The present essay written by the Russian writer Isaac Asimov basically concerns about the fuel shortage in the present world. He has given us the instances from America about how the fuel shortage directly or indirectly relates to human life and its adverse impacts. The writer kindly advices us to preserve the existing natural resources that gives us the enormous fuel to sustain life. The essay “The Nightmare Life Without Fuel,” originally published in the Time Magazine in 1977, portrays America in the late 1990s, where the existing fuel resources have reduced this developed and rich nation to miserable condition of dark and dirty replica of the pre-industrial 1800s. America is just a small example to show how dwindling fuel resources have been reducing. The central essence of this essay is considerable that the worst condition will be happened if we do not preserve the natural resources of the world.
The writer describes the terrific
situation in the urban areas of America where people are wandering here and
there for the fuel and energy. People gather in the subways where the bus is
already left and bicycles are splashed on the muddy water, which indicates
difficulties in life due to shortage of fuel. Coal is difficult to get by
digging and nuclear fusion is very risky and then the solar batteries are very
costly. The stuff of the decaying city should be the mineral mines to use
again.
There are several adverse impacts on
human life due to fuel shortage; but the writer says that this kind of shortage
would be beneficial to some extent. Automobiles are vanished and become the
metal resources; likewise the ration system also be decreased. According to the
writer, there are the reports from the newspapers in 1997 that the environment
becomes cleaner, crime rates are reduced and the policemen are returned to
their beats. The streets are deserted and the legs of the people become
superior in the street. People do not consume the expensive electricity; they
are deprived from modern facilities. For them open air is the air condition and
homemade sweaters are popular indoor wear.
The people in the city feel comfort
rather than the people in suburbs. Energy crisis is the vital problem for the
city dwellers. The nation should find the alternative source of energy to
soothe the growing population. The condition outside USA and Europe is even
worst and the people do not have sufficient food stuff to eat; only more than
one in five has enough food to eat. Rest of people would die of starvation. But
the writer states that starvation reduces the world’s population and more than
two billion people suffer from brain damage due to less nutritious food. The
fuel resources are limited, so it has the great impact on human life. The
energy crisis is continued and as a result, the world’s countries would not
afford their cost, keep their soldiers for the long time and unable to feed
their people properly. Because of fuel shortage, the electricity is not
possible, the people will deprive from watching TV, movie and reading books and
they will ultimately return to the age of 1800. Then the existing fossil fuel
(natural fuel produced by decomposition of organic) will work out.
The agricultural system will be also
destroyed, the new technologies will be halted due to fuel crisis and farmer
cannot produce enough crops to sustain people’s life. As a result more people
will die of starvation. The situation will be havoc, to cope with such
situation, we had to take step to improve the situation 50 years ago, and then
it would have been quite better to cope with fuel crisis.
It is indeed a serious issue to
preserve the dwindling natural resources and if we do not think positively, it
will devastate our society, and nation which are completely depended on fuel.
The general people on the outskirt of the city (suburbs) will die untimely
because of fuel shortage. The condition of poor nation will be perilous and the
women and children’s mortality rate will increase and those who remain alive
also suffer from bad health. But in the case of rich nation, it won’t be
serious problem, they can afford their necessities and there will be the wider
distinction between poor and rich people.
Finally the writer recommends us the
possible solution of the current fuel crisis in the world. He strongly suggests
to preserve the natural resources though it is very late. The remaining natural
resources will also make us relieve if we seriously ponder about it and do
something for the sake of natural resources to tackle the fuel crisis.
