The Oil Light Is On!

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, education, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Imagine you’re driving your car and the ‘oil’ light suddenly comes on.  Do you …

  1. Stop immediately and check the oil
  2. Drive to the nearest service station and have them check the oil
  3. Say, “Nah, it’s all a hoax to get me to buy a quart of oil” and keep driving

Obviously (at least to most of us) ‘a’ is the best answer, ‘b’ is okay too, and ‘c’ is going to end up costing you for either a new engine or a new car altogether!

The ‘oil light’ is flashing red on Planet Earth and has been for quite some time, and yet … some call it a ‘hoax’ and keep right on driving.  Driving, flying, wasting, and disregarding.  My best guess is that those who deny climate change exists actually know the truth, but don’t wish to be inconvenienced by … oh, say walking the block to the store for just a few things, or turning the thermostat to a cooler setting in winter, or foregoing that vacation to Disneyland, or eating fish instead of beef, or using their own reusable grocery bags instead of the plastic ones the stores use.  All little things, small changes in lifestyle that collectively could make such a big difference.

If you are a living, breathing person of moderate intelligence, you cannot possibly reasonably deny that we are seeing the effects of climate changed cause by a century of fossil fuel excavation and burning, by the over-the-top use of single-use plastics in our everyday life.  Just step outside …

Heat waves in the U.S., wildfires in Europe, floods in Asia: This summer has shown how the climate crisis has made extreme weather a part of everyday life. Some of the worst recent damage has taken place in Pakistan. Floods have submerged more than a third of the country and killed at least 1,300 people.  The floods followed a brutal heat wave in Pakistan earlier this year that led to temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists have already concluded that global warming made that heat wave much likelier.

Climate disasters also hit many other parts of the world this year:

  • In the U.S., a heat wave on the West Coast has sent temperatures soaring above 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the past few days. About 100 million Americans across the country suffered another heat wave earlier this summer. And floods have ravaged parts of the U.S., including Kentucky and Missouri.
  • The earlier heat wave that hit Pakistan reached India, too. A severe drought also struck parts of India this summer, reducing the country’s food exports. And floods in Bengaluru, India’s tech capital, forced workers to ride boats and tractors to get to the office.
  • A heat wave and drought in China dried up rivers, disabling hydroelectric dams and cutting off ships carrying supplies.
  • Another heat wave in Europe sent temperatures in Britain to a record 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Droughts across the continent dried up rivers, exposing sunken ships from World War II and disrupting the river cruise industry. And wildfires in Europe have burned nearly three times as much land so far this year as the 2006-2021 average.
  • In April, heavy rainfall caused floods and mudslides in South Africa that killed at least 45 people.

When you ignore that oil light in your car, you will likely fry your engine and have to replace the engine or the car, costing anywhere from $3,000 to as much as $10,000 for a new engine, and upward of $20,000 for a new car, but … it can be done.  We cannot replace the Earth’s engine, nor can we replace Planet Earth and find a new home.  Yes, I know some idiots claim we can build ‘space colonies’ on some other planet, but that theory belongs in a Buck Rogers comic book.  Not gonna happen, my friends.  We have one planet in the entire universe that will sustain not only human life, but also the lives of all the other species that in one way or another contribute to the complex ecosystem that provides food, air, and water that we need to survive.  Once the devastation we have wrought and continue to cause reaches a certain point, it becomes too late to turn back the hands of time, to repair the damage quickly enough to assure the survival of life on the planet.

Two things we must do if we care one whit about future generations:

We must make some small lifestyle changes

  • Stop buying plastic to the extent you can
  • Drive as little as possible … make one trip do it all, or better yet, take a bus!
  • Substitute fish or a veggie supper for beef or pork a couple of nights a week
  • Wear a sweater and turn the thermostat down just a couple of degrees

We must vote for people who support ending our reliance on fossil fuels in favour of more investment in renewable energy sources.  I know there are many contentious issues on the ballot this year, and there will be again in 2024, but there is no single issue more important than the environment.  If a candidate is funded by the fossil fuel industry, you can bet he is not going to vote in the best interest of the planet, but rather of his own portfolio.

If we don’t take this seriously today, future generations won’t be able to undo the damage and eventually there won’t be any future generations.  Period.

57 thoughts on “The Oil Light Is On!”

  2. At around 40 years ago, I concluded that we need to start acting on this now. I could see that by the time the evidence was strong enough to be undeniable, it would be too late.

    And that’s where we are right now. It’s too late to stop this. But we can still ameliorate it.

    Unfortunately the evangelicals are still in denial. They might admit that there is a problem, but they deny that it is human caused.

    Liked by 1 person

    • You were ahead of the rest of us, my friend, but yes, scientists were beginning to sound the warning about that time, too. We didn’t heed the warnings, figured time would somehow take care of everything, and we kept on dancing.

      And now … it galls me to hear people complain about what they pay at the pump, calling it “the cost of fuel”, when in fact the real cost of that fuel is the wildfires, the floods, the arctic ice melting, the sea levels rising, the droughts … and more.

      We CAN ameliorate it, but only if everyone gets on board. Too many politicians are influencing the masses, calling it a ‘hoax’, and the masses are happy enough to fall for it, because to believe the science would mean they would have no more excuses to keep living their energy dependent lifestyles. Don’t want to be inconvenienced, now do we? Sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Jill, great analogy. In this case, the oil light is on, the engine light is on and the tire pressure is low. We are well past time to address issues. Things have moved forward, but not nearly enough to stem the tide. We need an all hands on deck approach. Keith

    Liked by 2 people

    • Good point! More than just the oil light, but the whole car is about to self-destruct! Things that move forward seem to then move backward. I’m very concerned for future generations, and yes, we definitely need all hands on deck.

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  4. Good post Jill! With prices as high as they are now I have a feeling we’re getting to the point where we can’t afford food, heat, a/c, fuel of any kind before long. We are living in a concrete jungle with the natural trees being cut down and replaced by concrete! It’s happened here in my town and I’m sure it’s happening in other places as well. Will humans be replaced by plastic people next?

    Liked by 2 people

    • Indeed … and imagine the person who is raising a family on a minimum wage job! But my bigger fear is that we will soon come to the point as other countries have that there IS NO potable drinking water, or safe food sources, a time when electricity is sparse or non-existent. We can make some lifestyle changes now, or our children and grandchildren can live with the really hard ones in a few years. You and I are lucky in that sense … we’ll be gone before this catastrophe hits, but hit it will. Our next generations will pay the price. Sigh. How’s the new place working out, my friend? Everything okay? Love you!

      Liked by 1 person

      • Aw gee! I had a great reply here but they wanted me to log in and I didn’t have my password book! Reset it but copied it wrong and had to start over! Hey! what do they expect at 4 in the morning? Instead of trying to remember it I’m just going to tell you that the new place is growing on me. I don’t have to cook, clean, or do laundry, just try to get used to complete BOREDOM! At least I have the river to watch and today I will get my sewing machine and fabric delivered! Just hope they put the thread in the bag as well! Things have been backed up and are just now getting where they can bring my stuff in! It’s going to work out.

        Liked by 1 person

        • 4:00 A.M.???? What … are you trying to keep up with me now? Heh heh … usually by about 3:00 a.m. I can barely remember my name, let alone any of my multiple passwords!

          I’m glad it’s growing on you … and I can see where not having to cook, clean, or do laundry would be a real blessing … until one day when you wanted to make some special dish or sweets and couldn’t. Then, the blessing might turn into a burden. I can imagine how bored you must have been without even your sewing machine! Do you enjoy reading? Do you have a Kindle? Just remember, dear friend, this is only temporary! Also … please send me your address in an email!

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  5. There are many who accept that climate change is real and believe the science but still seem to think that we have until 2050 (or thereabout) to solve the problem. The stark reality of this summer is that the climate emergency is here and now. So we have to act now.
    Sometimes it is not easy though. I am looking at timbers to rebuild my front verandah. I wanted to use the ‘wood’ made out of recycled plastic. If no one buys the products then all the plastics we dutifully send to be recycled will be sent to landfill instead. I was even wiling to pay more for the ‘wood’. I was shocked when I went to investigate….timber ranged between $6 and $15 a length while the eco timber was a whopping $78 a length!!! Who on earth can afford to buy that?

    Liked by 3 people

    • Obvioysly the manufacturers of the Eco Timber don’t really want anyone to use it. Do they also own the forests that are being cut down to supply builders with timber. They are using plastics concerned people recycle for free, there is no way the manufacturing process comes anywhere close to what they are charging. But seeing as they can only sell it once, it will last virtually, so they can only sell it once every millennium.

      Liked by 2 people

    • You’re right, Anne. They are wearing blinders, or rose-coloured glasses and singing, “There’s always tomorrow …” I’ve been called an alarmist when, after reading through the scientific data, I’ve declared that life on Earth will be in its final phases by the end of this century if we don’t move and do it NOW! But, we can see just in the past few months that we are past the point where we had the luxury of time. $78 per length?!?!?! That is highway robbery!!! Nobody can or should buy that! Sigh. Hang in, my friend, for I fear it will get worse before it gets better … if it does.

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    • There must be a nefarious reason they are selling it for so much. Or some twisted route or ruse back to the timber company for more profits for them.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. It’s still a long, hard road. Our new PM has appointed a climate change denier, who is on record as supporting the fossil fuel industry and fracking, as Secretary of State for Business and Energy. This doesn’t bode well!

    Liked by 1 person

    • BoJoan is no better than BoJo, possibly worse. Everything I have heard about her is pro-destruction of life. How long before your next General Election? If it’s too long there may be no more Britain!
      We are in the process of electing a new UCP leader in Alberta, but it is taking us much longer to do that than it took Britain. Our “retired” Premier wants to hang onto power as long as he can.

      Liked by 2 people

  7. We are currently not particularly eco-friendly because we are driving a lot. But at one point t today after seeing the beautiful Slieve League Cliffs and the gorgeous landscapes of Donegal I thought:” Why do we not do everything in our power to safe this beautiful planet?” It begs belief how suicidal our supposedly i telligent species is 😔

    Liked by 1 person

  8. “THE OIL LIGHT IS ON!” is a ‘spot on’ analogy to the global climate crises. The global leadership crises and lack of urgency in this regard is going to be the death of us, sooner or later.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks, MM! It just came to me among a barrage of thoughts, and I seized the moment! We need both global leadership, but also for the average Joe to open his eyes and his mind. Sigh. I might just as well go out begging for alms, eh?

      Liked by 1 person

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