PLAY: WORLD WITHOUT OIL

This is the Internet at its best, showing the future at its worst, courtesy of the Peak Oil folks.

World Without Oil

WHO
“The team at Writerguy is producing WORLD WITHOUT OIL, ITVS Interactive (Independent Television Service) is presenting it, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is funding it. An Independent Lens Web-exclusive presentation (PBS), WORLD WITHOUT OIL is an ELECTRIC SHADOWS project (ITVS)… Copyright 2007 by Writerguy LLC.”
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WHAT
“WORLD WITHOUT OIL is an alternate reality event, a serious game for the public good… It invites everyone to help simulate a global oil shock. People participate by contributing original online stories, created as though the oil shock were really happening.”

WHEN
The game is now. The future is soon.
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WHERE
Click here: World Without Oil

WHY
- “Each contribution helps the game arrive at a larger truth. No team of experts knows better than a given individual what effect an oil shock would have upon that individual's life, or what action he or she will take to cope. Personal reactions to our simulated oil shock, placed in context with many other points of view, will help us all realize what’s at stake in our oil-fired culture.”
- WORLD WITHOUT OIL aims to help fill a huge gap in our nation's thinking about oil and the economy. As people everywhere grapple with the problem of growing global demand for petroleum, no one has a clear picture of oil availability in the future, nor is there a clear picture of what will happen when demand inevitably outstrips supply… By playing it out in a serious way, the game aims to apply collective intelligence and imagination to the problem in advance, and to create a record that has value for educators, policymakers, and the common people to help anticipate the future and prevent its worst outcomes.”

QUOTES
- From the manifesto: “So here’s what we need to do, people. We’ve got to learn to work together. We’ve got to learn what we need to do to become self-sufficient. We’ve got to research how to live in the case of losing our oil. And we’ve got to get a game plan in place yesterday. What will you do when and if it all comes down?”
- “Play it, before you live it.”