(Edington Burtle late 1960s - Steve Sainsbury collection)
With the Arab nations falling to a kind of anarchic democracy one by one there are the first mutterings of Peak Oil out there. Interestingly Peak Oil was mentioned on BBC News the other day, the first time I've heard it hit the mainstream. Somebody obviously (or deliberately) forgot the usual 'climate change' cover story. As oil fields get caught up in the maelstrom it's inevitable - even if the current difficulties are contained - that the price of oil will continue to rise but, more importantly, more and more commentators will start researching Peak Oil and the general energy crisis.
The most dreadful outcome of course will be if Saudi Arabia falls, particularly to Islamic extremists. It is going to be interesting.
It would be best for us all if the switch from oil is carefully choreographed and reasonably painless, but with most oil being in volatile parts if the world this may be a forlorn hope.
The car age is clearly coming to an end and all future talk will be about trains and trams. This is just the beginning. The changes are going to be momentous, yet most people out there don't have a clue what's going to hit them.
