Are We Addicted to Oil? Lessons from Mental Health

Abstract:     
The phrase “addicted to oil” is commonly used in discussions on energy policy in the United States. But should we be using this term so casually, or at all? The term “addiction” is a charged one, and it has potential implications worth examination. This project resulted in a scholarly manuscript that describes the criteria for addiction using the medical model’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Normal Disorders (DSM-IV). It then applies those criteria to our nation’s relationship to oil and examines potential implications. Application of Prochaska and DiClemente’s Stages of Change Model (1983) provides a basis for drawing further parallels regarding the role of addiction in diminishing human potential that may be applied on a cultural scale.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 28

Keywords: Oil, Climate Change, Energy Policy

JEL Classification: Q48, Q38

Accepted Paper Series