Peak Oil. Food. Fascism. Collapse.

The era of abundant oil, resources and food is coming to an end, and with it, the world as we know it will change dramatically.

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

The world is approaching a critical juncture where declining oil production, increasing geopolitical tensions, rising authoritarianism, and the accelerating climate crisis converge into a perfect storm.

These crises are not separate - they are deeply interconnected, forming a feedback loop where each intensifies the others.

Peak Oil Production

Global oil production is expected to peak in the near future (5-15 years). The shale boom that grew and sustained U.S. production for the last decade significantly delayed what is often simply referred to as peak oil.

Without the shale revolution, global oil production would likely have peaked in the early 2010s, and current output would be at least 10 million barrels per day lower than it is today.

This extra 10 million barrels per day has a short lifespan. Shale wells experience steep production drops, losing 50-70% of output within the first year and requiring continuous drilling to maintain supply. As prime drilling areas in the Permian Basin and other key regions run dry, the U.S. will struggle to maintain its current levels of production, and the buffer shale oil provided will erode. Soon, the full severity of oil depletion worldwide will be exposed.

Without shale oil, global supply will shrink by at least 10 million barrels per day, a loss that will not be easily replaced. Conventional oil fields are aging, and major new discoveries are rare. The result will be rising oil prices, increased volatility, and intensified geopolitical competition over remaining reserves. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Canada may ramp up production, but these efforts will only delay the inevitable decline of available oil.

Real World Implications of the Supply-Demand Gap

Assuming a business-as-usual trajectory, the global oil supply-demand gap is expected to widen significantly as production declines. Depending who you ask, global demand for oil could still be around 100 million barrels per day in the coming decades, while production may drop to 90 million barrels per day or lower. This 10 million barrel per day shortfall will place extreme pressure on markets, leading to volatile price swings, supply rationing, and potential geopolitical conflicts over remaining reserves.

All things equal, the population continues to grow. Beyond absolute production levels, oil availability per capita is also steadily declining. In the early 2000s, global oil production per person was roughly 5 barrels per year. Today, with a growing global population and constrained production, per capita oil availability has dropped closer to 4 barrels per year. Without dramatic change, by 2050, this figure could fall below 3 barrels per person annually, drastically limiting energy availability for transportation, industry, and food production.

As oil becomes scarce, lower-income nations and industries that lack strategic reserves will struggle first. However, the crisis will not be limited to poor nations; within wealthier countries, the wealthy and politically connected will prioritize securing energy resources for themselves, leaving the middle class and lower-income populations to bear the brunt of rising energy costs and shortages.

Oil-exporting nations (such as Canada) may prioritize domestic needs, reducing exports and deepening the crisis in oil-dependent economies (such as the U.S. once shale oil supply is gone).

Without intervention through alternative energy expansion and consumption reduction, the world will face worsening energy shortages that affect every sector of the economy. However, the feasibility of a rapid transition to renewables and alternative energy sources is highly constrained by resource limitations. Wind turbines, solar panels, and battery storage systems require significant amounts of rare earth metals, lithium, and other finite materials, many of which are already facing supply chain bottlenecks. Mining, refining, and manufacturing these components are themselves energy-intensive processes that rely on fossil fuels. Scaling up alternative energy quickly is not as simple as merely increasing production.

Furthermore, many of these alternative energy systems have a finite lifespan, requiring continuous resource inputs for maintenance, replacement, and infrastructure expansion. This makes the transition away from fossil fuels a slow and resource-dependent process rather than an immediate fix to the crisis. with the economic burden falling disproportionately on those without wealth and power.

Concurrent Crises

Declining oil production does not exist in isolation. It is deeply linked to climate change and food security in ways that make the crisis far more dangerous.

Fossil fuels have driven industrial agriculture, globalization, and economic growth for over a century, but they have also been the primary driver of climate change.

Ironically, as fossil fuel availability declines, the effects of climate change will worsen due to our decreased ability to mitigate and recover from disasters. With fewer resources available for rebuilding after hurricanes, wildfires, and floods, and with rising energy costs making food production more expensive, the combined impact of these crises will amplify global instability. The systems built upon fossil fuels are not only failing but are now actively exacerbating the crises they helped create.

The Impact of Oil Scarcity on Food Production

Modern agriculture is fundamentally dependent on diesel-powered machinery and petroleum-based fertilizers and pesticides. As oil prices rise and availability declines, the cost of farming will increase, making food production more expensive and leading to reduced yields. This will place immense pressure on farmers, particularly those in regions already struggling with high production costs and fragile supply chains.

Additionally, extreme weather events such as droughts and floods- exacerbated by climate change - are already causing regional crop failures. The combination of climate-driven disruptions and reduced fossil fuel availability will make adaptation difficult, increasing the likelihood of widespread food shortages. Farmers who can no longer afford fuel for machinery or synthetic fertilizers may experience dramatic declines in productivity, pushing food prices even higher and intensifying the crisis.

The impact of oil scarcity will not be limited to production alone. Transportation networks that rely on diesel-powered trucks, trains, and ships will suffer from fuel shortages, leading to supply chain breakdowns. If food cannot be efficiently transported to markets, shortages in urban areas will become more pronounced, further exacerbating inflation and social instability. As oil continues to decline, disruptions to food distribution will become more frequent and severe, placing global food security at risk.

Climate Risk to Breadbaskets

The world relies heavily on a few key agricultural regions, including the U.S. Midwest, Brazil, China, and India, to produce the majority of staple crops. However, climate change is making these breadbaskets increasingly unreliable.

A single bad harvest in one of these regions can send global food prices soaring, while multiple simultaneous failures could trigger an unprecedented food crisis. As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the risks to food security will continue to escalate.

The Overlooked Crisis: Diesel

Diesel fuel is the backbone of modern civilization, powering the transportation, agriculture, construction, and emergency sectors. As oil production declines, diesel shortages will be among the first major disruptions to emerge. Unlike gasoline, diesel is harder to replace with alternative energy sources, and global refining capacity has been shrinking due to refinery closures, underinvestment, and stricter environmental regulations.

If diesel shortages become chronic, supply chains will break down, food production will suffer, and infrastructure maintenance will become unsustainable. The economic impact will be devastating, leading to inflation, business closures, and widespread job losses. Without diesel, cities will struggle to rebuild after climate disasters, and emergency response systems will falter. The result will be a cascading collapse of critical industries, with severe consequences for global stability.

AI Arms Race is Resource Intensive

The race to dominate artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a central component of global resource competition. The U.S. is at the forefront of AI development, recognizing its strategic importance in military applications, economic productivity, and technological supremacy. However, AI is highly resource-intensive, requiring vast amounts of energy, computing power, and rare earth minerals for data centers, semiconductors, and advanced chip manufacturing. While AI is a productivity enhancer and might solve great problems, it is also an accelerant of collapse.

The computational power behind AI systems depends on immense energy consumption, often powered by fossil fuels. As oil depletion accelerates, the energy crisis could directly impact AI expansion, increasing operational costs and limiting processing capabilities. Meanwhile, the application of AI could exacerbate energy consumption at a time when fossil fuel availability is shrinking and the world should be scaling back greenhouse gas emissions.

The Geopolitical Response: Expansion and Control

As energy resources become scarce, the United States is displaying increasingly aggressive geopolitical behavior. Recent rhetoric surrounding the potential annexation of Canada and Greenland, as well as the assertion of ownership over Gaza, aligns with a strategy to secure critical resources before a looming energy, food and minerals shortage is apparent.

Canada holds vast reserves of oil, fresh water, and arable land - resources that will become even more valuable as climate change and energy depletion progress. Greenland, with its untapped mineral wealth and strategic location near the Arctic’s emerging shipping routes, is another high-value target, particularly due to its vast reserves of rare earth metals, which are critical for AI development and technological infrastructure. Similarly, control over Gaza and the Eastern Mediterranean would provide strategic military positioning and access to offshore gas fields, strengthening U.S. influence over global energy trade while also ensuring access to key mineral resources needed for advanced computing and AI expansion. As the race for energy and rare materials accelerates, securing these strategic regions is increasingly seen as a necessity for maintaining technological dominance.

Whether through economic pressure, military positioning, or outright annexation, the U.S. appears to be laying the groundwork for consolidating power over key regions before its own access to resources is compromised.

The Rise of Authoritarianism as a Survival Mechanism

Domestic instability in the U.S. and other nations is expected to rise due to a combination of economic inequality, resource constraints, and political polarization. As energy prices increase and the cost of basic goods like food and housing rise, economic hardship is driving social unrest. The middle class and lower-income populations, already burdened by wage stagnation and inflation, are facing increasing difficulties in maintaining their standard of living. Meanwhile, the wealthiest elites continue to secure access to resources, exacerbating economic disparity.

Resource constraints will directly fueling this instability. As access to oil and key minerals tightens, industries that rely on these inputs - such as transportation, manufacturing, and agriculture - face rising costs and declining output. Job losses and economic disruptions contribute to civil unrest, protests, and political radicalization. In response, governments may seek to impose stricter controls on dissent, enforce rationing, and expand surveillance to maintain order.

Internal trends suggest that the U.S. is already preparing for domestic instability by adopting more authoritarian policies. Resource scarcity, economic turmoil, and civil unrest will likely lead governments to implement stricter controls over fuel, food, and water distribution. Surveillance measures, digital ID systems, and centralized economic controls could become tools for managing dwindling resources and suppressing dissent.

As history has shown, when empires face existential threats, they tend to tighten control over their populations. Martial law, rationing, travel restrictions, and expanded police powers could all be used to prevent uprisings and maintain stability as living conditions deteriorate. This shift toward authoritarianism is not unique to the U.S.; similar trends can be observed globally as nations prepare for a more chaotic and uncertain future.

The Military and Geopolitical Implications of Resource Scarcity

As the global energy landscape shifts, military conflicts over dwindling resources are likely to intensify. The history of warfare shows that access to energy resources has long been a primary driver of conflict, and the coming energy crisis will be no exception. Countries such as China and Russia will not passively accept U.S. expansionist moves; rather, they will take steps to secure their own energy security, potentially leading to heightened tensions and direct confrontations.

China has been actively expanding its influence through projects like the Belt and Road Initiative, securing long-term energy contracts in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Russia, meanwhile, continues to leverage its vast oil and gas reserves as a geopolitical tool, using energy exports to maintain economic leverage over Europe and other regions. As the U.S. moves to annex or dominate key resource-rich territories, these powers may respond with economic retaliation, proxy conflicts, or direct military confrontations.

The militarization of resource-rich regions, particularly in the Arctic and the South China Sea, is another growing concern. As oil and gas reserves in traditional fields decline, nations will increasingly turn to these contested regions, raising the likelihood of direct military engagements over territorial claims.

The Public Response: Resistance, Adaptation, and Collapse

While governments may attempt to suppress dissent and maintain order through authoritarian measures, the public response will not be uniform. Grassroots movements, alternative energy cooperatives, and community-led resilience initiatives may arise as people attempt to navigate a collapsing fossil fuel economy. Localized food production, decentralized energy systems, and resource-sharing networks could help some communities mitigate the worst effects of energy shortages.

However, in regions where governments fail to provide adequate support or where authoritarian control becomes oppressive, civil unrest and outright rebellion may follow. History has shown that when economic hardship and resource scarcity reach a tipping point, societies often fracture into competing factions. Revolutions, insurgencies, and the collapse of central authority are possible outcomes if governments cannot manage the transition effectively.

The Future: Collapse

If the dominant nations continue down the path of authoritarianism and expansion, they may secure resources for themselves in the short term, but at the cost of escalating conflicts and long-term instability. The risk of large-scale wars over fuel, food, and water will increase as major powers fight to maintain their dominance in a world of shrinking resources.

The breakdown of diesel-dependent industries could soon trigger a systemic collapse, leading to failed states, mass migrations, and global upheaval. However, if proactive measures are taken - such as decentralized agriculture - some degree of stability could be maintained.

The convergence of energy and resource constraints, food shortages, and the rise of authoritarian regimes is forming an unprecedented global crisis. These colliding crises will define the coming era, reshaping economies, politics, and societies worldwide. Billions will die - perhaps with uneven distribution across nations - even if some form of transition is managed. The era of abundant oil, resources and food is coming to an end, and with it, the world as we know it will change dramatically.

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