The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies (Paperback)

What is this impending energy catastrophe? It is the inability of the world to provide enough raw oil, (a finite resource) to sustain the year on year (exponential) growth of our economies and population, (an infinite goal). The crisis will affect what you eat, how you travel, the costs of all raw materials and products made from them, employment, the value of money, perhaps even the value of life itself. It will certainly change the way you live sooner rather than later.

With decent historical analysis of former civilisations which failed due to resource issues and why our civilisations have so far escaped such failures, Richard Heinberg paints a colourful yet familiar picture of our current reliance upon finite resources and oil. With some oil history, evaluation of likely supplies and demands upon it, and a debate on contrary views; a reasoned and balanced argument it formed. But few would find the Heinberg's conclusions difficult to reject, and most will find them hard to swallow.

A review of alternative energy technologies and how we might measure the benefit of any particular fuel might leave you wondering what we can do about the problem. And unlike many publications prophesising doom, it does give some potential answers and perhaps even a little hope.

The book is highly accessible, well structured, and easy to read, and will make an invaluable reference book to those people interested, as it is divided beautifully into manageable and relevant sections. However whilst it does not specialise on any one area of the consequences of oil depletion, the benefit of this book is that it is rounded and complete, leaving you in a position to make judgements and look further. It is also the most complete book I have found on the subject of oil depletion.

In conclusion, the disturbing message from this book will have the same importance to you as (for example) the captain of your next holiday flight shouting, "Brace! Brace! Brace!". Of course, that is if there is enough fuel for your flight to take off.

(Hubbert's Peak by Kenneth S. Deffeyes should be read in conjunction with this book for a full explanation by an oil expert of the geological and technical reasons as to whywe will find oil supplies drying up soon).

Heinberg longs for action to adjust our energy needs to be taken now. It is not really clear how much hope he has for this. Surely, the reality is the political system will only react when the trend is clearly in place and causing significant economic pain. In the last section of the book 'Managing the Collapse', Heinberg seems to avoid the fact that history shows people will respond according to narrow self-interests. He could maybe have included more detail on the projected growth in energy needs of Indian & China (who have their eyes on a Western lifestyle with subsequent energy needs) and the likely tensions this is likely to cause with the West.

Of course, the track record of people making predictions with apocalyptic themes is poor. I recall reading how people in the 19th Century expected the World to go dark when whale oil ran out. For all our sakes, I just hope Heinberg (& associated energy forecasters) have missed something in their analysis. If not, we could have our Easter Island.

I would hope that this could become a standard work for all schools and colleges in the vague hope that the young could get through to our bone headed leaders (political,industrial, community etc etc) who are heading us for an almighty crash. It is too late for the adult population (particularly in the USA)to let go of their gluttony for oil.

If political will cannot be changed popular will must for the sake of our children, grand-children and the whole future of our species.

How we will one day mourn the loss of basic and essential skills that could enable us to survive.

A MUST READ.