We are addicted to oil and it’s time that we did more than just acknowledge the problem. It’s time we beat this addiction. As we strive to capture every last drop of oil, we are like the alcoholic that turns to antifreeze to feed his addiction because there is no liquor left. Both forms of addiction can and will have catastrophic consequences.
Why is our addiction to oil so bad? First, it’s bad for the economy. We are increasingly vulnerable to its price fluctuations, which can have tremendous effects as we have seen in recent years. Second, it’s bad for foreign policy: instead of focusing on peacekeeping and humanitarian needs, we let our foreign policy be driven by foreign oil. Third, it’s becoming more expensive to extract. Oil is no longer readily available; tar sands and shale oil are unlikely to meet our demand and have a very low amount energy returned after taking the energy invested into account. Lastly, it’s dangerous to our health and our planet’s health. Oil extraction and combustion cause pulmonary diseases and heat stress, for example and the continuance of fossil fuel use will increase greenhouse gases and keep us on the path of catastrophic climate change.
Why are we so dependent on oil? The root of the cause is because of sprawl development and our dependence on cars. But, we can break this cycle: if we drive fewer miles, get better miles per gallon on our transportation methods and decrease the number of cars, we will decrease the amount of oil on which we rely. This will not only remove our dependence on oil, it will create cleaner and healthier cities and towns.
By relying on modes of transportation that have higher occupancy and/or don’t use oil, we can break our dependence. We have the technology we need to implement more high-speed trains, streetcars, subways, light rails, and trolleys. Cities around the world have invested in better trains, buses and bike lanes and have achieved excellent results. For example, Japan has trains that can go up to 190 miles per hour and carry almost 400,000 people per day. Bogotá, Columbia has implemented a bus rapid transit system that is being mimicked all over the world. Not only do these changes improve the look and health of a city, they make it safer. If a city has less sprawl and vehicular commutes, the fewer motor vehicle fatalities there are.
Bicycling and walking improve the health of a city as well as the look of it. When Atlanta, GA removed cars for the 1996 Olympics, the rate of asthma attacks among children decreased significantly. To improve air pollution and traffic congestion, the mayor of Paris improved bicycle availability and added bike lanes in a program that has been copied worldwide. Bicycles produce zero carbon, reduce traffic congestion, add no air pollution, and help citizens lose weight. In addition, they are a fraction of the cost of cars and do not require the same level of upkeep.
We have no choice but to change our behavior and become less reliant on oil. Not only because our environment requires it in order to avoid catastrophic climate change, but because oil will only become more difficult to obtain before it finally runs out. But doesn’t an environment without oil sound preferable? We would improve foreign policy, improve air pollution, decrease greenhouse gases, interact with each other and get more exercise, all the while making our cities and towns more pleasurable places to live.
Wouldn’t it be nicer to get to work on a train or high-speed bus instead of scraping your windshield and fighting with traffic? Shouldn’t we take these actions just for our own sake? For the sake of ourselves, we should. For the sake of our planet, we must.
Brown LR. 2011. World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Chaitkin, S. (2012, October) Energy Lecture 3: Ending the Addiction to Oil. The Global Environment and Public Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Schwartz, B. (2012a, September) The Public Health Implications of Peak Oil - The Coming of Energy Scarcity. The Global Environment and Public Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Schwartz, B. (2012b, August) The Built Environment and Public Health. Environmental Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
***Good job if you made it this far! I know that some of you don't love the papers posted on the blog so much, but I have only posted the potential op-eds for now. And the more I study this, the more important I think it is. So, brace yourself for a Green Katherine!
Why is our addiction to oil so bad? First, it’s bad for the economy. We are increasingly vulnerable to its price fluctuations, which can have tremendous effects as we have seen in recent years. Second, it’s bad for foreign policy: instead of focusing on peacekeeping and humanitarian needs, we let our foreign policy be driven by foreign oil. Third, it’s becoming more expensive to extract. Oil is no longer readily available; tar sands and shale oil are unlikely to meet our demand and have a very low amount energy returned after taking the energy invested into account. Lastly, it’s dangerous to our health and our planet’s health. Oil extraction and combustion cause pulmonary diseases and heat stress, for example and the continuance of fossil fuel use will increase greenhouse gases and keep us on the path of catastrophic climate change.
Why are we so dependent on oil? The root of the cause is because of sprawl development and our dependence on cars. But, we can break this cycle: if we drive fewer miles, get better miles per gallon on our transportation methods and decrease the number of cars, we will decrease the amount of oil on which we rely. This will not only remove our dependence on oil, it will create cleaner and healthier cities and towns.
By relying on modes of transportation that have higher occupancy and/or don’t use oil, we can break our dependence. We have the technology we need to implement more high-speed trains, streetcars, subways, light rails, and trolleys. Cities around the world have invested in better trains, buses and bike lanes and have achieved excellent results. For example, Japan has trains that can go up to 190 miles per hour and carry almost 400,000 people per day. Bogotá, Columbia has implemented a bus rapid transit system that is being mimicked all over the world. Not only do these changes improve the look and health of a city, they make it safer. If a city has less sprawl and vehicular commutes, the fewer motor vehicle fatalities there are.
Bicycling and walking improve the health of a city as well as the look of it. When Atlanta, GA removed cars for the 1996 Olympics, the rate of asthma attacks among children decreased significantly. To improve air pollution and traffic congestion, the mayor of Paris improved bicycle availability and added bike lanes in a program that has been copied worldwide. Bicycles produce zero carbon, reduce traffic congestion, add no air pollution, and help citizens lose weight. In addition, they are a fraction of the cost of cars and do not require the same level of upkeep.
We have no choice but to change our behavior and become less reliant on oil. Not only because our environment requires it in order to avoid catastrophic climate change, but because oil will only become more difficult to obtain before it finally runs out. But doesn’t an environment without oil sound preferable? We would improve foreign policy, improve air pollution, decrease greenhouse gases, interact with each other and get more exercise, all the while making our cities and towns more pleasurable places to live.
Wouldn’t it be nicer to get to work on a train or high-speed bus instead of scraping your windshield and fighting with traffic? Shouldn’t we take these actions just for our own sake? For the sake of ourselves, we should. For the sake of our planet, we must.
Brown LR. 2011. World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. New York: W.W. Norton & Company.
Chaitkin, S. (2012, October) Energy Lecture 3: Ending the Addiction to Oil. The Global Environment and Public Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Schwartz, B. (2012a, September) The Public Health Implications of Peak Oil - The Coming of Energy Scarcity. The Global Environment and Public Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
Schwartz, B. (2012b, August) The Built Environment and Public Health. Environmental Health. Lecture conducted from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
***Good job if you made it this far! I know that some of you don't love the papers posted on the blog so much, but I have only posted the potential op-eds for now. And the more I study this, the more important I think it is. So, brace yourself for a Green Katherine!
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