THE OIL-FREE SOCIETY
Erik Bye
November 17, 2025
Threatening global warming
Awhole world is now waking up from a fictional fear of man-made climate change. These changes are allegedly caused by the emissions of fossil CO2, which are linked to the production of coal, oil, and gas. This CO2 gas is perceived as polluting and a threat to the planet and humanity.
The Green Deal
Some climate scientists have suggested that these molecules, which account for only 0.043% of the atmosphere, are contributing to uncontrolled global warming. The imagined global effects of this warming have led to decisions being made that the production of fossil CO2 must cease, and the world must switch to newer, renewable energy. This means, for example, offshore and onshore wind, solar power and, among other things, green hydrogen. This change is termed The Green Deal and is expected to be implemented soon. How soon is not being discussed. What materials the world will use to replace oil by-products is also not being discussed. What they are talking about is how quickly CO2 will be removed from the atmosphere or from fossil fuel production.
Net Zero
Currently, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is to be reduced compared to the emissions in 1990. There has been discussion of 50% by 2030, 70% by 2050 and 90% by 2070. The intention is to establish Net Zero by 2100, i.e. when the CO2 levels will be kept constant, by capturing as much as is emitted thereafter.
Phasing out oil
What does it mean that oil is to be phased out? Yes, it means that society will have to do without oil.And it is not only the energy sector that will notice this. Modern
society is completely based on oil-based products.And, probably, few people have a full overview of all the functional areas that are based on oil.
Affected areas of society
Our entire social machinery is built up of materials and functions that are based on oil. Here is an overview of the most important and central areas:
Clothing
Building materials
Transportation
Home appliances
Electronics
Research
Interiors
Sports and leisure
Medicine, Health, and Pharmacy
Energy Storage
Heating
Paint and varnish
Industry
Hotels and Restaurants
Realism
One can only wonder whether the most anti-oil leaders have ever thought about what materials will replace the basis for all this necessary activity.And perhaps even more strangely, how long will it take to replace the "old" products?And besides, where will we get the money from to purchase or produce the replacements? This shows a distant and unrealistic way of thinking. Let's look at the inventory that will be the new frontline needs.
What do we need?
i. Medicine
Instrumentation, Rubber hoses, Composites, Synthetic body parts,
ii. Research
Advanced scientific instruments, Electronics,AI, and Laboratory capacity
iii. Transportation
Cars, Buses, Trains,Airplanes, Ferries, Defense units,Asphalt
iv. Interior
Furniture, Wood products, Upholstery,
v. Health
Dental care, Beds,Assistive devices, Protective equipment,
vi. White goods
Fridge, freezer, stove, washer and dryer, microwaves,
vii. Electronics
Mobile phone, PC/Laptop, GPS, TVs, Music players,
viii. Sports and leisure
Skiing - in snow and water, firearms, fishing equipment, boots, sleeping bags, tents, sports equipment
ix. Clothing
Rainwear, shoes, boots, windbreakers, overcoats
x. Pharmacy
Medicines, Skin care, First aid, Bandages, Face masks
xi. Kitchenware
Knives, Grinders, Cutting boards, Storage, Food service
xii. Construction Industry
Cement, Scaffolding, Interior Design, Insulation
TheAbundance Society?
What about 2025? Do we have a life of abundance? Do we have to transform the whole modern society back to the 1750s?
In Norway, we had a TV game, in which participants had to live as if in the 1750s, calledAnno 1764. This was certainly not preparation for the oil-free society. But it was a good reminder.
One of the interesting questions is:
Do we have to go back there, or are there opportunities to innovate new materials that are better suited to a modern social system?
As a result, the use of plastic with microparticles could be eliminated. Something is happening: paper bags, modern wood replacement materials and clothing made according to older patterns. But it is still a long way to go.And even though the elimination of plastic is hot right now, there is a completely different dimension to changing our oil-based society. The quality requirements for our products are considerably higher now than in 1750, so an infinite amount of development remains.
Two of the large CO2 sources are the production of cement and asphalt. Looking at our society in 1750 and now, it is almost impossible to consider this back to the previous road conditions, although that issue can be solved by the absence of modern transport. The electric car will probably be a thing of the past in this context.
Businesses and industries with enormous CO2 emissions are difficult to regulate in the Net Zero concept, right?
These considerations are very well described by Ronald Stein here, and in his Pulitzer Prize-winning book from 2022.