Please accept our apologies. We were roaring drunk on petroleum.

Vonnegut used the line as a darkly comic message aimed at people in the future, framing modern society’s heavy reliance on oil as a kind of collective intoxication. It was reported from his remarks during a 2006 public forum appearance and also circulated in connection with a later art-print/show featuring his text.

The quote is a sardonic apology that treats fossil-fuel dependence as reckless overindulgence. It implies that people knowingly enjoyed the benefits of petroleum-driven life while ignoring the long-term damage and the inevitability of depletion.

“Please accept our apologies. We were roaring drunk on petroleum.”

“Dear future generations: Please accept our apologies. We were roaring drunk on petroleum.”

“Dear future generations: Please accept our apologies. We were rolling drunk on petroleum.”