peak oil/transition initatives

[Keef]

I'm passionate about green issues but I'm also completely despondent about mankind's ability to do the anyhing about it; taken as a whole we're a spectacularly selfish bunch.

What really bugs me, is when people (not you Piers) talk like, the damage is done now, so it's too late. I have heard this a lot lately from people who should know better. A lot of damage may have been done, but does that mean we should all just forget it and carry on? Surely we should still be trying to make a difference to stop things getting even worse even quicker!!!

Or am I missing something?

[Brendan]

Well first world countries could employ governments that will force organisations like BP to use their resource to build a better future for humanity. People won?t though.

Oh no we couldn?t possibly vote for someone with such radical policies. What will happen to us if we don?t run our economy on the basis of reward for greed. You need greed to run a proper country that?s how it works don?t you know.

What do you mean the people of the future? Be serious man this isn?t Science fiction. The future will be fine as long as I have enough money now.

You obviously don?t understand such complex matters.

And furthermore just look at all the nice, decent, human individuals this world fosters.

[mockney piers]

Well today's headline has us already past tipping point in the arctic melt, but in truth nobody really knows if we've past tipping point until it really IS too late, and thus far we're not yet aware of that.

And you're absolutely spot on, we really should be ding our damndest from this moment on, but I know I'm not pulling my wait, not even close.

And I care...a great deal, but changing behaviour individually is hard, as a society is positively behemothic, and globally so very very difficult, especially with laws in place like due diligence that can make it a offence not to maximise profit for your company.

But too right, just because it's hard is no excuse for apathy, that's just saying I can't be arsed, my grandkids (or even kids) can face the consequences of my selfishness.

I just hope the future still has a place for broadband and online gaming ;-)

[Keef]

I'm not pulling my wait, not even close.

And I care...a great deal, but changing behaviour individually is hard

What you said!

I always recycle, I try not to waste electricity, and I don't drive, but at the end of the day, I have to admit, that other things in my life are thought about way before the earth gets a look in!

Mrs Keef probably does a lot more than average, but even she says that she is rubbish really.

[louisiana]

I'm just back from some days at Mammon Towers, where dozens of masters of the universe were this afternoon poring over the entrails of Madoff & Co.... to find that my post didn't sink without a trace and did get some on-subject responses. Nice and thank you for your posts.

I have some friends who have believed for a while that peak oil is ultra-imminent and the only thing is to ship out to become self-sufficient. And others who wish to create rural transition-style initiatives...

New 12 minute interview with Fatih Birol, chief economist of the International Energy Agency following publication of the first World Energy Outlook ever based on actual oilfield estimates of production:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2008/dec/15/fatih-birol-george-monbiot

Conventional oil will peak worldwide around 2020 he reckons.

No time to lose...

[louisiana]

Keef Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I'm not pulling my wait, not even close.

> And I care...a great deal, but changing behaviour

> individually is hard

>

> What you said!

>

> I always recycle, I try not to waste electricity,

> and I don't drive, but at the end of the day, I

> have to admit, that other things in my life are

> thought about way before the earth gets a look

> in!

>

> Mrs Keef probably does a lot more than average,

> but even she says that she is rubbish really.

Keef, changing behaviour is hard, but I find the 'transition towns' initiative interesting, as it focuses on what people can do rather than what they can't. Very positive vibe, not all doom and gloom.

BTW, Brixton is an early stages transition initiative... (so not all rural enclaves)

I can foresee when we will be growing veggies in Dulwich Park etc. before long. Perhaps we could encourage the council and the Dulwich Society to go for nut-bearing trees?

I wonder where our water might come from (in ED) in times of crisis...

(There's currently a freshwater mains 'lake' at the foot of my road, with umpteen holes in the road, going on for the last two weeks; expecting the mains water to go off any time. We do rely on very fragile supply chains.)