I still have a couple of FB friends whose posts support the oil companies and the burning of fossil fuels because, well, it’s big business and employs thousands and thousands of people in the U.S. They also from time to time denigrate renewable energy.
But consider this:
The evolution of technology has brought to civilization dramatic changes that were, at the time of their development, unimaginable changes.
Putting aside for now the impact on Native Americans, the expansion of peoples to the west in America was limited to travel by horse drawn Conestoga wagons or river rafts.
Then came the railroads. This, of course, dramatically increased the influx of settlers.
But hey, what happened to the companies that made Conestoga wagons? They either went bust or found another manufacturing niche.
Then along came the automobile and trucks which eventually freed millions of horses from heavy labor, especially in urban areas. And of course the industries that bred, fed and quartered horses. Oh, and the people who had to clean the city streets of horse droppings. These support industries dwindled.
The automobile and trucking also had an impact on train travel, but not as profound as the next development.
Airplanes and the airline industry.
Literally millions of people fly each and every day. Package delivery companies own thousands of cargo aircraft and employ thousands of people. Major railroad companies completely disappeared. Now there’s Amtrak, a for-profit government owned company.
Personal train travel practically disappeared. This has basically been reduced to touring packages not meant for the commuter. However, the Long Island Railroad and the East coast being an exception. Freight is their big moneymaker.
With the inception of the Interstate System, trucking has also replaced a lot of freight trains for small loads.
With the growth of autos, trucks, airplanes and even locomotives, the petroleum industry has become one of the largest industries on the planet. Along with the use of carbon based fuel such as coal or natural gas to produce the electricity that our civilization could not function without.
All this is the inevitable consequence of the evolution of technology.
Add to this the negative impact of burning all this fossil fuel on the climate.
We will eventually run out of petroleum. Then what?
These massive companies will either disappear or will have to evolve. For what it’s worth, some oil companies are investing in renewable energy sources. They have to, or else they will go bust. Do they see the writing on the wall?
It’s an inevitable consequence.
Bill Gates Predicts Oil Companies ‘Will Be Worth Very Little’ in 30 Years — Here’s Why