Peak Oil, Alternative future

According to The Basics of a Sustainable Economy, “An economy is the creation and distribution of wealth in a community” (p.3). However, capitalist economic system is destructive. The Great Shift: Moving Beyond a Fossil Fuel–Based Economy points out the nature of capitalist economic system. “The capitalist economic system is based on profit. What does profit mean? One takes more than one gives. That’s what profit is” (Coll & Bain, 1994). (The Great Shift, p.157~158). The system has a strong influence on nature, too. Peak oil is a typical example. “The term Peak Oil is an extension of American geologist M. King Hubbert’s peak theory….the rate of production is directly related to the total amount of undeveloped oil in any particular field and in the world, following a bell curve.”(Ibid, p. 141).

“Peak Oil” is typically capitalistic phenomenon. Regardless of whether oil existence, oil production is determined by profit-and-loss incentives. Nevertheless, we have lived leaning on the cheap oil. Oil has been the most important source of energy. Without oil, we cannot use electricity, transportations, and even foods.

“Hawaii has remained almost completely dependent on oil as our primary source of energy —85% of our energy usage comes from oil, and another 5% from coal, the second largest source of energy.” (Coffman, 2010; Curtis, 2010) (Ibid, p. 147).

Oil - dependent economy brings on an economic crisis as well as destruction of nature .

“The global warming observed over the past 50 years is due primarily to human-induced emissions of heattrapping gases. These emissions come mainly from the burning of fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas), with important contributions from the clearing of forests, agricultural practices, and other activities.” (The Basics of a Sustainable Economy, p. 9).

Human economic activities have to be sustainable. “Sustainability means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” (Ibid, p. 61).

It all comes down to “sustainability” in the end. We have to find renewable energy. Renewable energy is “any naturally occurring, theoretically inexhaustible source of energy, such as biomass, solar, wind, tidal, wave, and hydroelectric power, and is not derived from fossil or nuclear fuel.” (Ibid, p. 61).

However, renewable energy is just an experimental state. Professor Fred K. Duennebier argued the “success will go to those who get ahead of the depletion curves, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels further than others, and by relying instead on human skills and sustainable low-intensity energy inputs.” (From 2012 Samsung press Future Workshop).

In the future, we might live in a different world. Imagine the different world. Energy is limited and priceless, we cannot use the fossil fuel freely. Consuming is not a virtue anymore. We cannot rely on the cheap energy. Moderation and self-sufficiency is a virtue. We can find the model from “traditional Hawaiian lifestyles.”

“Traditional Hawaiian lifestyles center the natural and sustenance economies.” (The Great Shift, p.158).

We don’t miss “good old days.” This is a possible future. This is an alternative to the corrupt capitalism.

“Re-localizing food and energy economies means taking responsibility for our future generations. This requires a paradigm shift back to our traditional knowledge systems. We cannot erase the process of economic colonization and the deliberate creation of dependency. But we can join with others and take action to reclaim our future.” (The Basics of a Sustainable Economy, p. 5).