Oil Shortage. A rush to save the Earth's climate may be nothing more than an attempt to disguise the fact that oil is running out. This country may not be able to sustain consuming 18 million barrels of oil every day and no political leader would tell the American people that. The reasons are clear! A short fall of oil or even worse, the end of oil would produce a catastrophy in the economy. First, a dramatic rise in inflation and then a collapse. That may be what our future looks like because the writing's on the wall but no leader will tell you that.