The End of Oil Looms

Any sober examination of current demand and supply figures for oil is like realizing there are ten mouths to feed but only enough food stored for eight. This is our bleak future, says Andrew Simms: “Understandably, some people might think this is a good thing from an environmental perspective. After all, if the oil is running out, doesn’t that help solve climate change? Unfortunately it doesn’t. As the price of oil goes up it makes other, dirtier fossil fuels like brown coal and tar sands more attractive. And here is a problem even for people who discount the threat of global warming. In key areas of the economy like transport, especially aviation, and agriculture, oil is hard to replace.”