Simply recognizing that resources are limited is sometimes the first step toward creating a sustainable supply. Take oil for example. M. King Hubbert developed the idea of peak oil in the 1950's to explain how a supply can be depleted while consumption of that supply continues to increase. He predicted that we would cross this peak in the late 1960's. His theories were disregarded during his time due to the abundance of cheap oil. Fuel economy was not a consideration in many nations around the world during his time. He predicted that if oil were not conserved and it's usage reduced to a more sustainable level, we would begin to see oil shortages and sharp rises in costs related to the resource.
It is easy to recognize the impact of his observations by looking back as recent as six months prior at the cost of fuel. We may see temporary dips in prices at the pump, but in general costs rise as production decreases. Everything from fuel to plastics to costs of delivering good is directly connected back to oil consumption and production. Easy oil sources are running low, so we are now looking to reserves that are more difficult to extract from the Earth and to process into usable forms. This addiction to cheap energy puts strains on those industries and aspects of life that rely upon their availability and affordability. A paradigm shift toward sustainability may allow us to continue to utilize this resource, but a failure to recognize and make changes could lead to a much worse situation.
Peak Oil
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