End of the Age of Oil, part 1
I appears that I can't really impose a blanket ban on writing for myself. While taking a break from deriving equations of motion, I started writing something and the exercise blew up. So here is part 1. Subsequent parts will come as and when i take these extended breaks.
By 2050, almost all of the world’s petroleum reserves have been pumped dry. Energy reserves, accumulated over the preceding 400 million years, had been squandered in a short 200 years.
As early as the 20th century, a small proportion of the population was already aware of the adverse effects of pollution on the planet, and was doing what little they could to help. Some citizens of the planet participated in recycling programmes in hopes of reducing waste generation and resource consumption. A few corporate citizens did their part by making products from recycled materials, and making their products easily recycled. Environmentally friendly products were developed, but were used by few.
These good citizens were the minority rather than majority. Much of the developed world was in a state of high due capitalism and consumption, and was indulging in a lifestyle of plenty and wastefulness. Industrial firms would not have installed costly filtration devices in their smokestacks were it not for government regulations. Individuals were in a state of bliss, driving alone in their luxury cars, getting stuck in traffic snarls, leaving the air-conditioner on while no one was home, throwing out a perfectly working ordinateur every two or three years, cooking enough food for 3 meals and then throwing away the leftovers.
In hindsight, it should not come as any surprise when the big petrol tank in the ground started showing a big ominous ‘E’. However, the ordinary 20th century dweller of the developed states was too absorbed in his quest for more material luxuries such as a bigger television, that he did not notice that the natural resources around him was finite in nature. The life of an average 20th century dweller was far too hectic to consider trivial limitations such as the environment and natural resources. On weekdays, he would be working in an office complex that had its air-conditioning turned too cold. On weekends, he would be preoccupied with enjoying life, after having the spent a good part of the waking week toiling for some promised material benefit that was to come at the end of the month.
Not realising that there was some ticking clock counting to zero, the average 20th century dweller of the developed states continued his decadent consumption. He went on driving alone in a big car, left the lights on upon leaving the room, watered his garden plants in the afternoon heat, and threw away his television for a splendid new plasma TV.
* ordinateur - computer (French)
End of the Age of Oil
Chapter 1:
The Decadence of the Average 20th Century Dweller of the Developed States
Chapter 1:
The Decadence of the Average 20th Century Dweller of the Developed States
By 2050, almost all of the world’s petroleum reserves have been pumped dry. Energy reserves, accumulated over the preceding 400 million years, had been squandered in a short 200 years.
As early as the 20th century, a small proportion of the population was already aware of the adverse effects of pollution on the planet, and was doing what little they could to help. Some citizens of the planet participated in recycling programmes in hopes of reducing waste generation and resource consumption. A few corporate citizens did their part by making products from recycled materials, and making their products easily recycled. Environmentally friendly products were developed, but were used by few.
These good citizens were the minority rather than majority. Much of the developed world was in a state of high due capitalism and consumption, and was indulging in a lifestyle of plenty and wastefulness. Industrial firms would not have installed costly filtration devices in their smokestacks were it not for government regulations. Individuals were in a state of bliss, driving alone in their luxury cars, getting stuck in traffic snarls, leaving the air-conditioner on while no one was home, throwing out a perfectly working ordinateur every two or three years, cooking enough food for 3 meals and then throwing away the leftovers.
In hindsight, it should not come as any surprise when the big petrol tank in the ground started showing a big ominous ‘E’. However, the ordinary 20th century dweller of the developed states was too absorbed in his quest for more material luxuries such as a bigger television, that he did not notice that the natural resources around him was finite in nature. The life of an average 20th century dweller was far too hectic to consider trivial limitations such as the environment and natural resources. On weekdays, he would be working in an office complex that had its air-conditioning turned too cold. On weekends, he would be preoccupied with enjoying life, after having the spent a good part of the waking week toiling for some promised material benefit that was to come at the end of the month.
Not realising that there was some ticking clock counting to zero, the average 20th century dweller of the developed states continued his decadent consumption. He went on driving alone in a big car, left the lights on upon leaving the room, watered his garden plants in the afternoon heat, and threw away his television for a splendid new plasma TV.
* ordinateur - computer (French)
posted by Tan Yee Wei at 5/13/2005 11:48:00 pm
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