Peak Oil will be ignored until it's too late

[IDemo]

It's truly incredible how the biggest single problem facing Mankind has been routinely shrugged off by politicians, the MSM, and the common citizen: Peak Oil. It's not whether Hillary will be the D-candidate in '08, or whether Rove will get away with tweaking the populace's collective nose regarding Valerie Plame (hint: of course he will!) It is about the two oil company insiders who now occupy the White House, and the failure by them and the Republican controlled congress to take real measures to control the imminent economic disaster. The so-called 'Energy Bill' will accomplish precisely nothing to wean America from its 21 million barrel per day oil habit. Any language to encourage better fuel-efficiency by automakers was ceremoniously struck out of the final bill, largely due to protests from said automakers.

To understand the scope of the peak oil issue, you must understand the scale of petroleum on our economy. Liquid fuels; gasoline and diesel, drive the machinery. A recent Walmart commercial, intended to impress American shoppers, focused on the supply chain; the shipping/trucking required to get products from underpaid Chinese laborers to the shelf. The commercial was itself an excellent advertisement for the threat of peak oil. The Walmart/Target/Shopko retail model will crash this year or next, IMO.

[tedoll78]

1. I am of the firm belief..

that, regardless of whether you believe it's next year, it's past, or it's fifteen years away.. our best measure is now to protect ourselves and our families/friends as individuals. On this issue, the government is and always will be hopeless. There is zero incentive for a politician to say to the American voters, "You need to change your comfy/luxurious lifestyles." That politician would be voted-out on his/her hindquarters as soon as possible.

So I buy land. Build a home with great insulation. Learn to garden. Go solar. Just learn skills to better support myself and become less dependant on conveniences brought to me by oil. And I hope for the best. The old curse from the Orient.. "May you live in interesting times".. it's going to visit us sometime soon.

[kestrel91316]

4. Good ideas ....................

Also, buy a bike and USE IT

Walk everywhere you can, bike where you can't, and drive ony when you MUST

Get the house the best insulation in existence

Buy and use a solar oven as much as is practical

Look into a grid-intertie solar electric system

Let your next car be a hybrid

[tedoll78]

5. I'm only 26..

I've been aware of the Peak since high school, and I've had it in the back of my head for a long time, even though (in typical American fashion) I haven't always taken it seriously.

Still, even if the Peak is decades away, I see these as good goals in any circumstances. I've always wanted the environmentally-friendly solar house, solar hot water, a personal garden, etc etc. I've never really liked having neighbors (the only noise I like to hear is my own!), so the land idea is irrespective of Peak as well. There are goals of mine even if I never personally see the Peak. :P

[kestrel91316]

7. Oh, you WILL see the peak ...............

I will see the peak, and I am much older than you (I was driving in the 70s when we freaked out over gas lines and 50 cent gas). It is going to get much more expensive in the near future - likely $3 by Labor Day, maybe even $3.25 by Christmas. We will never see $2 gas again.

Life and all its accoutrements is going to get MUCH more expensive also. Especially food.

[snowbear]

2. Good post..

I'm not overly familiar with Peak Oil issue, but did a good job explaining it! Thanks ~ :)

[wli]

3. it already has been

I'm not entirely convinced it's the largest single problem facing mankind. There appears to be a large cluster of problems coming at us (global warming, global economic collapse).

[Taylor Mason Powell]

6. The administration is NOT ignoring Peak Oil!

They're very aware of the problem and are actively taking steps to mitigate the disaster. Their brilliant plan is called, "Go to war to get oil."

Working great, isn't it?