Post
@urlyman This is true, but irrelevant. Just as we can't continue to burn fossil hydrocarbons, so can't afford to release their carbon into the environment in any other form, because it will inevitably end up in the atmosphere as CO2 anyway.
So we can't continue to make those medicines, plastics, surgical devices, synthetic clothing, electronics, contact lenses, tents or kayaks out of fossil hydrocarbon. All will become more expensive. Some, we won't be able to make at all.
@urlyman yes, very interesting. Am now wondering how many countries don't have electrified train systems. As usual the UK is a hybrid
@urlyman If you hashtag such things, people don't have to mute you (and possibly forget to unmute you), plus people can respond with the same hashtag, so the entire thread can be hidden for people who aren't interested.
@kauer good idea. I’ll do that tomorrow for part 2.
I’ve segmented the text above already and some of it comes very close to 500 characters, so will leave it as is
@urlyman If you hashtag such things, people don't have to mute you (and possibly forget to unmute you), plus people can respond with the same hashtag, so the entire thread can be hidden for people who aren't interested.
Nate Hagens, April 2026:
#Oil101 / #Oil201 / #Oil301 preamble:
“As a result of the Strait of Hormuz closure, you’ve probably heard a lot about oil in the news lately. You might know that oil is important for filling up your car, but you’re probably not quite sure what the big deal is beyond that. It turns out that our entire modern civilization is only possible primarily because of oil, and the resulting products from it…
…“This series is a way of seeing oil from a systems perspective. My hope is it might help contextualize the massive historical moment that we’re witnessing unfold.
This episode is the first of 3 on the subject. In this one, we’ll cover the basics of oil, what it is, and how it benefits society. Things we should’ve been taught in school but weren’t.
The second will expand to look at how our systems and institutions depend on oil, and how this knowledge can help us understand our present moment…
…“The final part will take the lens of the first two and help us explore what all this means for the future of humanity and earth.”
Series setup ends.
- - -
What follows is a 14-post transcript of part 1 of the series:
https://www.thegreatsimplification.com/frankly-original/135-oil-101
@urlyman
Very interesting, thanks
#Oil101: 1/14
“Most people’s mental image of oil comes from a cartoon of dead dinosaurs turning into goo, which we put in our car.
In reality, oil formed from dead marine phytoplankton, algae that captured solar energy tens of millions of years ago, that was then compressed by heat and pressure over geological time, creating a super energy-dense liquid substance, which we refine.
It was a solar battery that took millions of years to charge, and we’re draining it in centuries…
Install bonfire.cafe
Get the full app experience
