We’ve spent nearly 100 years ignoring the problem and refusing to develop the alternative systems that would lower our reliance on oil. The modern society will never be able to move fully away from oil, there’s hardly a better solution for energy density.
But we could have still built the public rail systems to move people, built housing that was very energy efficient, designed our communities to be walkable, put solar panels on every rooftop etc. knowing that oil pollutants were a problem for the environment and a massive crutch that once broken, would collapse modern life.
