Paul Roth MD

It is particularly likely that ethical dilemmas will arise during the redesign of the healthcare system as a response to peak oil. This is because there will be a conflict between what is best for society as a whole, versus what is best for the individual.

Dr Paul Roth reports on a presentation by Mary McKeem, Director of Public Health Practice at the Marion County Health Department: “The effects of oil depletion on public health systems will be profound and we must plan to prepare for this impending crisis.”

Many of us who are aware of (dare I say preoccupied with) peak oil and its likely effects on an unprepared world tend to get so fixated on it (I know I do), that the potential for other factors to also cause disruption is neglected.

A medical ‘Hirsch report’ would provide useful information for planning and implementing mitigation programs, allowing us to manage the significant expected impacts of oil scarcity and energy descent on healthcare systems.

Most
of our
modern medical system is oil-dependent, just like the rest of
society. Oil has been so cheap for so long that it has become a
pervasive presence in health care delivery.