Musk: Without oil and gas, 'civilization will crumble' Speaking at an energy conference in Stavanger, Norway, on August 29, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reiterated a claim that he made earlier this year: "I think we need to use oil and gas in the short term, because otherwise civilization will crumble."
Amid an energy crisis in Europe — which some anticipate will get much worse in the winter — high gas prices, and a grid rendered more unstable in the U.S. by reliance on so-called sustainable energy, Musk claimed that "we actually need more oil and gas, not less."
Though he indicated that "we have a clear path to a sustainable energy future," it is not a path that can be tread quickly. Musk said the transition "will take some decades to complete."
That transition is by no means a simple or an easy one. The Tesla CEO noted that it is one "of the biggest challenges the world has ever faced."
Musk's theme of civilizational collapse as a response to a premature transition off of fossil fuels is taken up in scientist and policy analyst Vaclav Smil's recent book "How the World Really Works." Although Smil discusses the impact more broadly, he zeroes in on our food supply's link to fossil fuels: "Our food supply — be it staple grains, clucking birds, favorite vegetables, or seafood praised for its nutritious quality — has become increasingly dependent on fossil fuels." ...............
https://www.theblaze.com/news/musk-without-oil-and-gas-civilization-will-crumble
