Custom «Oil Smoke and Mirrors» Essay Paper Sample

There are not many documentaries which attempts to radically look at an issue in a manner that is fearless, liberal and shocking. Oil Smoke and Mirrors is all this and more and its line of though paints a bleak picture of our future and even terrifying account of the past. Peak oil has been a controversial topic and this movie asserts that peak oil is about to happen sooner than most people are willing to consider. Peak oil is taken to be the point where we reach the maximum level of oil production and depletion begins. One theme stands out clearly from the various interviews; that oil is the main cause of the turmoil we experienced at September 11 and is the driving force behind the war on terror.

So what is the problem and what does oil has to do with it? Most economies if not all are dependent on oil and the increasing demand for the resource against a backdrop of limited resource is a recipe for disaster. Industrial growth especially in emerging powers like China and India are driving demand to an all time high and the non renewable feature of oil creates a fear that sooner than later we will be reaching a peak in oil production. This demand makes supply scarce and drives prices upwards and in turn affects the prices of everything else since production and transportation is strongly tied to oil. No wonder America has been accused of invading Iraq in order to control its oil supply and ensure there is no disruption of oil supply to its economy. Some people as shown in the documentary went further to allege that September 11 was an inside job aimed at a larger and political goal. One thing is clear; we need to invest more in renewable energy sources as w ay of averting a potential crisis and to take care of our environment.