CSUEB lecturer wants petroleum junkies of the world to unite

• December 12, 2011 5:00am

In his recent TruthOut.com article, “Petroleum Junkies of the World, Unite!,” Cal State East Bay Political Science Lecturer Craig Collins wrote, “It may sound odd, but I didn't realize I was addicted to petroleum until I was about 30. Like most Americans, I was born into a lifestyle of cheap energy and took it for granted.”

His article explains that throughout the 20th century, the world was preoccupied with modernity and progress, yet it overlooked the contribution of fossil fuels that has made transformation of human life on this planet possible.

According to Collins, “It never occurred to me that our prosperity had anything to do with our dependence on oil; in school we were told our affluence was the product of free enterprise, liberty and democracy. I knew that every country in the world aspired to be as modern as the United States. Poor countries were trying to copy our success and our enemies behind "the iron curtain" claimed they would soon out-modernize us. Growing up, I felt sorry for people who still lived without the conveniences of modern life. It took me years to realize that our supercharged lifestyle depends on a vanishing supply of fossil fuels and cannot possibly be reproduced on a global scale.”

KL