But what are the hidden drivers of petrol addiction in mainstream society, where poverty is not an issue? The attraction seems to lie in the possibility of artificially enhancing the amount of energy or life force we can command for the purpose of mobility, mechanised mass manufacturing, food production, etc. An abundant supply of cheap energy increases our ability to manipulate, control and consume the objective world and thus artificially enhances our sense of being alive. This additional life force is not authentic, however, and comes at the cost of alienation. It is borrowed from petroleum and coal, which are fossilised hydrocarbons produced by prehistoric plants that have been outside the active carbon cycle of our planet for millions of years.
