What could happen if we just stopped oil? Six billion might die
It's difficult to see how an immediate ban on fossil fuels will allow civilisation to continue and flourish
NEIL RECORD
19 December 2023 • 9:00am
Many of us have been exasperated by the antics of Just Stop Oil protesters. Now, I believe that these are well-meaning and committed to their cause and I am sure that they think that they are trying to save the planet in the best way they can think of – gain publicity, get people talking and influence politicians.
But what would happen if we literally just stopped oil tomorrow and did without the natural resources on which the world, its economies and populations depend? The answer: most likely six billion people would die within a year.
I am going to assume the “oil” in Just Stop Oil means fossil fuels – so oil, gas and coal. I am also going to assume that we have today’s technological knowledge and infrastructure, so we are talking about stopping fossil fuels now, not at some unspecified time in the future.
https://archive.ph/oAOih#selection-2333.4-2465.276
