Over the last 200 years, when the world populated from 1 to 8 billion, we learned that crude oil is virtually useless unless it’s manufactured (refineries) into oil derivatives that are the basis of the fuels to move the heavy-weight and long-range needs of more than 50,000 jets moving people and products, and more than 50,000 merchant ships for global trade flows, and the military and space programs.

Image: Creative Commons under Unsplash

Today, chemical products, such as plastics, solvents, and fertilizers, include more than 6,000 oil-based products that are essential for supporting modern lifestyles.

Recognizing that eradicating the world of oil without a replacement in mind would be immoral and evil, as extreme shortages of the products now manufactured from fossil fuels will result in billions of fatalities from diseases, malnutrition, and weather-related deaths, and could be the greatest threat to the world’s eight billion population.

The “energy conundrum is that “renewables” only generate electricity, yet most products derive from oil.

• Wind turbines and solar panels can only generate intermittent electricity. They cannot manufacture any products for society.
• Crude oil, on the other hand, is virtually useless unless it’s manufactured (refineries) into the fuels to move the heavy-weight and long-range needs of more than 50,000 jets moving people and products and more than 50,000 merchant ships for global trade flows basis of more than 6,000 products in our daily lives that did not exist before the 1900s, and the military and space programs.

The proverb “you can’t have your cake and eat it too” tells us that you can’t rid the world of crude oil and continue to enjoy the products and fuels manufactured from fossil fuels that can be manufactured into something usable like the fuels for the heavy-weight and long-range transportation infrastructures of ships and jets and the derivatives that make the more than 6,000 products and fuels that have made our lives more comfortable.

Globally, excluding China, about 3 million barrels per day of refining capacity closed since January 2020. The future does not bode well, as 20 percent of the 700 worldwide refineries are expected to close in the next five years, i.e., 140 closures. Further inflation and shortages in perpetuity are guaranteed, as those refineries are manufacturing the fuels for the jets moving people and products, and the merchant ships for global trade flows, of the products for society and the military and space programs.

China is coming to the rescue with Asia’s 88 new refineries for manufactured oil derivatives that are the basis of almost every product being used by mankind, as well as the manufactured fuels used by every transportation infrastructure and the military.

Like the national debt Ponzi, the shortages of the products, fuels, pesticides, and fertilizers MANUFACTURED from fossil fuels will also contribute to shortages and further inflation in perpetuity as wind turbines and solar panels are both incapable of manufacturing ANYTHING; they just generate occasional electricity.

We may have long-range plans to generate electricity from wind, solar, or nuclear fusion, but no plans to replace crude oil that is manufactured into everything in our daily lives. Thus, efforts to cease the use of crude oil could be the greatest threat to civilization, not climate change, and lead the world to an era of guaranteed extreme shortages of fossil fuel products, as we had in the decarbonized world in the 1800s, which may result in billions of fatalities from diseases, malnutrition, and weather-related deaths trying to live without the 50,000-merchant ship and 50,000 jets, that are moving more than 6,000 products currently benefiting worldwide humanity.

The American Government of 435 Representatives and 100 Senators are laser-focused on ending the “climate crisis” by switching to “clean” ELECTRICTY. It has few qualms about importing critically needed materials from foreign countries, primarily China – regardless of economic, defense, national security, ecological, or human rights implications.

The dismal track record of virtually every program implemented by the Government is broken, and most likely, the clean electricity program will have results similar to previous programs such as:

• United States Postal Service established 247 years ago in 1775 and is now broken.
• Social Security established 88 years ago in 1935 and is now broken.
• Fanny Mae established 85 years ago in 1938 and is now broken.
• Medicare and Medicaid established 58 years ago, in 1965, and are now broken.
• Freddie Mac established 53 years ago in 1970 and is now broken.
• United States Department of Energy established 46 years ago in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Now, with 16,000 employees and a 31 billion dollar annual budget, and 46 years later, we’re importing more oil than ever!

A private industry company such Walmart, the most successful and profitable business in America with 2.2 million employees and more than 10,000 stores, may be a better choice to run any energy program being mandated. Is it time to drain the swamp and hire Walmart to run the Government?

World leaders are not cognizant enough to know that wind turbines and solar panels only generate occasional electricity and have no plans to replace the products and fuels now manufactured from fossil fuels, which are the basis of every infrastructure segment supporting the 8 billion on this planet!

It’s shocking that the media continues to refrain from asking the government leaders and policymakers of current green electricity mandates a John Stossel-styled “give-me-a-break” question: Can you imagine our world without jets, merchant ships, militaries, and space programs?

This piece originally appeared at CFact.org and has been republished here with permission.

Ronald Stein is an engineer, senior policy advisor on energy literacy for CFACT, and co-author of the Pulitzer Prize nominated book “Clean Energy Exploitations.”