Imagine what life would be like in a world without oil petroleum products

The Gulf Oil spill inspired a panic reminiscent of the OPEC Oil Embargo back in 1973-1974. "We've got to reduce our dependence on oil!" Americans shout, as oil slicks our ducks and pristine beaches. "We've got to go back to Alternative Fuels..."

President Jimmy Carter "attempted to awaken the American public to the idea that the energy crisis was a more or less permanent condition reflecting the real draw-down of the nation's number one nonrenewable resource. He attempted to fashion a coherent national energy policy, passed tax and rate incentives for hydroelectric development, restarted Nixon's Project Independence to develop synthetic hydrocarbon and alternative fuels. In April 1977, Carter declared the nation's energy predicament was the moral equivalent of war. He also installed solar water heaters on the White House roof and a wood stove in the White House, which were both subsequently removed by Ronald Reagan."

Of course, Carter was ridiculed for his Scientific Vision and degraded to a One Term Guy. I was on track to become an Information Specialist at the Solar Energy Resource Institute when it happened- or fantasized, anyway, that my MBA would get me a job in their expanding Golden office. My optimism deflated when Reagan took office and cut funding for SERI.

I became a bit cynical about the Republican Party, became and Independent and American dependency on oil continued unchecked. As of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill April 20, "US offshore oil production of 565 million barrels per year equated to roughly 1.5 million barrels per day (30% of total US oil production); contrast that figure with U.S. current oil consumption of 21 million barrels per day."

It is overwhelming to imagine that some day fish in the Gulf might be immune to oil spills.

In a world void of petroleum products, we would have no propane or gasoline. Helium, sulfur and other biproducts of petroleum will be scarce.

One Wikipedia site claims the petroleum industry is of importance to "the maintenance of industrial civilization itself, and thus is a critical concern for many nations."

Isn't The Industrial Age part of our historic PAST? Transitioning from the Information Age to the Connection Age requires new sensibilities and skills.

Certainly the over 400 million people worldwide who work in the oil business will be forced to change their habits. These people work in labor, trades, technical, administrative and professional roles. In a world without the petroleum business, there will be lots of unemployed folk looking to create and manage relationships across knowledge goods, hardware, and people.

Toys/Dolls/Balloons/Roller skate wheels/Model cars/Wading pools/Crayons/Milk jugs. Children survived with trees and rocks for centuries.

Tents/Skis/Cameras/Boats/Motorcycle helmets/Beach umbrellas/Fishing lures/Fishing rods/Fishing boots/Life jackets/Golf balls/Golf bags/Tennis rackets/Dice. New adult leisure activities won't be that difficult to generate.

Unbreakable dishes/Refrigerator linings/Electric blankets/salad bowls/Umbrellas/Ice chests/Ice buckets/Ice cube trays/Clotheslines. And there will be no Luggage to pack for a hasty exit.

Tires/Car sound insulation/Sports car bodies/Car battery cases/Safety glass/Oil filters/Fan belts. Transportation options will change. That's why we have engineers.

Shoes/Purses/ Dresses/Pajamas/Pants/Permanent Press clothing/Sweaters/Panty hose. What did early man do to cover herself? Designers, draw it in the sand!

Yarn/Glue/Dyes/Candles/Rubber Cement/Caulking/Putty/Electrician's tape/Transparent tape/Synthetic rubber/Paint Brushes/Paint rollers/Plastic wood/Linoleum/TV cabinets/Awnings/Water pipes/Garden hoses/Floor wax/Soap dishes/Upholstery/House paint/Curtains/Tool racks/Ammonia/Fertilizer/Toilet seats/Roofing/Carpeting/Wire insulation/Folding doors/Shower doors/Shower curtains/Roofing shingles/Plywood adhesive/. Caves are adaptable and cozy I am told.

Combs/Soft Contact lenses/Faucet washers/Trash bags/Hand lotion/Shampoo/Cold cream/Hair coloring/Deodorant/Hair curlers/Eyeglasses/Sunglasses/ Nail polish/False teeth/Lipstick/Petroleum jelly/Shaving cream/Toothbrushes/Toothpaste/Drinking Cups/Perfume/ Shoe polish/DISPOSABLE DIAPERS. There is an alternative to toothbrushes. Please say it is so.

Mops/Dishwashing liquid/Vitamin capsules/Food preservatives/Rubbing alcohol/Insect repellent/Antihistamines/Insecticides/Antiseptics/Anesthetics/Detergents/BandAids/Aspirin/Artificial limbs/Heart valves/Hearing aids/Vaporizers/Cortisone. I'm getting a bit overwhelmed.

Parachutes! I want to bury my head in my Pillow! But NO, those too are off the list.

My Telephone has been confiscated. I pull out Marks' guitar, but alas it has no Guitar Strings. Loudspeakers, VCRS, Movie Film... GONE!

Credit cards have become toxic waste. Wait... some things never change.

Pedestrians in oil dependent nations will find it necessary to wean themselves of objects they've grown accustomed to. Objects like Ink or Ballpoint pens. No problem, right? We have pencils and the Internet...

NOT!

According to Scribd, "computer manufacturing is energy intensive: the ratio of fossil fuel use to product weight is 11, an order of magnitude larger than the factor of 1-2 for many other manufactured goods. This high energy intensity of manufacturing, combined with rapid turnover in computers, results in an annual life cycle energy burden that is surprisingly high: about 2600 MJ per year, 1.3 times that of a refrigerator."

In other words, computers rely on fossil fuels to exist. Pencils will have to do. Unless manufacturing pencils also utilizes fossil fuels. What a web we weave...

But wait! The Industrial Technologies Program is on it! Look at all the books... this means research, which means HOPE!