroleum-derived medicines which they’ve become dependant upon due to their excessive and unhealthy diets or petroleum polluted environments.  In this state of "survival" people will be cut-throat and they will not care if the elites pass laws which virtually enslave them and their heirs.  The only hope anyone will have is to drop the greed which was installed by a consumeristic society and media, pool together equitably and not feudally and together build a solid sustainable infrastructure with a legal base that idealizes societal values and welfare above an individual’s (or corporation’s) freedom to become obscenely wealthy.  But how will the common man know that they have the power to create an equitable society rather than be recruited by the nearest wealthy person’s feudal army?  Education is the key.This may sound a little like socialism, and it may turn you off.  If it does, ask yourself if you have a million dollars and if you think this’ll be enough to survive very long when gas costs $15 then $30 then $90 a gallon.  Also ask if you’re a fan of the gun violence in Brazil or the kidnap-for-ransom racket in Mexico City.  This is what happens when a society is stratified and only those with wealth have an education or opportunities.

2. manvir singh says:

   March 4, 2008 at 12:53 pm

   Regarding the future generations… We are the the future generations, they are the human beings we will be born and reborn as. One thing is for certain, those who hold on to the hem of the Light that Dispels Darkness, they will have nothing to worry about, not this divided world, nor its problems. May I be the dust of the feet of such persons…

3. Sat Bachan Kaur says:

   March 4, 2008 at 7:36 pm

   This is 2008, and many many changes we will see in this year in all the aspects of human and earth life. The earth it is going to say to us in many different ways that it is "now or never" that we have to think and ACT!!! in consciensness, we have to take care of the prana on the earth. I live in Chile, and I have to say it…the weather here it is changing!!! This summer was the warmest summer I ever had, this is a rainy city and we have a few drops in this year, you don´t believe the price of the fruit and vegetables!!!!. And in 2007 the winter was very cold….the press called that "the white depression" because many animals and harvests went burned by the snow and the freezing weather.Time ago there were some "lunatics" that said…" turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth" …and people couldn´t realize that with that little action may help in the "water issue". I am not activist in any form of green social actions, but I am very consciens in my house of turning off the lights, the water, ride a bike or walk, and don´t have a car because in Valdivia ( small city ) you don´t need it. It doesn´t matter if you don´t want to be a part of this green groups, you can help  from your home…..have you ever smell a garbage dump???? and in one way or another we all are breathing that!!! we can do compost , and separate the garbage in paper, glasses..etc…and all that in our beautiful and cozy home…maybe in the US you have this habits of separting the garbage but in here only a few persons are doing it……and like Hari Singh said the education it is so important for that.With the moving energy of 2008, the earth will shout and people will see in their faces the duality "finite vs Infinite" and this year the humanity will need the radiance and the calmness of humans that are living in a spiritual path, people will start doing yoga, looking for some answer with sadness, depression and falling apart. So we need to be strong than steel, steady as stone, give our lives to God and Guru……….ALL OUR BEING TO THE LIGHT!!!!, we have the most beautiful and amazing technology to pass through the ocean of life in every word of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, may honour that living in our TRUTH IDENTITY and caring for this earth that God gave us.WE CAN CHANGE THE SITUATION THROUGH OUR ACTIONS AND PRAYERSWAHE GURU JI KA KHALSAWAHE GURU JI KI FATEH!!!!!!!Love to all

4. Perminder Pal Singh says:

   March 5, 2008 at 3:18 am

   Great to read.
   I am studying petroleum, and actually companies are also developing more of renewable energy. Here in Denmark, 10% of power is from windmills, so things will change as they are needed with time.
   I am from Delhi, and things in India are gross. Its unimaginable. With electric cuts, ppl ask for how many hours, power will be there. Things are bad in every aspect.
   Anyway, I would like someone to help me.
   I want to do something for people in countries like India, where its really hot. I would like to ask, of energy system dependent of heat and sunlight. I have been studying about solar cells, but its expensive,and complex to local production. I would like to develop some renewable energy generation form for villages, and poor people who have no way of getting away from intense heat of summer

5. bhupinder says:

   March 5, 2008 at 11:55 am

   few years back i read that this fear has been spread by petroleum giants to make more money.  According to russians the crude oil is abiotic and not fossil based as being commenly accepted by scientests(most of which are funded by big corps.) But ofcourse this energy is not clean as compared to wind and electromagnetic. The world runs on lies, bigger issues run on bigger lies.

6. Manjit Singh says:

   March 6, 2008 at 11:07 am

   It all comes down to "Contentment".  How content one person, nation or the World is with "stuff" that is "Needs" vs. "Wants".  I haven’t seen the above video footage yet, but I think if we change our lifestyle to be more locovorious ( derived from the word locovore, meaning buying and consuming stuff grown and made within 100 miles of where one lives) some of the problems may go away.  The Shell, the Walmart, the Nike and Gap etc. bring us a lot of basic necessities of life but the at the same time the unneccessary hording of this stuff contributes to World poverity and inequalities.  I mean look at our garages in America, we got "stuff" up the ying ying!  Why can’t we be happy with less?  Indians and Chinese and Brazilians are following the Western trend as well and hording junk in their houses the same way.  Like Guru Nanak Sahib says in the Japji Sahib, "Bhukhia bhukh na utree jay bana puria bhaar".  This craving of this "stuff" never ends.  We have to draw the line somewhere.  The Earth can only sustain so much and the way humans are consuming creatures for sports, medicine and food, and other resources of our planet, we are bound to be doomed! Not to be racist or anything, but I feel the western Christian thinking of everything on this planet is for human consumption is going to drive us into existion.  Have you seen this so called movie "SECRET"?  It is good, but I think at times it sends the wrong message where it tells people that "everything in nature and universe is for your use". Next thing would be to start mining moon and other planets!  Yesterday, I went to a school field trip with my fifth grader to a science center.  They just cut up 100+ f#$@$ squids to show kids disection and learn about these creatures.  And, this was just in one day for two classes.  Imagine how many kids go to these field trips in one year.  It makes me mad.  Why can’t they take these kids into surgery rooms and show them real disection and how people and animals are saved?

7. TruthSpeaker says:

   April 4, 2008 at 1:57 pm

   Hey everybody here.

   I’ve read about this peak-oil thing for a long time now, and some aspects of this may be true, but the fact the world can actually start using anergy sources other than oil for everyday life and making economies work economically, but unfortunately this doesnt fit in with the pland of organisations like the Freemasons and the Illuminati, these are the actual people who decide how much people have to pay for everything, and they manipulate world politics and every other aspect of life to advance their agenda of WORLD DOMINATION, they hold powerful positions in the highest ranks of all powerful nations.  If it wasnt for this group of Satanic,evil conspirators, normal people would govern their countries and there would be much more peace and prosperity,around the world.  Resources are not the problem – people are.