With its dependence on an ever-decreasing supply of oil, coal, and natural gas, America will eventually come to a crossroads where such supplies are too small to meet the country’s demands. The big debate among futurists is will America survive these crossroads by adapting and finding an alternative energy source, or will society collapse in a never ending battle for increasingly scarce resources?
Will America Survive an Oil Shortage?
According to studies by the University of Omaha’s economics department, the United States consumes 25% of the world’s oil, which amounts to 19.6 million barrels daily. The consensus among futurists is that America will exhaust its oil supply in no more than forty years. In reality, this is an optimistic prediction because it does not take into account the predicted 2% yearly increase. This means that in just five years America will be consuming 35% of the world’s oil.
In order for America to survive when the oil runs out, the government must invest in the research and development of alternative energy sources. Steps towards this can be seen today in the hybrid and fully electric cars that are now on the market. Many homes are also turning to