Peak Oil and the Coming Armageddon

The high price of oil seems to be as much of a conversation topic now as daytrading was during the dotcom boom. Everyone seems to have something to say about it. One thread of conversation, in particular, has jumped out at me, though. It's the thought that peak oil will be the driver for the coming Armageddon. In this line of thought, no response to peak oil is necessary, since it is merely a sign of the second coming of Christ. No need to invest in alternative energy sources, city-reshaping, or sustainable agriculture. Just the conviction that things are going to get really, really, bad; followed by whatever flavor of second coming you believe in.


Armageddon of the 80's

Now, I grew up in a private Christian school during the Reagan years, and I can tell you that the Armegeddon of the 80's was all about the Soviets and their thousands of atheist-manufactured nuclear warheads. It was scary. Remember the movie, "The Day After"? It scared the crap out of me. And during these years, there were indeed a number of really close calls (click on each word for the associated link).

Armageddon of the New Millenium

However, I have spent a significant amount of time researching potential individual, community, and government responses to peak oil, and I can tell you that this is not your 80's Armageddon. From what I can tell, the Peak Oil Armageddon has the following qualities:

1. You will likely have to trade in your car for a bicycle, bus pass, or functional pair of feet.

2. Urban dwellers will live in pedestrian-oriented high-density neighborhoods, well-connected with electrified transit and local farmer's and manufacturer's markets.

3. Food farms will get smaller, integrated into the cities, organic, and diversified. Energy farms will occupy the far-flung countryside and deserts.



The scariest film Peak Oil can offer seems to be "The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil". I watched it this past weekend; and let me tell you, Armageddon just ain't what it used to be.