Life without oil

“Civilization is coming to an end.” This is not a wacky proclamation of a doomsday cult or or Apocalypse bible prophecy sect. It is the scientific conclusion of the best paid, widely respected geologists, physicists and people who have been one step closer to the terrifying phenomenon called “The Global Oil Drain”.

After its discovery in 1859, oil has seeped into our everyday life and the global economy. Oil makes up 40% of our total energy consumption and powers 96% of our transportation. So far 875 billion barrels have been extracted and another 1000 billion barrels of proved and probable reserves remain. They are expected to sustain us for another 40 years.

By 2020, our consumption rate is expected to increase by 60%, cars would become 1.25 billion from 700 million, and global consumption of gasoline would double and then… we might very well scrape our rigs for the last drop of oil in another decade.

Oil is key component to many more things than just gas for the stove and fuel for the car. India consumes about 2.13 million barrels of oil everyday. All that oil goes somewhere significant.

7-10 calories of fossil fuel is required to produce 1 calorie of food eaten. Oil powers our machinery and railways. Food in our country travels 600 miles before ending up on our plate. Without oil, we would have to travel that distance just for our lunch. Oil is used in making pesticides, fertilizers, modern medicines, plastics, dyes, polymers and what not? Oil is used in water distribution and most of all, our national defence.

We are gobbling oil like two legged SUVs.

After being aware of such a threat, oil was scientifically classified as fossil fuel and defined as non-renewable, exhaustible and non-conventional source of energy. This urged to find alternatives.

A life without oil is far beyond imagination. After the last drop its just – good night, sleep tight and wake up.. only into the stone age. Taps would breathe air and highways would have a ghostly silence. Before long, man would have to walk for miles for the next meal or drink like nomads.

Life without oil would be the annihilation of mankind.

Dead plants of carboniferous period, compressed for over 360 million years have resulted in the formation of oil. Today neither do we have plants from the carboniferous, nor that much time.

The oil is over.

Oil is nature’s milk, has been responsible for the rise of mankind and sadly, will be responsible for our fall. Despite being aware, very little was done and there is a lot left to do.

We have only one planet, we get only one chance. Do something, anything…

Remember, oil is not gift from nature, but is debt from our children.