[Barbara]

I was on a 20 days Europe trip for my vacation. I bought newspapers, and got acid in the stomach for what was happening in oil prices while I was away and couldn't read the forum!
Anyway, I took the opportunity to look around. This is what I've seen from a tourist perspective, which is of course not scientific in any way, but is good to get a "taste".
Germany - Gasoline at 1,21 per liter (about $5,58 per gallon). Lot of big cars (Mercedes, Audi, BMW) running at fastest speed on highways (no limits there). Recycling garbage everywhere (in supermarkets too you have to differentiate paper, glass etc.!) Some wind, some solar.
Nederland - Lots of solar roofs and wind on every smallest hill. Every house has a vegetable garden. Most people go around cycling, car use is strongly discouraged (gasoline at $ 5,70 per gallon), speed limits are severe, park tickets are skyrocketed (€ 2 for 1 hour parking!). No more than 1 car per average family, and about 5 bycicles. Some recycling.
London - No preparedness at all, for what I've seen. Too busy with terror alerts.
Italy - Just 20 days of absence, and found 2 astonishing thing: TV commercials about saving energy aired million times during the Olimpycs, and a campaign from the National Energy Company to switch into solar (with money help and low bank interests.)

[Specop_007]

Better late then never I guess......Except London. But who likes those damnedable snobbish Brits anyways, aside from their tea. They do have good tea.

[Licho]

Czech republic - gasoline at $1 per liter, cities having problems with excess car traffic, but everyone has a bike too. Some recycling, virtually no renewables. Powerplants produce 60% of extra energy that goes for export, not a single gas or oil power plant, ministry of industry announces plan to support new nuclear plants, and achieve 10% renewables. No public announcements about peak oil, most media continue reporting that prices rise because of political instability.

But ... this is what I wrote in different thread, lost after hacking attack:

My mother works as an director of institute for mentally ill people (it's governmentally and city funded institution) and she recently received weird documents from government.

They actually deal with future oil crisis. There are for example listed special gas pumps where utilities and gov. organization will be able to get fuel. Gas station recommended for her institution is currently ordinary commercial station, but in case of crisis it will serve for public institutions.
Documents also contains list of various institutions and utilities that will be able to get fuel there in case of crisis, they are prioritized to different classes, hospitals, police, firemen and other "basic" services were of course in class with highest priority.
Document's required her to report back possible storage facilities, and monthly consumption, plus how "necessary" it is. It also advised to store fuel right now if it's possible and safe within institution.
Further documents contained information about special chip cards that will be given to these institution in case of crisis. It's basically oil rationing for gov. institutions.

So it seems that at least my stupid government is actually aware of possible problems and has some backup plan for critical first months or years. And they have no objective reason to fear right now, oil supply is stable, from multiple sources, refineries have back-ups, strategic reserves full, gas end-prices stable and unaffected by global prices much.
Government never declared anything publicly about possible problems, yet they are obviously silently preparing.

[Licho]

Oh, I forget about one stupid thing current goverment plans - special bold social benefits for young families with kids, to improve birth rate, because population is declining here..

[born2respawn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'B')etter late then never I guess......Except London. But who likes those damnedable snobbish Brits anyways, aside from their tea. They do have good tea.

[Specop_007]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('born2respawn', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'B')etter late then never I guess......Except London. But who likes those damnedable snobbish Brits anyways, aside from their tea. They do have good tea.

[Metronome]

Germany - Gasoline at 1,21 per liter? Wow.

Europe is very much different from the Americas. The mentality is very different as well I should say... They say Europe is one step ahead when it comes to environment and energy.

Thanks for sharing your observations with us Barbara.

-May all beings Happiness may you be well.

[Permanently_Baffled]

Barbara's accusation that Britain is doing nothing is a little harsh. How does visiting one city qualify whether a country is doing anything or not?

Still a long way to go but the UK is a zillion light years ahead of the US. The UK consumes 10 barrels of oil per day per person, this is 26 in the US. Petrol is circa $6 per gallon highest in Europe. As for primary energy consumption the US uses 7.9 tonnes per person per year vs the UK at 3.7. The UK already is aiming at 20% renewables by 2020, is investing in 350,000 tonnes of bio diesal production in 2005 with a view to further expansion. Recycling is being spread to all parts of the country with targets of of 25% for all domestic waste to be recycled by 2010.

The UK is at least recognising the problem , and hopefully speed this process if the SHTF earlier than expected.

Apologies if i sound defensive !!

Cheers

PB

[tkn317071]

Welcome back Barbara! I was wondering what happened to you. Especially after you started the Peakoil.community thread. Take a look and tell us your thoughts.

[Barbara]

Permanently,
no, I don't qualify: I premised it was just a tourist point of view. But I believe that, if a feeling is enough strong in a country, you can perceive it being a tourist. My main perception in London was the terror alerts attention. In the continent, nobody ever mention terror (but in my country, of course, Berlusconi is doing his job as part of the axis-of-terror-alerts).

tkn,
thank you for the welcome!

Licho,
happy to see you again. I've read your message at an Internet cafe in Holland. It shocked me. I think it deserves a whole thread, please open it.

[JackBob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', 'B')arbara's accusation that Britain is doing nothing is a little harsh. How does visiting one city qualify whether a country is doing anything or not?

Still a long way to go but the UK is a zillion light years ahead of the US.... The UK is at least recognising the problem , and hopefully speed this process if the SHTF earlier than expected.

Apologies if i sound defensive !!

Cheers

PB

[born2respawn]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', 'S')till a long way to go but the UK is a zillion light years ahead of the US. The UK consumes 10 barrels of oil per day per person, this is 26 in the US.

[Permanently_Baffled]

Apologies i meant per year!! The source is Bp stats review 2004

[Permanently_Baffled]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JackBob', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', 'H')ave to agree with you PB. As an American who has lived in Ol' Blighty for 10 years, there is a lot of positive stuff happening here. Even wind power will come along nicely if the NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) can be dissuaded from fighting every wind turbine.

Our council is one of the best in the EU as recycling and others are improving. My only concern about riding it out here is: 60 million folks in a not so big island - will there be food enough? The latitude and cloud cover also hurts solar potential. I am starting raised-bed gardening next summer to re-learn food production but will probably return to the US before SHTF if poss.

Cheers!

JacKBob

[JackBob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('JackBob', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Permanently_Baffled', 'H')ave to agree with you PB. As an American who has lived in Ol' Blighty for 10 years, there is a lot of positive stuff happening here. Even wind power will come along nicely if the NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) can be dissuaded from fighting every wind turbine.

Our council is one of the best in the EU as recycling and others are improving. My only concern about riding it out here is: 60 million folks in a not so big island - will there be food enough? The latitude and cloud cover also hurts solar potential. I am starting raised-bed gardening next summer to re-learn food production but will probably return to the US before SHTF if poss.

Cheers!

JacKBob

[Rembrandt]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Barbara', '
')Nederland - Lots of solar roofs and wind on every smallest hill. Every house has a vegetable garden. Most people go around cycling, car use is strongly discouraged (gasoline at $ 5,70 per gallon), speed limits are severe, park tickets are skyrocketed (€ 2 for 1 hour parking!). No more than 1 car per average family, and about 5 bycicles. Some recycling.

[Barbara]

Ehm Rembrandt, well, maybe I was too positive because I love Nederland wholeheartedly (been there 4 times)!!!

[Permanently_Baffled]

Hi Rembrandt

The one overall advantage Holland has is all those greenhouses(some of the most efficient in the world). When oil goes tits up nobody going to want ornamental plants but imagine the potential in food crops! With all those greenhouses for food production you will be sorted! Will need to find a energy source for heating and transport, I think the dutch have an opportunity. Please don't forget your British friends !

[RIPSmithianEconomics]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Specop_007', 'B')etter late then never I guess......Except London. But who likes those damnedable snobbish Brits anyways, aside from their tea. They do have good tea.