Could buying refurbished office cubicles in lieu of new ones delay the day when we run out of fossil fuels? That’s one conclusion you might reach after reading this news article on oil shortages caused by new cubicle manufacturing. The link between the ubiquity of cubicles in the work place and the dwindling global oil supply is disturbing.
In fact, it’s being reported on CNN. No, not the well known TV network - I’m talking about the Cubicle News Network. This spoof news website authored by William R. Vitanyi, Jr. is a truly fun time waster. Of course, since ‘Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing’ (WILB) has now been scientifically proven to increase productivity you might not get in trouble for surfing over there to take a peek.
On a serious note, refurbished office cubicles do save on energy use and raw materials. That’s one reason they are less expensive than brand new panel systems.
I understand that Hubberts peak is accurate and that we are now past the point of peak oil. I believe many of the current events have to do with this downturn and it won’t be long before the main stream media and population wake up and understand what is going on. For me and my family, we are preparing for the life after the crash.
Hubbert’s peak is one popular theory out of many. However, there is speculation that the deposit that is currently gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is abiogenic in nature (which would mean the Soviet scientists were right all along). This could significantly impact estimates regarding the amount of oil that remains to be extracted - as well as where it is located and how easy it will be to reach. Regardless of which theory is correct, it is obvious that a shift away from petroleum is critical for big business as a whole and each of us as individuals. Making do with what we already have (such as by recycling cubicles) is just a tiny part of that shift - but it is worth doing.