This video made me realize how much our society relies on cheap oil as a natural resource. Considering we are at the 'peak' of our supply with high gas prices (though they haven't been so bad lately), it is definitely about time we find another source for our energy. Politicians have used this 'energy crisis' to boost their campaign, saying they will find us an alternate resource, yet election after election we have yet to solve the problem. I think it is a good idea to go back to traditional ways of living like growing produce locally and using mass transportation rather than huge subsidies and millions of cars on the road. Wal-Mart is one reason why local markets and retailers have closed down. We need to stop heading in the direction of giant super-store corporations and return to small businesses so that future entrepreneurs have a chance to spread the wealth. New Urbanism seems like the best possibility for our society until we find a new and fruitful natural resource we can depend on.
Water, being a very abundant resource, is a possible replacement for fossil fuels. If scientists could find a way to power our cities with hydroelectricity, we may very well save the planet as well as humankind.
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I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment of oil dependence and lack of government action, high cost gasoline last year definitely rekindled much of the debate over alternative energy that we have now. One really has to wonder how far we could've already gone with further development of geothermal or wind energy if gas prices didn't drop, or heaven forbid rose even further. I'd like to think that when the last oil well begins to dry up that the preventative measures we put in place now will stop utter chaos from breaking loose when oil is no longer an option.
ReplyDeleteA word on hydroelectric power though: while it may be an option for small scale electrical output I believe that the burden of full scale hydroelectric implementation could very well endanger our "other" most valuable liquid-clean drinking water.