February 12, 2004
oil
I grew up partly in Texas and my dad, a geologist, spent a lot of time in the oil business.
So Middle East politics aside, oil is not something I have ever had a lot of trouble with.
Yeah, it
Hugh MacLeod
I'm a cartoonist.
I sell limited-edition prints.
I wrote a book.
I'm CEO of Stormhoek USA, which markets South African wine in the States.
I also draw private commissions.
Prints |
Opening | Current |
|---|---|---|
Bluetrain |
$900 | |
We Need to Talk |
$650 | |
Portfolio #2 |
$300 | |
NY NY |
$275 |
Oil isn’t going anywhere any time soon. If anything, wouldn’t technology make it cheaper? Technology doesn’t get worse over time…
Technology has done nothing but make oil cheaper for the last 100 years; I imagine it will continue to do so for a while yet.
My interest is not in how we’re going to “save the world”. My interest is in the new opportunities that are created as the world changes.
Call it “environmental capitalism”, if you will.
No, we’re not going to run out of oil before we kill ourselves with it. The real problem is sustaining ourselves in our environment, an environment long neglected or not prioritized in business, until now. Just because oil is not an infinite-supply resource doesn’t mean that we’re in any realistic danger of running out. However, the problems that it introduces to our environment is becoming more and more of a high-priority issue and, at some point, some bold businessperson will take the industry through the transition. Until then, don’t throw out your gasmasks.