The Curse of Oil

[Philosoraptor]

Often touted as one of the great technological miracles of the modern age, the many uses for petroleum, fossil fuel, black oil, but mainly gasoline to power our beloved cars, which kill so many of us every year.

I see oil as a curse on our species. We breath it all day and it gives us cancer. Tire particulates are in our lungs, exhaust fumes, it's kicking in a new ice age with global warming, (no longer a crackpot idea for hippies), it is literally killing us by the millions, wars are raging over it, misery comes from it, luxury and grief, all in one black oily substance.

We base our ponderous economy on oil, we debase ourselves to kings for oil, we make secret deals to steal and control oil, and thousands are now dying for dick cheney's oil. Wherever there is oil, America will go there and get it, until it's all gone, soon I hope. Millions will die of course, but that's just all part of the curse.

Oil may be the worst thing that's ever happened to us as a species, look what we've done with it, look what we do to obtain it, look how many have died and will die because of it. It may just be the one thing that wipes us all out for good, a little reminder from all those fossils we now use for fuel.

[lvx35]

1. K & R. The sad truth.

Maybe one of the least glamorous, but most important issues we face. The future of the human race LITERALLY DEPENDS ON US GETTING OFF OIL!!!

[maine_raptor]

2. Oil

The Dinosaurs' revenge for the Mammals taking over.

[lvx35]

3. no kidding...

I mean, who has these brilliant ideas? "Ah, a buch of black shit lying miles beneath the earth from an evil ancient time when giant reptiles feasted on each other... I know! let's dig it all up and burn it!" ;)

[maine_raptor]

5. And in 100 Million Years, it'll be our turn.

And some intelligent Insect will come up with that same brilliant concept.

[rman]

4. I think the problem is more in how it is used,

than in the fact that it is used.

[RC]

6. But..., but..., but,,,,

oils black! It must be evil!

[lapfog_1]

7. And without it right now

nearly all of us would starve.

If we dial back 100 years and see the United States, where energy was measured in horse power, like ONE horse power, or an oxen team of maybe 3 horse power, you start to understand why so many of us then lived on the family farm. Our industrialized cities of the era ran on coal, and lots of coal. So much coal that the buildings built then were black because of the soot and ash. The farms produced enough to feed the family (large) and quite a bit of excess for sale to the city folk, in turn the farmer then bought goods produced in the city right out of the Sears catalog. But the family farm in no way was as productive or efficient as the corporate farm of today (though one can certainly argue the quality of the farm product). But it's quantity that keeps us all fed.

Imagine 300 million of us trying to live that lifestyle now.

You can't.

We DEPEND on cheap energy. the operative word is cheap. Eliminate oil with no other substitute and millions of us will die. 10s of millions, maybe 100s of millions.

And, eventually, we will run out of oil (it doesn't matter if we have reached global peak this year or 5 years ago or 20 years from now, the point is that it will happen). So we might as well start acting like it did happen. And try to limit population growth. And figure out the renewable alternative(s).

[Auggie]

8. Humans are in for a Soylent Green type of awakening. And very soon.