Elon Musk, co-founder and CEO of electric car manufacturer Tesla, told reporters at an energy conference in Norway that humanity needs rely on oil and gas “in the short term” or “civilization will crumble.” He has previously stated that a rise in oil and gas production would be harmful to the company, which is worth close to $900 billion.
He once stated on Twitter, “Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately,” The tweet was a reaction to both the sanctions imposed on Russia and the war in Ukraine. He added that the birth rate is another issue the world is experiencing, saying that if we don’t “make more babies,” “we will die with a whimper in adult diapers.”
Reporters asked Musk if people should use gas and oil. He replied: “Realistically, we do need to use oil and gas in the short term, otherwise, civilization would crumble. “For civilization to continue to function, we do need oil and gas. Especially these days, with the Russia sanctions, we do need to provide oil and gas to keep civilization running, said Sky News. “I think any reasonable person would conclude that. While at the same time accelerating the advent of sustainable energy.”
In response to a question about whether Norway should keep drilling for oil and gas, he said: “I think some additional exploration is warranted at this time. One of the biggest challenges the world has ever faced is the transition to sustainable energy and to a sustainable economy. That will take some decades to complete.”
He claimed that stationary battery packs and wind-powered generators located in the North Sea might become a significant source of energy. “It could provide a strong, sustainable energy source in winter,” Musk explained. He went on to note that his “favorite less obvious things to be concerned about” was the birth rate around the world. “It’s important that people have enough babies to support civilization,” he noted. “They say civilization might die with a bang or with a whimper. If we don’t have enough kids, then we will die with a whimper in adult diapers. That would be depressing. Make more babies. At least make enough babies to sustain the population.”