We have to be rid of fossil fuels. We are junkies, and we are dying.

[kpete]

This is us. This is on us. No one will rescue us.

by Turkana

..................

We have to be rid of fossil fuels. We are junkies, and we are dying. We are killing not only ourselves, but so many of the beautiful and wondrous creatures with whom we share this spinning blue garden oasis. If a biosphere fails in a far corner of an obscure galaxy on a distant edge of what may be but one of countless Universes, will anybody hear? This is us. This is on us. No one will rescue us. There will be no redeeming such a catastrophic collective failure. Myths and fantasies will not save us.

This is 9/11. This is Katrina. Not in terms of immediate human impact, but in what it tells. This is larger than it seems. This is a statement about who we are and what we have become. This is a lesson about our own willful blindness, our callous disregard, our foolishness, our stumbling in mere semi-consciousness, as zombies through the cultural detritus that defines, numbs, and blinds us. If the overwhelming accumulation of science hasn't been enough. If the changing migratory patterns of seabirds hasn't been enough. The facts and our fellow creatures, screaming alarms that it takes considerably more effort to ignore than it would to heed.

We can't drill ourselves out of this. We drilled ourselves into this. We can't rely on miracles. Our reliance on miracles has been a symptom of the disease that has brought us to this precipice of global crisis. The decisions we now make, the decisions our elected leaders now make, will define our collective future as few decisions in history ever have. We may soon be beyond our decisions being able to make a difference.

George Carlin used to say that when you start experimenting with drugs, a door opens in your mind. But as you continue to experiment with drugs, that door closes again, you just don't notice it. The burning of fossil fuels is our collective drug of choice. For a century, it opened doors. Those doors are closing. Will we catch them before they seal? Will we even hear them if the lock behind us, as the very air we breathe becomes a countdown of expiring existence?

This is us. This is now. Are we up to it?

more:
http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/015008.php

[texastoast]

1. No fixing this

At all.

[Subdivisions]

2. Natural resource limits are already forcing us to change. Regardless, we must

begin to find and implement ways to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. We can begin by starting a campaign of basic fuel conservation. From there we can begin to look at relocalizing our consumption and food production. We need to redirect fossil fuels saved by conservation to our wind turbine, solar electric, and battery technology and manufacturing sectors in order to fuel conversion to renewable energy sources. The solutions are many and I could go on and on. The bottom line is we need to shift the paradign from a fossil fuel civilization to one of drastically less energy consumption and more local economies.

[randr]

3. A new well in the Gulf takes 5 years to productivity

If we do not have an alternative to the fossil fuel addiction in 5 years we are fucked.

[Bryn]

4. What if those dinosaurs hadn't existed?

There'd be no fossil oil to mess up the ocean and wildlife.

[stray cat]

5. then find a better option fast

[upi402]

6. We need to open the door to solar, wind, batteries

Raygun closed the door as it was cracked open by a Democrat. Sure would be nice to have a Democrat in the WH someday.

[FarCenter]

7. The use of fossil fuel began because the forests had all been cut down for wood

http://mygeologypage.ucdavis.edu/cowen/~gel115/115CH11coal.html

The above is a nice description of the timber crisis in England and the history of how coal was substituted for wood and charcoal made from wood.

Note that a lack of economical fossil fuels in parts of Africa is causing a similar deforestation.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8272603.stm

[taterguy]

8. I know people that drive when finding a parking place takes longer than just walking

We're a long way from finding viable replacements for some of things that internal combustion engines do well.

But in the meantime, we could do a lot more to conserve.

Most college areas have large populations of cyclists.

Why?

2 reasons:
a) Lots of people do it so peer pressure gets in play
b) Parking is a pain in the ass at most colleges so it's easier to bike.

What if the whole country pretended that a) and b) applied to them at all times? We'd have a much different society.

[pitohui]

10. so only young able bodied people can go places

bleep but thanks for playing

seriously dude, can yr mom go to grocery store and buy food on a bike? can yr grand mom? well, neither can you when you get to be that age and we have an aging population

the answer is not a fantasy world where only college-age kids can survive and buy groceries

looking for that type of answer -- let's all ride a bike! -- is part of the reason why we're fucked

we need to discourage reproduction but discouraging reproduction means we have an aging population that needs to be supported in a humane manner

we need to invent something but it ain't the fuckin' bicycle

i wish for your mom exactly what you wish for mine

[taterguy]

11. Read my post again. I concede internal combustion engines do some things well

But you damn good and well that plenty of car trips could be done on a bike.

And what's with the "young" stuff? I've seen 60 year olds do 90 mile bike rides.

[jtrockville]

9. Here's an idea: Let's stop digging stuff up out of the Earth and burning it.