#157_A Cultural Transition: What the Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn't Want You to Know

Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast

Episode 157

A Cultural Transition: What the Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know

Throughout human existence there have been several significant transitions which have truly defined our history. Although these transitions have often improved our standard of living such things have always been met with resistance. This is because typically someone has something to lose. Whether it be an individual, a big business or the government, losing your position of advantage is typically troubling.  

We are now once again on the verge of a significant cultural transition. It is possible for us to have a green circular economy that is sustainable and we have the technology to back it up. But the fossil fuel industry has something to lose and there are a lot of things they simply don’t want you to know. 

So join me for E157 A Cultural Transition and What the Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know. 

Welcome back everyone to the Adventures in Sustainable Living Podcast. This is your host Patrick and this is E157 A Cultural Transition and What the Fossil Fuel Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know. 

But before we get into to that, let’s first talk about the good news story of the week. 

It seems that almost everyday we hear nothing but bad news about how the world is falling apart around us. That is why for me it is so much fun to search the web every week and find good news about our world. And this weeks good news is that we are one step closer to a sustainable circular economy. 

Scientists at the University of Edinburgh  engineered a bacteria to eat plastic and transform it into something useful. 

These scientists engineered a simple E. Coli bacterial to eat plastic and turn it into something useful. This is fantastic because 80% of the disposable plastics are produced for single use products and we produced mountains of plastic waste every single day.

The E. Coli is able to up-cycle PET into adipic acid which is widely used in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. The creation of adipic acid is typically energy intensive and dependent on the use of fossil fuels. 

Scientists working on a different project engineered a strain of E. Coli that could transform the main ingredient of PET into a vanilla flavoring. The scientist in Edinburgh built on that research to engineer a different strain of the bacteria. As a result, we have a biological process that can up-cycle our mountains of plastic waste from current industrial processes into something useful. 

We are one step closer to creating a circular economy and avoiding the environmental consequences of landfills and incinerators. So, a round of applause to the University of Edinburgh and their ingenious team of scientists.  

And now let’s move on to this weeks episode.

For decades now, for one reason or another, every five years my life predictably makes some sort of transition.  I don’t know what it is. I am not sure if I get bored. I am not sure if I simply start looking for another challenge. Essentially I start questioning if what I am doing at the time still works for me and is giving me the lifestyle I want. Is it going to continue to make me happy? Can I continue to justify what I am doing? And the answers to those questions typically forms the foundation of whatever I transition into. This is why I think I am so well suited for living off the grid. Twenty-seven years into it there still seems to be challenges to overcome.  

Whether you notice it or not, humanity and our culture goes through periodic transitions. Most of us never realize this because but it just takes a lot longer. These cultural transitions have not only improved our lives but has also changed our relationship with the environment. So, let’s take a look. 

First Transition: The Use of Fire

Perhaps the first major transition that change the course of humanity was the use of fire. The first undisputed archeological evidence of the use of fire by humans dates back 250,000 years. But there is also clear evidence of human habitation in northern Eurasian that dates back 500,000 years. What we do know is that inhabiting this part of the world would have been difficult without fire. 

The domestication of fire was a very important prerequisite for the use of biomass for energy, and of course much later the use of fossil fuels. This was truly the beginning of humanity changing the world into much of what we see today. 

The use of fire transformed many things: 

Fire made it possible to clear vegetation and also improved hunting capabilities. It also served as a protection mechanism from large predators. 

Fire made it easier for humans to live in colder climates. 

Cooking food increased the palatability and digestibility of many foods which improved nutrition. It is thought that better nutrition promoted an increase in the relative size of our brains. That in turn resulted in improved mental capacities and an increase in technological capacity. 

Cooking also disinfected foods and reduced pathogens burdens so people likely lived longer.  

The end result of that the use of fire was the growth and spread of human populations. The use of fire also increased our ability to manipulate our world to our advantage. 

Second Transition: The Use of Language

Since language does not fossilize, the date of its origin can only be estimated. The first widely accepted evidence of a language similar to ours dates back about 40,000 years. The first undisputed signs of art also dates back to about that same time, suggesting the use of language, since both art and language require the use of symbols with a universal meaning for the entire community. 

The consequence of language was improved communication, more complex communities, and advancement in our mental capabilities. Thinking is also the mental representation of language which of course enables us to better manipulate our world. The result of efficient communication and improved mental capabilities resulted in a sudden and unprecedented increase in technology. This meant better tools and increased hunting skills. All of which resulted in more environmental manipulation and the further spreading of humanity. 

People began to migrate to other regions of the world. The use of fire, improved communication, improved tools, more efficient hunting, improved shelters that were mobile made this all possible. It also resulted in the extinction of numerous large mammals. 

Third Transition: Development of Agriculture

Agriculture first appeared in human history about 11,000 years ago. It is believed that a combination of four different things resulted in this development:

 1) Over hunting may have decreased the number of available wild animal species making it necessary to select and propagate certain desirable species. 2) The end of the last Ice Age may have increased the number of available plants that could be cultivated 3) Advancements in collection, processing, and storage of plants made it possible to propagate certain plant species. 4) All of these technologies resulted in population growth which may have forced the switch to food production in order to feed more people. 

The consequences of the development of agriculture was increased population growth and population density. It also resulted in increased social inequality since a more sedentary lifestyle for portions of society allowed people to accumulate possessions and to gain power and wealth. 

Consequently, there was increased competition between groups of people resulting in even violence. But also for the first time humanity started to see natural ecosystems as mere resources instead of a place to live and hunt. This was truly the beginning of our detachment from nature. 

Fourth Transition: Civilization

This is when humans started to develop complex societies. People began to move away from agriculture and into small cities which promoted a further separation from nature. For the first time in human history we started to see the rise of non-food-producing specialists such as kings, soldiers, and crafts people. This became possible because of accumulated possessions and food storage. This is when the stratification of society started to appear and social inequalities were magnified even further. 

At this point, humans started using metals, developed new mechanical devices and made even further improvements in agriculture practices which of course altered the environment even more. 

Fifth Transition: European Conquests

Technological advances made it possible to develop ocean-going ships. Conquests were made to other continents and new settlements were developed. This made it possible for the exchange of people, materials, goods, plant and animals species, and information. The exchange of plant and animals species promoted greater agricultural yields and consequently resulted in a population explosion. Trade between continents began to flourish and thus we saw the birth of the world economy. 

Sixth Transition: Scientific and Technological Revolution and the Dominance of Fossil Fuels as the Primary Energy Source

This primarily resulted from the development of European science and the increase in the complexity of technology. Although coal had been used in Europe since the 12th century, it did not become a major energy source until the 17th century. By this time forests had been cleared and the availability of fuel wood diminished to the point that countries had to import timber. 

But advances in technology, in particular the invention of the blast furnace, made coal extraction easier and less expensive than fuel wood. Coal then provided a concentrate source of energy never seen before. And this contributed significantly to the outset of the Industrial Revolution. 

The energy demand of the economy soon became so massive that satisfying that demand was impossible without the use of fossil fuels. By the mid-19th century a second type of fossil fuel appeared on the scene, which was crude oil. It had an even greater energy density than coal. By the second half of the 20th century crude oil became the primary energy source of the world. Later in the 20th century natural gas also became dominant. 

What naturally followed was further industrialization and the development of the market economy, the boom of the chemical industry, and the industrialization of the agricultural and fishing industries. 

The end results of our transitions

And here we are now in 2023. It is hard to believe what the world has come to simply because of the discovery of fire. But if you look at each of these transitions the end result was our increasing ability to manipulate our environment. As we continue to do so our negative impact on our world increases. 

What is interesting to note is that as humanity advanced in technology, our lives became more sedentary. Those that accumulated possessions and money became the elite. This in turn caused a stratification of our society and social inequalities were greatly magnified. And that is what we continue to see to this day.  

Seventh Transition; Shift to a renewable energy economy

However, we are now witnessing the beginnings of our seventh transition which is the shift to a renewable energy economy. 

So here is what the fossil fuel industry does not want you to know. 

In the 1970s scientist from Exxon Mobile with astonishing accuracy predicted the environmental impact of the continued use of fossil fuels. Since that time hundreds of millions of dollars have been poured into a disinformation campaign to deny climate change. 

Starting in the 1980s, the international community realized that our planet was warming due to emissions from burning fossil fuels. By 1992 global leaders agreed to adopt specific measures to stabilize the climate. About that same time many of the largest corporations in the US, which were led by the oil industry, formed the Global Climate Coalition to push back any efforts to reduce emissions. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that despite the climate science behind what we are now experiencing, the oil and gas industry is still expanding. Global liquid fuel production is expected to increase by 1.3 million barrel per day in 2023. Big oil is still receiving billions of dollars in government subsidies on an annual basis. Their profits more than doubled in 2022 up to $200 billion USD. 

The good news is that people are starting to realize that human life and the long-term prosperity of our planet is just not compatible with the continued growth and use of fossil fuels. Despite all of this there are many people that still believe society cannot function and our economies cannot thrive without the use of dirty energy. 

What the fossil fuel industry does not want you to know is that yes it is possible to run the entire planet on renewable energy. And we have the technology to do it now. 

What the fossil fuel industry does not want you to know is that when the United Nations Conference of Parties convention on climate change, also known as the COP convention, is held every year, the  representatives from the fossil fuel industry far out number the representatives from world governments. They lobby against any changes in global policies that will have a negative impact on the fossil fuel industry. And it is these representatives from the fossil fuel industry that will never live long enough to see the worst impacts of climate change. So they are lobbying against the sustainability of future generations. 

What the fossil fuel industry does not want you to know is that some scientist believe that we only have a few years left of burning fossil fuels at our current rate before we reach a tipping point of limiting global warming to safe levels. And yet these big companies have plans to dig for more in the decades to come. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that despite everything they tell us, the rise of clean energy technologies is set to have serious implications on fossil fuel demands in the near future. The global demand for coal, oil, and natural gas is set to peak by the year 2030.

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that due to the energy demands of our modern culture, they are actually in control of your life. Their product essentially controls 81% of our global economy. They have their political and financial fingers in every corner of your life. Global divestment away for the fossil fuel industry would actually expedite an equitable shift of economic and political control away from extractive corporations that actually lobby against the future of humanity. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that is is now less expensive to build and maintain a renewable energy power plant than it is to build a similar facility powered by fossil fuels. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that a financial analysis of the industry reveals that in the United States, the European Union and in the UK, financial losses due to divestment from the industry would only affect the top 10% of wealth holders, with half of that only affecting the top one percent. The shutting down of the fossil fuel industry would have negligible affects on the vast majority of the worlds population. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that their future does not look good. The advancement of renewable energy and the rise of strong climate change policies are creating a tipping point that marks the end of the public dominance of their industry. The narrative that as a culture we cannot exist solely on clean technologies is being perpetuated by fossil fuel companies that now realize they are faced with an existential crisis and deception is the only way for them to survive. 

Seventh Transition: A World Powered by Clean Technology. 

What the fossil fuel industry doesn’t want you to know is that humanity is now experiencing a seventh major transition. And that is a transition to a world powered by clean technology. 

Coal consumption in China has declined for three years running. In the UK coal power generation has declined by 52%. In the European Union coal and natural gas energy demands have reached record lows. In the US there has been a 40% decline in coal power over the last decade. Despite global  uncertainties, renewable energy continues to grow at record levels. Renewable energy has become increasingly important in recent decades because more people are starting to understand the impacts of climate change and numerous countries in the global community are looking to limit their dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuels. 

Summary

Major cultural transitions have often been fraught with resistance in the form of corruption, spreading false information, underlying political agendas, and even criminal behavior because someone always has something to lose.

The science behind what is presently happening on our planet is clear. People are becoming more aware, more knowledgable. Knowledge is power and public tolerance for the fossil fuel industry is running out. 

There is clear archeological evidence that humanity has experience six major transitions. And those are in order, the use of fire, the development of language, the development of agriculture, the rise of civilization, the European conquests, and lastly the scientific and technological revolution and the dominance of fossil fuels as our primary energy source. 

Some of these transitions developed slowly over thousands of years. Some were propelled rapidly forward by the development of new technology as happened with the Industrial Revolution. One thing is certain, all of these transitions are the reason we have flourished, populated every corner of the globe and it is truly the reason we are still here. 

I am sure it is very interesting, very intriguing indeed for archeologist to look at fossilized evidence of human activity and attempt to decipher what actually happened. One thing is certain, thousand of years from now future archeologists are going to dig through rubble and conclude there was a plastics age. But what if that layer of plastic was followed by a layer of new green growth, healthy biological sediment, and minimal to no pollution. Then perhaps those future archeologist would be amazed at our Green Transition. Perhaps they would even say, “Wow, that is the reason we are still here.” 

This is your host Patrick signing off. Always remember to live sustainably because this is how we build a better future.