Our Evitable Future

(Yes, I’ve created the word ‘evitable’ which would logically be the antonym of ‘inevitable.’)

Whether you choose to believe or ignore the obvious, if mankind continues along our littered path, we are destined to end up with only a handful of outcomes and fewer choices than we have now.

Fossil fuels will become non-existent, and we will be forced to seek out other sources of energy. We’ve already begun looking into renewable sources, but since we still have oil left in the ground we are not nearly focused enough. We are more likely to hit an abrupt end rather than wean ourselves off slowly, and this will cause further problems. As fuel costs increase, more and more of the working force will be unable to get to work. If public transportation remains inadequate to support this growing group, businesses will have to become centralized. Locations that are not near major traffic arteries will find it harder to keep reliable staff, which will strain the economy in many ways.

Biological fuel sources will be developed further, which is clearly not a perfect answer to the fuel crisis. Biofuel is created from harvested crops which could otherwise be used as food. This is an important aspect to focus on, because everything is dependent on these crops. Animals that we raise for human consumption require seven times the amount of food that they end up providing, and since humans are not likely to give up their precious steaks, this is going to further strain the agricultural sector. Farmers have a number of obstacles during a growing season, which includes weather and the requirements of plants. Some plants, like corn, need such a high concentration of nitrogen that it takes a lot more effort to sustain the soil every year. Further, our escalating weather patterns are not likely to be any more predictable than they are now, so if we have a few consecutive seasons of bad weather, there will be less grain for these three demanding groups; humans, animals, and fuel.

When there does happen to be sufficient yield to sell, farmers will always sell their product to the highest bidder. Once fossil fuels are diminished, and if electric cars aren’t available, the most likely highest bidder will be the fuel companies. If most of our food is being converted to fuel, then the costs of food will increase. As food costs increase, the price will proportionally increase. Seeing as how the demand for food will always be increasing, famine and poverty are not unlikely possibilities. When the population becomes impoverished and malnourished, both the health care sector and the general labour force begin to feel that extra burden. Once this happens, the majority of the population will be unhappy and social class tensions will increase, leading to crime and violence.

The root of this problem is, of course, our dependency on oil. We have to urge our government to plan ahead with our fuel problems. Not only do we need vehicles that are powered through completely renewable sources that do not impede on our food supply, but we need those vehicles and fuels affordable.