The coming oil crisis is going to suck, but the one small silver lining is that when oil gets expensive, cities get better.

My latest video is now available on Nebula and Patreon (YouTube on Sunday):

https://nebula.tv/videos/notjustbikes-when-oil-gets-expensive-cities-get-better

Not Just Bikes — When Oil Gets Expensive, Cities Get Better

We are heading into a new oil crisis, but this isn't the first time this has happened. The good news though is that history has shown us that when oil gets expensive, cities get better, and that's likely to happen again.

Nebula
If you would prefer to watch it early on Patreon, the link is here:
https://www.patreon.com/posts/when-oil-gets-155312118

@notjustbikes please let this be a tipping point for the green left in Europe to start accepting nuclear energy instead of being staunchly opposed to it 🙏

I don't want the fascists to be the ones with a monopoly on nuclear

@notjustbikes right now in France underpayed nurses struggle to make a living because the price of oil is jacked up. This means the elderly and the ill will struggle even more. We therefore need to also tax the hell out of oil companies to fund all of the changes we need, and help these workers do their jobs. We can’t wait for these changes to happen naturally !
@thibaultmol thanks for boosting this. Thanks to you, I found one of my favourite content creator here. 😊
@notjustbikes
@notjustbikes Dame Bro i Love your Viedeos dont ever Stope doning them 🧡
@notjustbikes "are you gonna learn a thing or two about dish washers" 😂
@pseyfert @notjustbikes We want powder, not pods!!!!

@notjustbikes

Except maybe in New Jersey, which enacted laws which will reduce the number of eBikes in use. I just sold my eTrike I use for hauling groceries and other local errands and will be buying a non-motorized trike.
In general NJ is pretty good, but they're too heavy-handed in regulating eBikes.
https://thecyclistchoice.com/resources/new-jersey-ebike-laws/

New Jersey E-Bike Laws 2026: License & Insurance Required - The Cyclist Choice

New Jersey e-bike laws changed Jan 2026. License, registration & insurance required by July 19. Fees waived for 2026. Complete compliance guide + penalties.

The Cyclist Choice

@notjustbikes hopefully cities will start building options for slow charging EVs in front of Apartment buildings

I rarely drive within city since we have decent public transit, but EV is not an option since I would need to completely rely on DC FastCharging which is EXPENSIVE

@tehuro @notjustbikes Maybe the trick is to remove the cars entirely so it's easier for you to get around without one.
@notjustbikes my company just added more work-from-home days as a reaction to the rising oil prices. Some good things come from that.
@notjustbikes I think that the hypothesis on oil prices is wrong, unfortunately.
The slow, progressive, changes have happened because of environment pollution. What's unfortunate is the too slow reaction to an environmental crisis.
Now oil prices should be the main concern for a change? A totally wrong view on the real crisis, driven by stock markets, instead of the real problems.
In the 70s there wasn't an idea of how serious things are today.

@notjustbikes

After years of living in the city, I find myself fond of the slower paces life has to offer.

I find the quaintness of the countryside is quite charming. Theres nothing like having such a peaceful life you in turn need a break from the quiet, to find the blasting in your face city rustle and bustle a good mental reset, and social recharge.

@notjustbikes I feel incredibly lucky to not even know how much gas costs.
@notjustbikes I drive about once a week, in a car that I can't justify getting rid of because I'd outlive any breakeven point by about 40 years, with current prices. Other car that gets used in the family is a 15 year old gas-electric hybrid that takes 30$ to fill once a month or so. Reduce, reuse, recycle -- works for transportation as well as everything else...

@notjustbikes

Psst! The crisis is one of genocide & violent oppression. The oil hiccup is a byproduct of the atrocities committed by evil actors.

So - not really an oil crisis

@notjustbikes You‘ve basically read my mind and summarised my thoughts perfectly!

I need this in German to show it to my relatives 

@notjustbikes unless politicans greased by the #FossilFuel #industry huffed too much VOCs and refuse to acknowledge the reality.and.instead triple-down!

@notjustbikes

I’d like to see that kind of outrage creating the same level of cultural change in the US over so many topics

@notjustbikes

You need to take a little grief falling for the logical fallacy that it’s OK to kill human beings and wipe out entire ecosystems to extract aluminum and copper and what not to drop in replace the energy intensity of the global economy.

In the three US states where adobe can be used as a construction material. You can build houses that don’t need energy to remain comfortable year-round without any energy and with materials that are right under our feet

1/n

@notjustbikes

Your premise is the same premise about car centric design, which is let’s throw really expensive. Long supply chain infrastructure into human daily life and think it’s good..

All the Engineering talent of the world is devoted to building out scale, which means long supply chains, which means energy intensity, and that scale that means burning the planet down or killing it otherwise