There are a million reasons why anti-oil advocates hold very strongly to their opinion. Some of these are due to environmental impact, others are concerned about the finite and decreasing supply of oil in the world, others just seek to progress the inevitable progression of technology, so on and so forth. However, there seems to be one more clear reason to look into other sources of energy for our vehicles: we might be experiencing a global oil crisis in 2022.
If you still haven’t noticed, gas prices have been going through the roof lately. We could be seeing even another increase soon, which means that barely 3 months into the year, the prices for gasoline and diesel have risen by almost 10 pesos per liter each. That’s going to burn a hole in the pocket of the average car owner who uses this as daily transport to and from work or school. This will probably, in turn, increase the fares for public transport as well since these vehicles also depend heavily on fuel. As such, it only makes sense for there to be a relationship between the price hikes of the two.
Photo: Al Jazeera
The Department of Energy has attributed the ongoing shortage to diplomatic issues on international soil. Specifically, he points to the ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia, as well as other fuel-related issues around the globe. These geopolitical issues have somehow created a shortage of fuel, which leads to increasing prices as dictated by the laws of supply and demand.
However, our local DOE reassures the public that they will step in if everything gets too out of hand. They are currently developing an oil contingency plan which will regulate supply and best respond to the ongoing situation while minimizing the impact on the lives of Filipino citizens. However, they can only do so much.
We are entering into a paradigm shift in the next decades. A country’s power will no longer be derived from its hidden supply of oil. Machinery that needs fuel to run won’t be as commonplace as today, with the preferred source of energy being renewables or other, more dependable alternatives.
The Jaguar i-PACE, their first all-electric vehicle
Car manufacturers from all parts of the globe have committed to fully-electric lineups within the next 1-2 decades. This includes giants like Honda, GM, Nissan, Jaguar, Ford, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and many others. This is in response to the changing times and a common understanding of the climate situation our planet is undergoing.
Photo: Patina Macchina
As a car enthusiast, I’m going to miss the roars of an internal-combustion sports car. These may just be collectibles one day, easily outpaced by their electric counterparts. Even nowadays, the electric Teslas obliterate sports cars on the drag strip due to the instant torque characteristic of a battery powertrain. However, these dinosaurs convey the pure, raw, and unadulterated emotion of what will inevitably become a bygone era of motoring.
For now, though, we have to live in the present and survive this 2022 oil crisis. After we bear witness to this oil-dependent gigantic shift in human history can we only move towards our future.
