Larry Rassmusen mentions about three illusions which have acted as a form of a collective amnesia rendering us insensitive to the destruction that our activities have caused to our planet. The first such illusion extends to a sense of false consciousness that grips the entire human race with respect to the abundance of fossil fuels. Exploitation of fossil fuels was a major factor for lubricating the wheels of development and ushering in modernity. It was seen as a messianic force which would liberate mankind from being subservient to the vagaries of nature. However, the illusion lay in the fact that men were beguiled into believing that the reserves of these fossil fuels were/are inexhaustible and would continue to serve mankind satisfying not only their needs but also their greed.