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iLibrarian
Sep 16, 2010iLibrarian rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Spikes in oil prices caused four of the last five global recessions. Globalization is over because it depends on cheap oil. We're going to have to learn to live with less energy and less choice. Statements like these tend to spark wild fires of controversy. But how do they affect your small business? I'm no expert on global economies, the energy sector, or the peak oil phenomenon, so I won't critique Jeff Rubin's research or his arguments. Instead, I think it's worth stepping back to highlight the trends and themes that Rubin shares. Whether or not you agree with Rubin's opinions and research data, you'll find some insight of potential future trends and perhaps a new awareness of energy issues. Both of which may affect your business or your career. There are other books out there on a similar topic. Thomas Friedman’s, The World is Flat, comes to mind. Whereas Friedman envisions an increasingly globalized world in which developing nations complete on an equal playing field, Rubin predicts that the scarcity of oil will force the world into smaller geographic regions. These types of books can leave you with a doomsday feeling. Rubin manages to stay on a hopeful and positive note, but you'll have to get beyond the halfway point before you realize this. He’s got plenty of examples and data about the automotive industry and some discussion on how the traditional economic view of supply and demand no longer applies due to depletion of easy to get oil. Rubin argues that living more local and finding new efficiencies in local communities will ultimately enrich us. Distance will still be expensive; hence, our world becomes smaller as a result. Many businesses will have to focus more on local economies and wise energy use, if cheap oil is indeed a thing of the past. Initiatives like Shop Local and Practically Green Solutions are early examples that fit nicely into Rubin’s vision of Halton Hills’ future. The consumption and demand for oil is unprecedented and it's obvious that the stored fossil fuels on the planet are finite. We know that the largest, highest quality resources have already been used. If we agree on that, then, at the very least, we should pay attention and make informed decisions even if we intend to avoid the wild fire controversies and doomsday debates. Rubin's book is good place to start.