"I Don't Want to Hear That!"

What are two of the biggest sources of revenue in the state of Oklahoma?   

Oil and gas is one, naturally. And the other? Agriculture. 
  

Those answers probably came to mind rather quickly. After all, both are fundamental resources for the state AND represent the personality of Oklahoma itself.  

  

Why do I bring this up?  

  

Well, take for example the oil industry. It isn’t a topic of conversation Okies want to have, but right now the oil business is showing signs of stress in different ways. According to Robert Hefner, an original wildcatter, in his book “The Grand Energy Transition”, it isn’t a matter of if we’ll need to find an alternative fuel source, but when. And if that happens, what then? What does that mean for Oklahoma and its citizens?  

  

It’s a tough question to tackle. One with enormous consequences for the state. I understand why people would rather not talk about it.   

  

“I don’t want to hear that! It is just too negative.”  

  

It’s a common response when I bring up this subject. After all, it’s not happening right now– we’re doing fine. What’s the point of fixing what’s not broken? That just causes more work and money, which the state doesn’t have a whole lot of anyway.   

  

While it’s not a popular topic, people are seeking out ways to deal with the inevitable. The search for alternative resources is on the rise, particularly amongst the very wealthy. Look no further than Bill Gates and friends by going to breakthrough energy at www.b-t.energy.com.  

  

Most of us are probably aware that the agricultural industry has an enormous effect on the environment. But do we really understand what that means? A few years ago, the cover of the National Geographic showed a cow standing in front of 6 barrels of oil.  According to them, it takes six barrels of oil to get one cow to your plate.   

  

Six barrels. One cow.  

  

Think of the number of cattle in the state. And that’s just locally! Now take that ratio and apply it on a nation level – a global level. It’s an astounding figure.   

  

So, what are some of these changes I was alluding to? Well, look no further than a fast food chain I’m sure we’re all familiar with: Burger King. It’s tested a plant-based meat substitute called Impossible Burgers with its employees. The result was that 82% of them couldn’t tell the difference.  My 12-year-old niece from a small town in southeastern Oklahoma, while eating a hamburger from her dad’s restaurant, responded to my question about plant-based meat by saying, “I probably couldn’t tell the difference”.  

  

Even Tyson Foods has gotten on the bandwagon recently, announcing that they are GOING BIG in alt meats.  

  

There are three primary ways companies (scientists) generate meat substitutes. One is plant-based, the second is cricket protein (yes, crickets!), and the third is to grow the meat from stem cells. All these alternative methods can yield a product that is indistinguishable (for many) from the real thing and is projected to be produced at 1/6 the cost.   

  

Imagine this with me for a second: we’ve significantly reduced agriculture and oil businesses. That’s huge! How would that impact Oklahoma? How would it impact us? This seems VERY positive for the world condition, but it does create a need for Oklahoma to reimagine itself and accentuate the many other positive attributes of our wonderful state.  

  

Whether it happens now or decades from now, the point remains that change is coming, and it seems to me faster than ever. We will likely always have oil and gas, and cow and chicken, and pig and sheep businesses going on in Oklahoma.  However, with 70% of the grain grown going to feed livestock in the USA, as this vegetarian has said many times over the years: "I’m just cutting out the middleman and going straight to veggies as my source of nutrition.”    

  

Just for fun, next time you are hankering for a hamburger Google ‘Impossible Burgers near me’ and try one. So far, I have not heard anyone complain.