STORY SUMMARY of THE "THE PETROL WAR" :

Set at a time in the not too distant future, where the world has suffered from the effects of global warming, floods, hurricanes and rising seas, but the politicians don't care and neither do the civilians - because they have too much to lose and believed the promises it would be alright. 

Agenda 21 and the Kyoto Protocol have been swept aside long ago as President Gore Jr (US) and Prime Minister Hobart (AUS) refused to keep to agreed targets at the expense of neighboring countries and developing nations.  China abandoned it's green policies in the rush to industrialize at which point most Europeans stopped caring.

Now all everybody cares about is preserving their patch, milking the oil cow for all they are worth.  Regardless of the long term consequences to planet earth ..........

As oil wells around the world began drying up, new finds were eyed jealously.  Eager to maintain the popular vote the US invaded country after country, destroying any resistant regime and installing their own puppet masters.  NATO became a byword for helpless.  This is now a familiar pattern that started with Kuwait, then Iraq, followed by Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and others.  Alaska had been plundered and petrol is now $25 a gallon in the US £50 in the UK with equally high prices in every country.  These are 10 x the prices of 2006 levels.  Transportation was now the single most expensive item in every families budget.

Nelson Kruschandl - Author

Inevitably, oil transportation in occupied territory began suffering as patriots in each country fought back, slowly at first, but gaining in strength and resolve. The tactics were to prevent tankers leaving their shores, even if this meant burning the lot.  Queues at the petrol pumps became longer and more frantic.  Panic buying gave way to week long vigils as cities ground to a halt, there being no means of getting the workers to their place of work.  Out of town supermarkets closed down as not only were food deliveries impossible, but the townies and villagers they served, could not travel that far, for they no longer had cheap fuel to bribe their customers.

As international tempers frayed, the USA invaded Brazil as an easy oil-rich target.  Not to be left behind, Russia declared war on China to take he wells, and Taiwan joined in as allies, promising to supply electronics and cheap vehicles in return for liquid brown-gold.  Japan declared war on Australia, because oil had been found and they could not keep it secret. While in Europe it was every country for itself as any oil anywhere became fair game for bands of mercenaries, profiting from the confusion and selling tanker loads to the highest bidder.  

Once secure economies were in tatters as values changed.  Vehicles with high fuel consumption became worthless and who needed computers that you couldn't burn, wear or eat.

Rebels prevent another truck leaving their country

Many years prior to the energy troubles students and inventors had proposed using solar energy for transportation.  At one point the popular solar car races of the nineties gave rise to groups of engineers with high hopes of viable cars running of free energy.   Unfortunately, this meant the buying public would need to alter their values significantly, giving up performance and comfort to some degree and that the public would not have.  Not when Joe Blogs next door had a new turbo XVi with traction control  and all mod-cons.

In addition, the proposed solar cars and boats were more expensive to buy. The buying public could not see the benefit of paying more for lower performance and less street cred.  In commercial terms nobody could market such vehicles, which is why manufacturers gave up trying.  All R&D was cancelled........................ In the high street consumer spending drives prices down - not up.

Some countries believed the only way to bring order from chaos was to eliminate the warring factions.  Fear was the driving force.................  Everyone seemed to have lost sight of the alternative future.  Everyone that is, but John Storm....................  Earth was on the brink of another World War ......................

Solar Navigator - one of several working development models

See our homepage for more