Are US Americans worried about oil supplies?

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Posted on March 18, 2006
Filed Under Ecological overshoot, Ecological hope, Consumer culture, Fossil fuel dependency

Today from Margaret Swedish: 

Yes, yes we are.  We are worried about oil supply.  The message is getting across.  Not only are we worried, but we are rather upset with the oil companies, with our political leaders, and with our own fossil-fuel dependent selves for not addressing the situation with the seriousness that is due. 

A new CNN poll reveals the level of concern over oil supply among US consumers. 71 percent of those polled say President Bush is not doing enough to address the energy problem.  81 percent assign blame for our oil supply vulnerability to Bush, 89 percent blame big oil companies, while one quarter put the blame squarely on us, the consumer.     

The good news is that some of the fear is translating into a change in consumer patterns. With high gas prices and increasing societal disapproval of gas-guzzling luxury SUVs, more SUV dealers are having trouble moving their vehicles off the lot.  The New York Times reports this morning that some luxury SUV dealers are offering 5-figure discounts to try to attract buyers. 

But the Bush administration, largely bought and paid for by the energy industry, is still trying to paint a happy face over the looming crisis.  As CNN reports, “the Energy Information Agency, the official arm of the US government that keeps energy statistics…estimates that the oil supply will be able to meet the demand, which is expected to skyrocket by 40 percent in the next 20 years — driven by rising US consumption and booming economies in China and India.” 

This is pure fantasy.  Right now we are using up each day just about every drop of oil being produced.  Demand will soon begin to outstrip supply.  This will not be a temporary problem with temporary fixes.  And our political and corporate leaders are doing little if anything to prepare this society for what is to come. 

Don’t be fooled when those whose business is oil tell you not to worry, that there is plenty of supply.  I just clicked on to this web site, http://www.peakoil.org, and found a very good explanation for “peak oil,” what this term means, and many links to very helpful articles from a variety of sources. 

It will take a lot of us to get the political culture to respond appropriately to what 12 percent of those polled by CNN rightly call a “crisis.”  So we best educate ourselves, begin learning how to live differently, and GET INVOLVED!

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