Peak Oil prophecies

Rise of the eco-engineers

Lately, I’ve been freaking out over Peak Oil. For the uninitiated, Peak Oilers envision a fitful collapse of our hyper-industrial society, when crude oil passes its peak supply arc and slowly declines as a resource. As the supply of cheap energy sputters out of existence, Peak Oil adherents imagine resource wars, population die-offs, and eventually, an agrarian society surrounded by urban and suburban ruins. Essentially, it’s a progressive dystopia, mirroring the gloom and doom of the Christian Left Behind series of books. Until recently, it seemed like more an environmentalist, Luddite revenge fantasy than an accurate image of the near future, but with gas prices surging, it doesn’t seem so far-fetched anymore.

When will it happen, the gradual dissolution of our bloated, over-entertained society? And how will I personally fit into this brave new, literally postindustrial future? I’m not particularly fond of manual labor, but I’m a fairly decent distance runner and have completed a few marathons. Maybe I could make it as a messenger, the kind in those ancient Greek societies that relied on foot runners and birthed the first marathons.

But while I wallow in gloom and doom and daydream about my future as a barefoot errand boy trotting past the ruins of Woodfield Mall with a satchel over my shoulder, plenty of alternative energy advocates are using knowhow and engineering acumen to actually plan for a rosier future.

Last week’s first-ever Chicago Eco-Transportation Show, held on North Jefferson Street in the Fulton River District, brought these farsighted enthusiasts together. There was Ken Walter, a salesman at Ed Napleton Dodge in Oak Lawn, touting a hybrid Mercedes van that gets 27 miles per gallon and spouts emissions that meet higher German pollution standards. The van hasn’t sold much in the United States but is starting to catch on; Walter knows one customer who has equipped it to run on grease alone.

Chicago Journal