The elephant in the room that no one wants to discuss is that crude oil is the foundation of our materialistic society as it is the basis of all products and fuels demanded by the 8 billion on this planet.

World leaders are not cognizant enough to know that wind turbines and solar panels only generate occasional electricity but manufacture no products for society and have no plans for the replacement of the supply chain of products and fuels now manufactured from fossil fuels, which are the basis on every infrastructure segment that are supporting the 8 billion on this planet!

Over the last 200 years, and the world has populated from 1 to 8 billion, we learned that crude oil is virtually useless, unless it’s manufactured (refineries) into oil derivatives that are the basis of more than 6,000 products in our daily lives that did not exist before the 1800’s, and the fuels for the 20,000 commercial aircraft, and more than  50,000 military aircraft in the world and the 50,000 merchant ships and the military and space programs, hospitals, communications, electronics, and mining for industrial and precious metals.

Of the three fossil fuels of coal, natural gas, and crude oil, most government officials and policymakers are unaware that the use of coal and natural gas are mainly for the generation of electricity. The third fossil fuel, crude oil, is virtually never used for the generation of electricity but is the basis of more than 6,000 products that did not exist 200 years ago.

But wait, Life without oil is NOT AS SIMPLE AS YOU MAY THINK as breezes and sunshine can only generate intermittent electricity, and NEITHER wind turbines, nor solar panels, can manufacture anything for society.

The pre-1800’s set the stage for the fantastic growth after mankind’s discovery of crude oil:

• Life longevity was around forty years of age and people seldom travelled more than one hundred miles from where they were born.
• The world population was about one billion people.
• No electricity, as all generation of electricity is only possible with the parts made from the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil for continuous and uninterruptible electricity being generated from coal, natural gas, nuclear, and hydroelectric power plants, and occasionally generated electricity from weather dependent wind turbines and solar panels.
• The following infrastructures were not around a few short centuries ago, because they all need components and parts that were NOT available in the pre-1800’s.
• • Transportation
  • Hospitals
  • Medical equipment
  • Appliances
  • Electronics
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications systems
  • Space programs
  • Heating and ventilating
  • Military

Without Crude Oil there can be no Electricity! Today’s electrical generation from hydro, coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar are ALL based on the products, components, and equipment that are made from the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.

As technologies advance for more reduced carbon electricity generation and use, there will be more requirements for critical minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements that are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing electricity technologies – from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles. Demand for these minerals is growing quickly as electricity transitions gather pace. All those exotic minerals and metals only produce electricity, as they CANNOT make any PRODUCTS used in today’s economy.

Most government officials and policymakers are unaware that ALL electricity came AFTER the discovery of oil, starting with the light bulb made from oil. All electrical generation from hydro, coal, natural gas, nuclear, wind, and solar are ALL based on the products, components, and equipment that are made with PRODUCTS made from the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil.

Today, a few centuries after the discovery of crude oil:

• Everything that needs electricity, and every infrastructure, are made from products based on the oil derivatives manufactured from crude oil, from the light bulb to the iPhone, defibrillator, and all the parts of EV’s, toilets, and spacecraft.
• Weather related fatalities have virtually disappeared with all the products and medications available today that were not available a few centuries ago.

Looking back at the history of the petroleum industry, it illustrates that the black cruddy looking crude oil was virtually useless, unless it could be manufactured (refineries) into oil derivatives that are now the basis of chemical products, such as plastics, solvents, and medications, that are essential for supporting modern lifestyles. The more than 6,000 products  that are based on oil are being used for the health and well-being of humanity and the generation of electricity did not exist a few short centuries ago.

Almost never discussed is how to maintain the supply chain of cost-effective PRODUCTS that are essential to human flourishing.

Energy literacy starts with the knowledge that crude oil is the basis of our materialistic society. Conversations are needed to discuss the difference between just “ELECTRICITY” from renewables, and the “PRODUCTS” that are the basis of society’s materialistic world. Wind turbines and solar panels are themselves MADE from oil derivatives, and only generate occasional electricity but manufacture NOTHING for society.

World leaders continue to have little comprehension that ridding the world of oil, without a replacement in mind, would be immoral and evil, as extreme shortages of the products now manufactured from fossil fuels will result in billions of fatalities from diseases, malnutrition, and weather-related deaths, and could be the greatest threat to the world’s eight billion population.

World leaders continue experiencing a “dangerous delusion” of a global transition to “just electricity” that they believe will eliminate the use of the crude oil that made society achieve so much in a few centuries. Without those products made from petrochemicals manufactured from crude oil, the policymakers must be imagining NO jets, ships, defense, or space programs in our future!

How dare the ruling class, powerful elite, and media, avoid energy literacy conversations about the “Elephant in the Room”, as the end of crude oil that is manufactured into all the products and transportation fuels that built the world to eight billion people, would be the end of civilization as “unreliable electricity” from breezes and sunshine cannot manufacture anything.

Until a crude oil replacement is identified, the world needs a back-up plan that replaces crude oil that will support the manufacturing of the products demanded by the 8 billion of our materialistic society.

Please share this information with your friends to further enhance conversations about Energy Literacy as Breezes and Sunshine cannot manufacture anything. Electricity CANNOT exist without crude oil !

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This article was published by The Heartland Institute and is reproduced with permission.