Won't anybody think of the children?

I have just watched Rob Newman's History of Oil, which was originally broadcast on telly a while back, on More4.
Click for link to snippet of the show
After having a flurry of global-political research and accompanied gnashing of the teeth in 2001-2002, back when I first got the internet, I hit the apathy ceiling as I concluded that no matter how much I know I won't be able to change anything, and that I'd much rather let it all slide and just enjoy what I can, while I can, living in what is the relatively happy and wealthy UK.

However, there are situations that you just can't ignore. Or at least, it seems that you really shouldn't.
Everyone can argue about the origins and motivations of current Islam-branded terrorism, the necessity or not of the middle eastern wars of the last 5 years and the scare-mongering of media reporting, which at the moment has UK 'drought' replacing the imminent apocalypse of bird flu.

Amongst all the different perspectives and motives surround views on most issues, there is one issue that is not open to discussion : oil is running out.
You can drag the viewpoints into it; when will it run out, how serious the issue actually is etc., but it cannot be denied that it's running out and we will not have any more.
Our industrialised nations are massively dependant on a substance that will not last, a cast-iron fact.
So we either need to adjust our entire way of life to one where oil and related industry is not a necessity, or we need to come up with replacement energy sources that will supply enough to meet projected demands.

It seems insane that this isn't the most pressing issue dominating parliament, front pages and the TV. What are we going to do? Is it an issue that we can foist onto the next generation or will it affect us too? It's obvious that we can't just let it go until the last minute or we will be faced with multiple disasters on an international scale.

So, we can either pop our heads in the sand, go and live with the Amish (who won't be immune to climate change) or start thinking about how we can adjust to renewable energy.
Maybe we should move to Sweden?

For a little light reading, you might try this site which provides important info as well as suggestions for a heavier apocalyptic reading via a number of books on the issue.

Still at least I know now that the Iraq war was about oil after all. Ha!

Buy a cottage by a stream, fit a small hydro electric power mill and stick solar panels on the roof. Plant a garden and become a vegan. If the stream's clean, that's your drinking water.
Let's go to the country!