A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash
April 25th, 2007 | by Brian Carr |“Oil is not like wheat; we are not growing it every year. Oil is the outcome of many millions of years of geological history.” - Manouchehr Takin, Energy Analyst
Tonight I watched a very entertaining, yet scary documentary entitled A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash, which centers around the world’s dependency on oil and the very fast approaching disorder that will follow once we have exhausted the world’s remaining oil reserves.
So, what will happen when we finally run out of oil? According to this documentary, this is a question we’re going to have to face sooner rather than later, and is something that we’re currently not prepared to answer.
Unfortunately, many of the scenarios presented by the analysts interviewed by the film makers are pretty scary: a worldwide depression, massive poverty and famine, rampant unemployment and worldwide chaos. Sounds pretty bleak, huh?
One of the points that this film referenced on several occasions is the fact that the days of “cheap” energy (specifically cheap oil) are done. I think it’s safe to say that we are currently witnessing the very beginning of this trend, as over the last four or five years, the price of oil has risen nearly threefold.
And with global demand expected to continue to increase, thanks to the expansion of China and India’s economies, it certainly seems like prices have nowhere to go but up and supplies have nowhere to go but down.
The thing that impressed me the most about A Crude Awakening was the fact that the information was presented in a relatively non-slanted way; this wasn’t a Michael Moore type of “documentary” rather it was, in essence, an hour and a half long public service announcement asking us to wake up to the reality that at some point the world is going to run out of oil and we need to take steps now to ensure that when that day comes we’ll be prepared.
Anyway, if you have a Netflix account - which, I believe, is the only way you can get a hold of this documentary - I highly recommend that you put this on the top of your queue as soon as possible.
“Oil is our God.” - Matthew Savinar, Founder of lifeaftertheoilcrash.net
7 Responses to “A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash”
By tim on Apr 26, 2007 | Reply
I agree this these sentiments, the media has a responsibility to portray oil as a fixed asset not a renewable resource. The phrase “OPEC ups production” is incorrect it should be OPEC ups extraction, you cant produce more crude oil it is a finite resource there is no production here its like gold you can mine more gold but you cant make (produce) more gold.
By Brian Carr on Apr 26, 2007 | Reply
Tim - great point! When you here the phrase “ups production” you automatically think that more is being made, which obviously isn’t the case with oil.
By Craig Mackintosh on Apr 26, 2007 | Reply
I’m looking forward to seeing this documentary when opportunity allows. Your readers may enjoy getting a taste of it from the movie trailer.
By Hugo Peppers on Apr 26, 2007 | Reply
Did it say when we would run out?
Also, I fee like there is a greater push toward different sources of energy these days. Does the documentary take this into account?
By EnviroWoman on Apr 28, 2007 | Reply
I spent EarthDay watching this movie. It was eye-opening and a nice complement to a book I’m reading Lives Per Gallon.
The movie raises some fascinating points about how human lifestyle and prosperity will alter when we are faced with expensive energy. I thought the idea interesting that today’s current excessive, prosperous lifestyle is is just an aberrant blip on the course of human history….and that we’d revert back to a more feudal existence when energy gets more expensive. The movie doesn’t pack the punch of An Inconvenient Truth but is still worth renting.
EnviroWoman. plasticfree.blogspot.com
By Jolie Bakken on May 8, 2007 | Reply
One of the points that affected my perspective the most was their comparison between the price of gas and other liquids. I never really considered that while the $3/gal for gas seems way high it is still less than the price of bottled water, milk, and some juices. Sure makes you realize just how much we have taken cheap fuel for granted.
By chevy on Jun 27, 2007 | Reply
its a have! the ,Ne’w ‘Wor;ld ;Ord,er are timing this whole thing to happen to bring in their cashless society monetary system. Then you will see the silicon chip on right hand/ forehead come out. This is not some freak doomsdays cult but all things are leading up to it. -mark my words!