The End of Oil...

In 1956 M. King Hubbert formulated a model for Peak Oil- the point at which the world is producing the maximum amount of oil, after which it enters terminal decline. He used this model to accurately predict the peaking of oil production in the United States. There are varying predictions of when peak oil will occur, from pessimistic predictions citing that it has already happened and global oil production is declining while optimistic predictions state that the decline may not occur until 2020. The Hirsch Report, published in February 2005, focussed on peak oil and came to the blunt conclusion that peak oil is going to happen. It asserted that twenty years of mitigation is needed to avoid global fuel deficit.

Michael Ruppert, an ex-LAPD officer, was interviewed for the motion picture Collapse in 2009. This film discusses the ramifications involved with peak oil. One of the examples Ruppert uses to emphasise his point is that Saudi Arabia, the worlds most oil rich country (with a 25% share in global proven petroleum reserves under their land) are now drilling offshore. He discusses the extent to which modern society relies on oil using it for fuel for transport as well as being a key ingredient for production, at it’s very base level we rely heavily on oil and other fossil fuels for powering plants which provide electricity for everything from laptops to cameras. Without electricity there can be no digitized media, and there would be incredible disruption to communication.


Ruppert dismisses the idea of alternatives such as wave, wind and ethanol as a substitute fuel source stating that demand would far outweigh supply in any circumstance. The extent to which we are dependent on oil becomes clear throughout the film and with anything that is depended on, when it disappears there are withdrawal symptoms.

A strike by 600 drivers delivering fuel to Shell petrol stations around the country in 2008 caused major queues at forecourts as people panic-bought petrol in the fear it would run out. This small-scale example is a terrifying glimpse of the future if the situation is not acted on. Our society revolves around energy and is desperately dependent upon it, in this case oil.

Other energy transitions in human history, from wood to coal to oil, have been slow and gradual. A viable replacement for oil has not yet been found and therefore this issue needs to be at the forefront of human development, and efforts have to be made to avert a Malthusian Catastrophe, which would force subsistence living for the vast majority, if not all of the human population.

The sun is setting on the age of oil, and what the night holds is unclear.

Twentysix Gasoline Stations (Around Sunset)...

So I'm coming to the end of my last project of second year. I'm really happy with the concept, but given more time i think the work would be a lot stronger... but then again that's probably my fault for not getting stuck in earlier. I'm producing a book with twenty six gasoline stations around sunset, and also a select few images from the book will be printed up larger as 'exhibition'-esque prints.


I felt that I needed to get away from my, what some people would term as, 'overcomplicated' symbology narratives so I decided to simplify it so it was more accessible. This meant that rather than having an intricately formulated set of symbols which are all equally important to understand and equally important in working out the narrative, I submitted somewhat to what I like to call the 'cult of the aesthetic.' By this I mean the images outweigh the concept, in many cases forfeiting a concept altogether. On reflection though I think I have struck a nice balance. 


The 'Twentysix Gasoline Stations' is obviously a reference to Ed Ruscha's book published in 1963. I used this because my project focuses on oil depletion, and gasoline/petrol stations are  an everyday connection with oil (and it's price) that people take a lot of notice of, because we've become so dependant no doubt. The 'around sunset' aspect that I added is a fairly transparent metaphor when put in context, symbolising the end of the era of oil. The varied times that the photographs were taken (which will be included in the titles) can also be related to the multiple and incredibly varied predictions about when peak oil will occur. And that's it symbology-wise... cracking, let's just see how things turn out.


Here's a few photographs that I may be including in the final work:




Shell Service Station, Horley Road (20:29 27/05/11)



Esso Service Station, Reigate Road (21:09 26/05/11)



Murco Service Station, Shelvers Hill (21:32 26/05/11)

Final Term of Penultimate Year...

First off, apologies, I have been awful at updating my blog but I've had a few bits and pieces to sort out in the real world, however these things have been sorted out and I shall be updating regularly again.


So, I wasn't too pleased with my work for last term, least of all with the comments I recieved from my tutor but that's another story for another day. As a consequence I have promised myself to make this project as kick-ass as i can to get a good mark and go back to the success I had in the first term of this year.


I was looking for topics with which I could occupy myself for a term when I hit a block and decided to go out for a bit. I ended up buying the new Rise Against album 'Endgame'. Upon opening it and having a flick through the booklet I came across a section with recommendations of films to watch and books to read. One of these was a movie called 'Collapse'. (Trailer Here) This movie scared the SHIT out of me. It is a true horror story, one from which none of us can escape. Michael C. Ruppert (Collapsenet) discusses the ideas, theories and reality behind Peak Oil.


This movie shook me so much that I had decided within an hour of watching the film that I wanted to focus on it for my project this term. At the moment I'm still in the early stages of secondary research and test work, but here's a couple of images that I have shot recently for this project.