The Oil Apocalypse + Real Life Mad Max scenarios

[CriticAndProud]

If the world was to have a massive oil shortage, what do you think would happen ? Would we devolve into a wasteland, with Wez-esque bikers roaming around, or would we find a way around it ? Submit your theories here.

[MWFV8]

We already have multiple ways around this, the issue at the moment is they aren't commercially viable or have cultural implications.

Nuclear power for example, we're at the point now where fission power plants can actually produce more energy than they consume and are remarkable safe. But they still produce some toxic waste, there's a culture of fear around them and generally the technology is highly protected due to military applications.

Then there's crop manufactured biofuel, I researched this for my Mad Max inspired screenplay Interstate Juggernaut and found studies saying locations like the Imperial Valley in California would be ideal places to grow massive corn plantations. Corn itself has been scientifically engineered now to the point it will flourish it almost any conditions.

It's already happening anyway, oil is becoming too expensive to source and drill, the alternatives are starting to become comparable in cost. The Western world would have to see a very sudden impact for it to cause an apocalyptic level problem.

Things were different when the MM trilogy was made, alternative energy technology was relatively primitive and clumsy.

[roadwarriormfp]

We already have multiple ways around this, the issue at the moment is they aren't commercially viable or have cultural implications.

Nuclear power for example, we're at the point now where fission power plants can actually produce more energy than they consume and are remarkable safe. But they still produce some toxic waste, there's a culture of fear around them and generally the technology is highly protected due to military applications.

Then there's crop manufactured biofuel, I researched this for my Mad Max inspired screenplay Interstate Juggernaut and found studies saying locations like the Imperial Valley in California would be ideal places to grow massive corn plantations. Corn itself has been scientifically engineered now to the point it will flourish it almost any conditions.

It's already happening anyway, oil is becoming too expensive to source and drill, the alternatives are starting to become comparable in cost. The Western world would have to see a very sudden impact for it to cause an apocalyptic level problem.

Things were different when the MM trilogy was made, alternative energy technology was relatively primitive and clumsy.

Ahh its not this simplistic.
You forgot to mention that plastics are petrolium based.
Think about it for a minute and see just how many items in your house/ office are plastic.

Not to mention a lack of oil also means industry stops. No factories.
No ships crossing the oceans to brings goods. (back to small sail ships which will take months to deliver bugger all)
No aircraft crossing the globe.

It will be back to the 17th centuary basically.
Horse and cart.
Households could revert to wind turbines and solar, but if the factories arent working, there will be none of these.
Life will go on, but itll take quite a few generations to sort out.
Money for one thing will be gone (probably the BEST thing to happen)!
People will go back to bartering.
Back yard vege gardens.
Communial water pumps for everyone (if there lucky enough to find underground water).
Average life span will plummet, no medicine and no hospitals as we know it now.
Big cities will vanish, village or farm life instead.
Guns as we know it will stop working and will be back to flint lock weapons

[MWFV8]

I do see your point, but I don't believe the ongoing mass production of consumer goods is a vital to society as you seem to, especially in a crisis. Besides, I work within the manufacturing and oil and gas sectors and legislation on petrochemical consumption has brought about some remarkable technology revolutions, recycling rates within some sectors are incredible now; and that's only because these facilities have to, not because they need to. All those plastic products in your house / office are actually a resource, that's why you recycle them when you dispose of them. So yes, certainly not as simplistic.

Depending on how it happened, a gradual fuel shortage could even help a modern economy thrive, much as a war can. In fact that's an era we're starting to see develop right now as the Western world holds the technology advantage on the alternative energy sources becoming more commonly used.

But ultimately I do agree that the sudden massive oil shortage would send us back to the dark ages. But believe me, those drilling it pretty much know exactly where it is and how much there is, so there will be no shocks, it will just gradually become uncompetitive with the alternatives.

We now live in an era that's become very conscious of our dependance on a dying resource, particularly on a political level but also very much within industry. Almost all the noise I see now within these industries is related to tackling this issue. While appreciate we are far from out of the woods, we're far more advanced and capable than the general public assumes.

[ralfy]

"The Official Transportation of the Apocalypse"

http://www.slate.com/articles/technolog ... lypse.html

I would look at much cheaper bikes, though, as well as animal-drawn carts, etc.

Also, we need high energy returns to maintain a middle class lifestyle:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/artic ... mic-growth

Given that, an oil shortage will lead to something close to a nineteenth-century setting, with localization, etc.

[CriticAndProud]

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/20 ... sh-charges