Ensnared by fossil supply chains

Many authors have charted the course of civilization through the development of its energy systems – for instance, Debeir, Deleage and Hémery in their history of energy systems, ¹ Smil in Energy in World History, ² and Sieferle in his work on the history of mankind and the environment. ³ They all mount a convincing attempt to trace out how the resources used at each point in history shaped the economic, social and cultural trends of the time. There is no need to reiterate the detailed paths taken by individual economies here. Cultural differences notwithstanding, the process is more or less the same whenever and wherever it takes place. The aim here is to describe how the world is fettered by the supply chains of a finite, exhaustible resource base, chains which are dragging humanity inexorably into the abyss.