It's time to batten down the hatches - the age of peak oil is upon us and we'd better take action fast. The price of oil will feed into just about everything you can imagine. Can you think of a single thing you use in your everyday life that is not in some way dependent on oil?
We may see some fluctuations in the price but the tendency will be for the price to push relentlessly upwards. The reason is that demand is outstripping supply by a few million barrels a day and the gap is getting wider. Global crude oil production peaked in 2005 - inventories are now being desperately wrung out and reserves drained to fill the gap. It's time to face the facts, we need to be far more resource efficient. Because oil is in some way embodied in just about everything, even if it's only transport, improving resource efficiency is essential to manage the impact of rising costs. But to be more resource efficient we need the entire workforce on board and that means more emphasis on training and motivation.
We've had oil shocks before and a look at how they developed will help to manage the coming storm and put it in context. The Shot in the Dark training DVD "It's Easy with Hindsight" helps to paint the picture. The DVD uses a compilation of 8 trigger videos to connect the audience to their dependence on natural resources using the examples of oil, forests and fish, including:
"From Dreams to Nightmares" 6 videos that trace the growth of the oil economy from the 1930's through the 1970's oil embargo to the inevitable decline as we hit 'Peak Oil'.
"Live 4,000 Years - Die in a Day" - a stunning five minute video that looks back on the destruction of the Great Redwoods and continuing world-wide deforestation.
"Where's the Catch?"
A short video on the fall and rise of the Alaskan salmon catch.
The videos have a core length of between 3 and 7 minutes to accommodate tight training schedules and each title can be used with or without the director's introductory comments.
Shot in the Dark director Alan Owen said: "The programmes use recently unearthed archive footage that show how naive and wasteful we have been. For example, we found in one early clip that showed at one time they used to think gasoline was a waste product and poured it in the river! What do we discard today that will mystify future generations? Plastics? Wood? Electronics? Training is more effective if you can engage the audience and make it an emotional experience - make it fun, make the audience smile and make them think.
These videos can be used to lighten the mood of training sessions, as much of the content is rich in unintentional humour, for example, one scientist in the 1930's - clearly very nervous of being in front of the camera - states that one day they will develop engines that can do 300 miles to the gallon! I wonder what happened to that aspiration? Comments like that stimulate audience discussion and help to break down barriers - so they are an essential tool for introducing resource efficiency workshops and awareness courses."
Shot in the Dark is a video production company specialising in the production of environmental training materials.
The DVD is available direct from Shot in the Dark via their website www.shotinthedark.co.uk or phone 01484 651111.
The Age of Peak Oil has arrived
