Societies beyond Oil : Oil Dregs and Social Futures

About the author; Title page; Copyright; Table of contents; Acknowledgments; Introduction: The Problem of Energy; Energy; Oil; Summarizing the argument; The problem of oil is 42; PART I Oil Dregs; Chapter 1: Oil and the Crash of 2007-08; Oil and money; Neoliberalism; Sprawltown; Conclusion; Chapter 2: The Century of Oil; Humans and nature; The origins of oil civilization; Figure 2.1 Sources of global carbon emissions, 1800-2010; Conclusion; Chapter 3: Consuming Miles; Consuming from afar; Dubai; From neighbourhood lives; Places for consuming; More consumers; Conclusion.;In this groundbreaking book, John Urry shows how the twentieth century created a mirage of unlimited future growth that masked its limits. He considers the nature of an oil-dependent world facing energy descent and what lessons can be learned from past energy-constrained societies. With no large-scale plan B to energize and mobilize societies, Urry assesses the likelihood of some very different futures for this century. About the author Title page Copyright Table of contents Acknowledgements Introduction: The Problem of Energy Energy Oil Summarizing the argument The problem of oil is 42 PART I Oil Dregs Chapter 1: Oil and the Crash of 2007–08 Oil and money Neoliberalism Sprawltown Conclusion Chapter 2: The Century of Oil Humans and nature The origins of oil civilization Figure 2.1 Sources of global carbon emissions, 1800–2010 Conclusion Chapter 3: Consuming Miles Consuming from afar Dubai From neighbourhood lives Places for consuming More consumers Conclusion Chapter 4 : Carbon Capital Energy inequalities Establishing carbon capitalism Combating environmentalism The noughties Conclusion Chapter 5: Peaking Peak oil thesis Figure 5.1 The discovery and consumption of oil, 1900–2030 Figure 5.2 North sea oil production, 1965–2010 Tough oil Political peaking Climate change and multiple crises Conclusion Chapter 6: The Chinese Century? Oiling Chinese development Chinese urbanization Cars in China Supertankers China’s emissions Conclusion Chapter 7: The Curse of Oil There will be blood Oil and ‘troubled waters’ Norway Democracy and oil PART II Social Futures Chapter 8: Magic Bullet Future Energy and its futures Magic bullet of hydrogen Technological fixes Conclusion Chapter 9: Digital Lives Digital worlds Digitizing manufacturing Digitizing social life The costs of going digital Conclusion Chapter 10: Resource Fights Recent resource wars Future wars Conclusion Chapter 11: Low-carbon Society The green shoots of a powered-down future Figure 11.1 Social globalization across the world, 1970–2008 Figure 11.2 Vehicle miles travelled in the USA 1992–2011 (12-month average, billion miles/day) Systemic powering down Reverse gear Chapter 12: After Easy Oil Catastrophism The power of capital Conclusion Notes Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Bibliography Index

What would a de-carbonised society be like? What are the implications of a general de-globalisation for our social futures? How will our high-carbon patterns of life be restructured in a de-energized world?As global society gradually wakes up to the new reality of peak oil, these questions remain unanswered. For the last hundred years oil made the world go round, and as we move into the century of 'tough oil' this book examines some profound consequences. It considers what societies would be like that are powering down; what lessons can be learned from the past about de-energized societies; will there be rationing systems or just the market to allocate scarce energy? Can virtual worlds solve energy problems? What levels of income and wellbeing would be likely?In this groundbreaking book, John Urry analyzes how the twentieth century created a kind of mirage of the future that is unsustainable into even the medium term and envisions the future of an oil-dependent world facing energy descent. Without a large-scale plan B, how can the energizing of society possibly be going into reverse?

What would a de-carbonised society be like? What are the implications of a general de-globalisation for our social futures? How will our high-carbon patterns of life be restructured in a de-energized world? As global society gradually wakes up to the new reality of peak oil, these questions remain unanswered. For the last hundred years oil made the world go round, and as we move into the century of 'tough oil' this book examines some profound consequences. It considers what societies would be like that are powering down; what lessons can be learned from the past about de-energized societies; will there be rationing systems or just the market to allocate scarce energy? Can virtual worlds solve energy problems? What levels of income and wellbeing would be likely? In this groundbreaking book, John Urry analyzes how the twentieth century created a kind of mirage of the future that is unsustainable into even the medium term and envisions the future of an oil-dependent world facing energy descent. Without a large-scale plan B, how can the energizing of society possibly be going into reverse? For the last hundred years oil has made the world go round. Now, in a new century of ‘tough oil’, we face profound questions. How will high-carbon patterns of life be restructured in a de-energized world? What are the implications of de-globalization for social futures? How will scarce energy be distributed? What levels of income and well-being are likely? In this groundbreaking book, John Urry shows how the twentieth century created a mirage of unlimited future growth that masked its limits. He considers the nature of an oil-dependent world facing energy descent and what lessons can be learnt from past energy-constrained societies. With no large-scale plan B to energize and mobilize societies, Urry assesses the likelihood of some very different futures for this century.