Not to sound like a self named prophet standing on a milk crate in the middle of a city screaming the end is coming, but the end is coming, for affordable petroleum-based transportation. The cost of oil and gas as increased dramatically over the past decade or so, and shows no sign of getting cheaper.
 |
| Gas Prices around the world courtesy of motherjones.com |
In fact, prices will continue to increase as oil becomes more scarce until oil is too expensive for any practical use. Now many see this as a reason to go out and buy a hybrid car, then an electric car, or maybe not buy a car at all and rely on public transportation if possible. But this will not solve the problem. Oil is used in every transportation sector from personal transportation to commuter and mass transit to the ever necessary shipping and delivery of every day goods across the world. The cost to drive to work will be pointless if one can not even afford to buy a box of cereal for breakfast or a clean pair of clothes to wear.
Large scale shipping seems to be an issue that very few are thinking about. The entire would could go out tomorrow and start using electric cars and the mass transit systems could run off electricity generated from non-petroleum sources, but our world's shipping solutions would not be solved in the least bit, not to mention overseas personal transportation.
This is not something that is going to start affecting our great great grandchildren. This is something that is going to affect me, you and everyone else in our generation. And it is about time that we start making serous adjustment and advances in alternative fuels.
Carson, this was a great post! I like the sense of urgency in needing to do something now. I am hoping that the world will soon see the big deal that it is to switch to alternative fuels. What do you think are the best alternative methods out right now?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that solar and wind powered energy is certainly under rated due to the high initial cost. But if everyone buys into it, the prices should go down. Certainly types of alternative ethanol or say hydrogen fuels would be necessary for massive ship liners and planes and necessary gas based equipment.
ReplyDelete