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Page added on September 24, 2012
Keeping Peak Oil Reality In Mind # 8: No Plans?
An observation worth noting … and pondering, from James Gustave Speth:
High on any list of our duties to future generations must be the imperative to keep open for them as many options and choices as possible. That is our generation’s gift of freedom. Here, the first order of business is to preserve the possibility of a bright future by preventing any of today’s looming disasters from spinning out of control or otherwise becoming so overwhelming that they monopolize resources of time, energy, and money, thus foreclosing other options.
So as the Peak Oil denial machine chugs along, misrepresenting facts, cherry-picking small bits of the truth, or otherwise remaining afloat in the fact-free world too many inhabit, who is the lucky designee charged with explaining to their children why they found it preferable to completely discount a rather significant body of evidence suggesting the days of easily accessible, affordable, and readily available supplies of oil are just about over?
The related and probably more painfully embarrassing explanation comes immediately thereafter, when the logical follow-up question is asked: “Why didn’t you at least spend some time and some money planning for an energy-driven future which by all rational indications was going to be very different from the one you relied on?”
What’s the answer?
Does it really make sense to just ignore the growing body of evidence about conventional oil supplies; the unpleasant truths about the limits to unconventional alternatives; the simple fact that we’ve been drawing down a magnificent but finite resource for decades, and that decreasing supply matched against increasing demand and expectations is a fairly straightforward math computation with an equally obvious answer?
Is the urgent need to cling to ideology no matter what really that much more important than a stroll into reality now and then and recognize that the one and only agenda Peak Oil advocates pursue is to inform and heighten awareness that changes are inevitable, and that failure to plan is by far the costliest option? By what standard of common sense is it acceptable to assume that transitioning from personal, professional, industrial, commercial, economic, and political lives dependent in no small part on a finite resource will be quick, easy, inexpensive, and painless?
No planning at all … just “drill, baby, drill”? Seriously?
Peak Oil is not rocket science. It’s not even plastic model rocket science.
The effectiveness of ignoring reality has its limits as a strategy. Creating more problems that will be more costly, more time-consuming, less effective, more challenging, more contentious, more … everything because ignoring facts and starting to plan now was an unacceptable admission that the “other side” was right is a curious approach. Who needs plans when … uh, how does that work?
If facts don’t matter, I guess consequences shouldn’t either, Right?
2 Comments on "Keeping Peak Oil Reality In Mind # 8: No Plans?"
Kenz300 on Mon, 24th Sep 2012 2:53 pm
Seems like most people do not change until they are forced to by price or some other reason. As the price of oil continues to rise we will all begin to change our energy use. We will walk a little more, ride a bicycle a little more and take mass transit a little more. We will take energy efficiency into account when we buy a car, truck, appliance or even a light bulb. Family budgets are getting squeezed. Those 12 MPG SUV’s and trucks are being parked or traded in for 40 MPG vehicles.
Now if only our politicians would provide more mass transit, more walking and bicycle paths that connect work, schools and homes the transition would be easier. There once was a time when trolleys ran thru the center of most major cities connecting people with jobs, businesses and schools. Children once walked or rode bicycles to school instead of being driven by their parents.
SOS on Mon, 24th Sep 2012 5:06 pm
This author says “drill baby drill with no planning at all.”
With that statement the author’s ignorance becomes legendary. Credibility is now a pipedream. There has been lots and lots and lots of planning before drill baby drill became practical.
The planning on when, where, who, how many and for how much is immaculate and down to the detail. Its been tested in court, rights clearly defined, well locations determined, payout pools established, reporting requirements written into law. Landowners, businesses, governements at all levels, lawyers, citizens etc have all been planning for years and years and years.
Growth from these well planned and highly regulated industries is causing growing pains and challenges remain on how to ship all the crude and gas. If you desire greater supplies, lower prices and stability support the efforts to build the pipeline. Not building it assures us all that our armies will be in the middle east for years to come.
Many of you may not realize we have enough resources here at home to power our needs. Politically created shortages through coalitions on the left turned energy production down in the 1970s as they put peak politics to work creating peak oil.
This policy of peak oil at any cost has resulted in the military taking up a permanent residence in the Middle East to protect American interests and inverstment. We had to go overseas to get our energy. Its a shame and a huge guilt the left has to bear because of the misguided peak politics of peak oil.
We need politics that keep the armies and navies at home. Keep the wealth here for us. We need to be self-reliant, resourceful, sucessful and smart. We need to move away from the peak politics of shortage that give us peak oil, armies in the middle east, dying american soldiers in forigen lands and a complete waste of national treasure. We need an energy independent North American by 2020.