I think humanity was really just not set out for the discovery of oil. Too much energy, too quickly, and at a macro level we just consumed as much as possible, spread as much as possible, and integrated it as a new dependency rather than a long term resource with consequences. We didn't even realize there would be consequences until roughly the 1960s, and by then the nations funding the research were so dependent on it, they kind of ignored it or worse, lied and said it was wrong.

And for every problem we face, we use energy to solve it, and most our energy is the fossil fuel variety... So when we try to solve issues, we fuel cars and industrial equipment and use oil to go clean up oil spills.

It's kind of a trap, and we weren't in a good position to survive it.