Photo by Reto Fetz

As the planet runs out of oil, Canada could be trapped in a violent spiral of decline in the economy and the environment, according to the Calgary Herald.

A new study by the six members of the team who are developing a plan for the army based on existing scientific research suggests that a special research unit within the Canadian military will be needed. It is one of four scenarios they drew up.

In the first and most optimistic scenario, Canada will be at the forefront of a prosperous green economy with priorities of clean energy and environmental protection, and living standards will improve around the world. All four alternatives expect that energy security and global environmental change will radically alter society as well as the role of armies, but both factors, although serious, are rather unpredictable. “It all depends on what kind of steps are taken today that could lead to various futures,” Peter Gizewski, a strategic analyst on the team, said to Postmedia News. The team also admitted resource wars could occur.

They also warned that the world is now using oil faster than it’s being discovered. “Globally, we find more [oil] all the time, but we haven’t actually found as much as we’ve used in a given year since 1985,” said Maj. John Sheahan, another member of the research team.

There are also other, less significant factors that could affect future uncertainty, like the impact of age and demographics on military composition, exponential technology growth, social response to technology, expansion of operating environments, globalization, distribution of wealth and weapons proliferation, and more.

The Calgary Herald added: “The findings are similar to recent studies by oil giant Royal Dutch Shell as well as research from other countries such as the United Kingdom that warn excessive energy use can be an Achilles heel.”