There are huge problems brewing for the US regarding the indespensible energy source that oil represents. There is also a similiar scenario developing for US natural gas supply. More specifically, there are many things contributing to the quickly growing reality, that the Oil to run the US economy will be getting increasingly expensive, and increasingly diminished in availability. Some of the reason's that this is occuring: The US a half century ago used to supply all its own oil, and it was the world's biggest exporter of oil - now, the US is approaching 70% of the oil it uses as imported from other countries. US Big Oil during that same time period had access, and the ability to capatilize on, 85% of the oil reserves found throughout the world - now, US Big Oil has access to less that 15% of world oil reserves, and this figure is continueing to drop due to quickly developing world geopolitical events. Humanity has used half of the world's oil, in 150 years, that being the best quality and most easily accessed oil reserves. Population is now dramatically larger, as we enter the period of beginning to use the last half of world oil reserves, and, the increasingly downgraded quality of the reserves left will require astronomical investment to access and process. The places where we will have to get the oil will be much more remote, and most will be in increasingly hostile lands. Countries that have remaining reserves, are more and more nationalizing thier oil production. The exporting countries are seeing dramatic increases in thier own internal demand, which is causing them to reduce thier importing amounts. Worldwide oil fields are in most cases past peak already and going into depletion. The huge population centers of China and India have negotiated huge contracts of oil and gas with exporting countries. The competition for remaining supplies of these hydrocarbon fuels, represents oil that the US won't be seeing coming its way, to run its economy. Due to the disasterous policy moves of the Bush administration, many other countries are laying plans to further disrupt, in a host of ways, the energy supply that the US could have access too. The reality is also, that the US won't be saved by any reserves that might be found in its domain, like the gulf of Mexico, costal regions, artic regions, because even the most promising projections of supplies that may lie in these areas, is utterly insignificant when you compare it to what the US use in hydrocarbon fuel, every day. The US infrastructure, which is mindboggling in size, was built in large measure by 1-5 dollar oil per barrel. In considering what alternative energies could be used to compensate for oil supplies that will not be available to the US because of all these events, in each case, huge problems are encountered. Alternatives are not in a position to match the shear scale of the amount of energy supplied by oil, and all its varied uses. Also huge infrastructure that would be needed for alternative energy schemes will come up against the astronomical cost that would be needed to create the vast infrastructures needed for thier nationwide usage. Even at this stage, various energy projects around the world are being canceled, due to insurmountable cost realities. These are some of the factors that will be driving the US economy, and the quality of lives of its people, into an increasingly difficult positon. The wars and social disruptions because of all these things, uses incredible quantities of energy. The US military complex uses more energy that the US economy, and uses more energy than most other countries combined. The US military complex is being used now by the elites for the illegal and immoral wars in Afganistan and Iraq. World events will be precipitating increasingly difficult times for the US, regarding the energy it desires, and is seeking to garner by force as in its current military engagements. Oil prices in the last 5 years has risen dramatically as a direct result of factors like that disussed above. US Big Oil is not in control of this worldwide situation. Many in the US public believe high oil prices is just a Big Oil scam, and even though it is true that US Big Oil make obscene profits, and have great influence on US politicians, worldwide Peak Oil and decline of world energy reserves is beyond thier ability to manage now. US Big Oil is now scrambling to try and redirect thier future operations into the emerging alternative energy markets. Just look at all the energy related commercials that are now very common that clearly show how Big Oil companies are trying to morph themselves away from thier soon to decline oil production and distribution base that has carried them to enormous profits all these years. Oil as a incredibly high intensity energy source which has provided the world societies with an incredible driving force that made mass human proliferation in the last 150 years possible. The worldwide paradigm of massive growth and the super abundance, that the world has seen in the last century, is an amazing mirage that we all got used to, and thought would go on and on. The reality is, it was a transitory event, and the inevitable energy declines for this world, will mean increasingly leaner qualities of the lives for humanity, and growing worldwide social disruptions. Prepare yourselves in what ways you can, because big changes are coming.
