Oil is an addictive and life threatening drug that our country has been addicted to for over a century. With each decade this addiction gets worse along with the collaterall damage. Oil prices are spiraling out of control because global speculators are betting that we may be close to the point where global oil production is as high as it can go. From then on, global production will steadily decline and the results are going to be an economic catastrophe. The surge in price and decline in supply is fueling wars around the globe and clogging the lungs of our planet with greenhouse gasses.

Dramatic change is necessary for any society to evolve. In the beginning of the 19th century, slavery was a key component of the United States economy. Yet as time went on, people began to protest the injustices of this system more and more. Also, with factories growing around the country - plantation slavery became an outdated system that dragged on in the United States until the 1860's, while most European countries ended the practice in 1830's. It was an unnecessary evil that was prolonged because we were unwilling to change our ways.

 We see a similar situation with the energy crisis today. Comparing oil use to slavery may sound like a drastic comparison, but the oil industry is responsible for wars around the globe, the destruction of economies that subvert 3rd world countries to a state of financial slavery, and global warming which will kill immense numbers of humans and other life forms in the 21st century. It is worth noting that many people in the 19th century held on to slavery despite the overwhelming facts that proved the process inhumane and inefficient. Today we are unwilling to let go of oil, despite warnings from scientists around the globe. We have politicians who publically deny global warming in the face of hard evidence. We spend more on petroleum than any other energy resource while making next to no effort to transition into a new type of economy. Yes, spending on solar and wind technology may have surged recently. Yet if you look at the amount we spend on oil and wars abroad in comparison, it simply is not enough.

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