Business World Without OIL

http://www.worldwithoutoil.org/

Where does oil come from? What are the two main theories on how it got there? (Why is it called a "fossil fuel"?)

Is oil a renewable or a non-renewable resource?

How long have humans been using oil for fuel?

How many gallons of gasoline or diesel does your family use every month?

If fuel is rationed and your family could only have 20 gallons a month, how would this change your lifestyle?

Name as many as you can of the top dozen oil-exporting countries of the world.

Oil is often associated with transportation. What else is it used for?

Does the food you eat depend on oil? If oil were more expensive, would your food be more expensive?

If there were an oil shortage, would there be a shortage of food? Why or why not?

Go through your refrigerator and pantry, and look at the labels of packaged foods. Can you figure out where each food came from? Plot the food sources on a map. What is the average number of miles the food has traveled to get to your home?

North America has suffered oil shocks before. When did they happen? What caused them? What were the effects, and how long did they last?

Do you think the availability of cheap oil has influenced the North American lifestyle? If so, how?

How much petroleum product do the citizens of the United States use every day? What percentage of this oil must be imported?

What is the Hubbert Curve?

What is the relationship between oil use and climate change?

Given the likelihood of oil shortages in the future, what might be good careers for young people making choices today?

Our society depends on oil in many ways. Some of them are not apparent at first. We do not know exactly what will happen when there is not enough oil to supply our energy needs.

After April 30, 2007, the oil shock will be underway. It will affect everyone in the country, but in different ways. As in any crisis, the first step is to gather good information about what is really happening, so that we can make good decisions about what to do in response.

Here's how you can help:

1. Go to www.worldwithoutoil.org. After April 30, you will see the CURRENT COSTS for fuel in a white banner near the top. How do you think those costs compare to fuel prices before the shock began? Click the banner to see a graph.
2. The Situation Update is below the white price banner. Click on the headline to read the entire story. At the bottom, click on "Previous" if you want to see earlier stories. Are there any developments there that are surprising to you?
3. To the far left of the Situation Update, there are the Stories about the crisis. Click on some of them, to experience the stories. Do they give you a clear picture of what's going on? What could they do better?
4. Below the Situation Update, there's a map. Find your location on the map and click it. How is your area doing? (Does it have a good Response Rank? Low is good.) What might affect the number of people in your area that are responding to the oil shock?
5. NOW, PREPARE YOUR REPORT.
   You've seen the prices, and the news reports, and other people's stories about their experiences of the new reality. Tell us how the oil shortfall is affecting you, your family, and your school. Are there things that you are doing differently? Or can no longer do? What is happening to the quality of your life? How do you expect things to change in the future? What things can your class do as a group to help?
   
   You can prepare your report as a blog, or an email, or an image, or a video, an audio file, or even as a phone call. You will need to post your report online in a blog or MySpace page, or upload it to a phot service such as Flickr or a video service such as YouTube.

1. TELL US ABOUT YOUR REPORT.
   Go back to www.worldwithoutoil.org and click on Netizen Heroes (next to the map). Sign up as a Netizen Hero, so you can get credit for your report!
   
   Now click on Tell Your Story. Fill out the form to tell us where to find your blog, image, video, or MySpace page, or to send us your email. And give us your Netizen Hero nickname to get credit.
   
   Thanks! Your report on the oil crisis will appear on the site in the next few days, in the column of stories over to the left.
2. KEEP THOSE REPORTS COMING. In just a few days, the situation will change. Give us an update on your situation. Work with others to develop a group report. Can you organize many people and produce an in-depth video, like a news report or an interview?