Nonfiction: The Green Wean

Richard Heinburg, The Oil Depletion Protocol (New Society Publishers, 2006)

So we are addicted to oil, but what are the larger consequences? Maybe our dealings abroad lead you to think war. And why not? A struggle for control of oil resources has been going on since industrialized nations set up the infrastructure to utilize fossil fuels. But as Richard Heinberg digs deeper in The Oil Depletion Protocol, published by New Society Publishers, he points out that oil has become so entrenched in our everyday existence, from the pump to fertilizers to computer chips to ballpoint pens, that the only solution for a sustainable society is to reduce dependence. Sounds simple, but the idea remains controversial. He argues that being proactive, which implies an

But why must we wean ourselves from the teat of oil dependence? And what are the possible crises Heinberg suggests? Not only does our dependence translate into aggressive foreign policy, but it is also a reliance created for something ephemeral, says Heinburg. According to Peak Oil thinker Kenneth Deffeyes, oil production is predicted to peak within the next five years, meaning that we will never get as much out of the ground as we will in the year of the peak. The fact is: the supply of oil is finite, and new sources are rare. With a myriad of nations industrializing and our consumption holding steady in the west, he argues the disappointment of going without such fruits of civilization could result in violent, catastrophic conflict. Continuing dependence as status quo could mean a reverse of the globalization of trade (developing a need to re-master manufacturing at home), a decline in global food production (in the US alone 70% of the population farmed at the turn of last century, as compared to 2% feeding six times the population now) and a transportation failure, i.e. the inability to maintain a trucking fleet, air and personal travel. Remember the OPEC oil crisis of 1973? This was only a blip, a pause, but should have been a warning, says Heinberg.

The Brooklyn Rail