[Madpaddy]

So here we are, us dedicated posters and readers of PO.com. The great and the not so great, the old, the young, the brave and the bold.

Most of us, even the hardened optimists believe that we have a problem.

Most of us, are planning for a difficult future and rightly so (nothing lost by being prepared).

Many of us believe that any future problems would be hugely mitigated by getting the word out to the masses now.

Many of us have tried to do this and been unsuccessful.

Is there any way that we can utilise the body of knowledge on this website and the strength of our diversity to start making a difference to TPTB.

My opinion for example is that if our government (Ireland) started receiving hundreds of emails etc. from citizens of other countries telling them that their energy policies etc. were a joke it would make a bigger difference than Irish people complaining about the exact same thing. National pride factor would kick in. I know that foreign citizens don't have the power of a vote but does anyone see what I'm getting at .....

US congressmen receiving similar emails from Europeans might have the same affect in the US.

We should identify areas where by combining our influence and knowledge we can begin to effect policy.

Sorry about this, just feeling particularly small and useless today.

[PhilBiker]

There's nothing that can be done. It's very deeply ingrained in the human condition to not prepare for problems in advance.

[gt1370a]

I don't expect the government or business to do anything about peak oil unless it is profitable for them to. And I don't expect my fellow Americans to change their habits any - after all, they still smoke and are getting more obese by the minute, so why should they be bothered to worry about some intangible, distant threat when they can't even deal with their own immediate health?

I only look to this group for information on personal preparation, but that's just me.

[killJOY]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'U')S congressmen receiving similar emails from Europeans might have the same affect in the US.

We should identify areas where by combining our influence and knowledge we can begin to effect policy.

[backstop]

Madpaddy - Small & Useless ?

While I've no means of knowing your hight,

it plainly has no bearing on your usefulness !

That's the one of the most constructive ideas I've seen on this site.

To be of impact, such messages need a common focus of proposal, as well as warning of PO. As a believer in the power of the precedent, it seems to me that the establishment of novel sustainable energy systems on pilot-project scale is a critical global shift. I'd suggest this focus for such email campaigning.

What are your thoughts ?

Given Jevon's Paradox, it is those countries that have ratified Kyoto and so accepted a cap on and cut of fossil fuel emissions that have taken a bit of a step beyond Jevon, and so seem particularly suitable as recipients. Of them, I'd suggest it is the smaller states, with motivations of self-help and of showing initiative, that may be most receptive. (Eire's Wave energy initiate a case in point). Of course, most states globally were not eligible to join Kyoto, and there'll be many potentially useful candidates among them.

Like Dublin, both Cardiff & Edinburgh look promising to me.

Again, what are your ideas ?

Regards,

Backstop

[gg3]

I suspect that emails from other countries to US officials may not even be read, or may provoke some of them to even greater heights of stubborn hubris (if such a thing can be imagined). And personally I would be a bit shy about myself as a US citizen (read: subject of the New Empire) writing to foreign leaders, lest it be interpreted as another case of the same national hubris in a different direction.

What Americans need to write to foreign leaders is an apology for our own national policies that encourage profligate waste of resources.

As far as an overarching policy direction for *us here* to pursue, my thoughts on this are:

Consider the inertia of population growth, resource consumption, and ecological impacts notably on climate. Consider the enormous institutional vested interests behind each of these. I've been coming to believe that these inertial masses are too large to turn around as far and as fast as needed to avert collapse.

That is, even if the world's political and economic leaderships all woke up tomorrow and decided to do whatever they could to stop the train wreck, it's already too late.

The best we can hope for is to minimize the extent and duration of the damage. Toward that end I believe it's time to go directly for the Azimov's Foundation Strategy: small groups, linked together, joined in the common purpose of a) preserving knowledge and b) subtly nudging the vast mass of humanity toward a more sustainable course.

This is a multi-generational project and will take much self-discipline. At this point I don't see another way forward.

[Madpaddy]

Killjoy,

That was my whole point. Your letters to the senators probably got examined for the softness and pliability of the paper they were written on so as to assess their potential for use as toilet paper. That is because you can be dismissed as an annoying crank. If many letters from many countries arrived at those senators desks, they would be harder to ignore.

gt1370a,

How about this for a headline to jolt your obese citizens.

PEAKOIL means you may soon be unable to watch TV.

backstop,

Thanks for your support. What sort of "novel" sustainable energy project do you have in mind. As regards potential, Ireland is one of the best places to be. The wind resource is the second best in Europe after Scotland and the population is small. People generally are receptive to new ideas. It is the bureaucracy which is the problem but here again the government may be keen to be seen to be proactive. A Tv series here which has highlighted the rip off mentality of the country has proved extremely damaging to the government. I reckon, a high profile and specifically targeted campaign (our environment minister) could produce real dividends. We have so far to go here.

1. No tax rebates or grants for renewable energy systems.
2. Little or no competition in energy sector.
3. Useless public transport system. It is cheaper to fly from Dublin to Paris with Ryanair than to take a train journey from Dublin to Cork (our second city).

BTW: I am small (only 168cm) but as we say here.... its not the size of the man in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the man that counts.

[deconstructionist]

This is an excerpt from my blog. Mostly in response to the energy bill's anihilation of PUHCA.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('deconstructionist's blog', '
')Ok, at this point, if anyone still thinks there is not a problem worthy of some action, please log off the internet, put down your snack, and jump out of the nearest 3rd story or higher window because you are part of the problem. For the rest of us... Here is how to find and contact your local representative in congress. Write a letter. Make a phone call. Send an e-mail. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Tell your congressperson that you want your public utilities to stay PUBLIC. Tell them that you want energy issues to be the most important thing on their plates. Tell them that the time to look past this issue is long gone. Tell them that the new energy bill fails to provide a safe and sustainable energy future for America. Tell them you want REAL progress made in lowering our demand for oil and lessening our demand for foreign oil. Tell them to support the Uppsala Protocol in order to avoid oil wars, terrorism, and economic collapse.

[whereagles]

People will prepare and look for alternatives. Albeit only when it's cheaper to produce energy from alternatives than from oil.

It may be too later for a smooth transition at that stage, though. But what can you do? Mankind has only left the jungle 10 000 years ago. That's too little time to become truly adult.

Still, I have high hopes we can cross into the post-oil age with minimal inconvenience.

[linlithgowoil]

dont bother telling anyone or writing anything. you'll achieve precisely zero.

governments dont listen to their citizens - they only be nice to them once every few years so that they'll vote for them and in the meantime they follow their own ideas of how to run things.

anyway, the effects of peak oil are unknown and i would say unknowable. why on earth would any average person who is more worried about paying rent/mortgages etc. be bothered about something that may not happen until 2040 and may not have any effect anyway?

in general, people can barely think past their next meal and actively decide not to think too far into the future because they dont want to think about change and death.

[mrniceguy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Madpaddy', '
')

My opinion for example is that if our government (Ireland) started receiving hundreds of emails etc. from citizens of other countries telling them that their energy policies etc. were a joke it would make a bigger difference than Irish people complaining about the exact same thing. National pride factor would kick in. I know that foreign citizens don't have the power of a vote but does anyone see what I'm getting at .....

[Madpaddy]

gg3,

I just read your post. It is hard to disagree with what you have said but at least if everyone was aware, they would understand what is happening to them, which may be some small comfort.

Awareness would also reduce the squandering of remaining resources.
ie. Do we really need plastics to be used in toys???
Do we really need to take that vacation???
Do we really need to print 10million newspapers when they can be read online???
etc.

Where you think we should go and where I think we should go re. small communities are the same. However, I view my whole country as being one small community !!!

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('whereagles', 'M')ankind has only left the jungle 10 000 years ago. That's too little time to become truly adult.

[mrniceguy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('linlithgowoil', '
')
anyway, the effects of peak oil are unknown and i would say unknowable. why on earth would any average person who is more worried about paying rent/mortgages etc. be bothered about something that may not happen until 2040 and may not have any effect anyway?

[Madpaddy]

Okay,

A lot of negativity which believe me I understand and everyone has made good and valid points. I tend to disagree with the belief that foreigners writing to politicians is going to backfire. For example when the Guardian readers tried to influence people voting in the US elections that is interference in the sovereign affairs of a country. Writing to a politician pointing out deficiencies in an energy policy (read NO policy) is a different matter IMO. Telling a working man how he should vote (good luck with that) is not the same as telling him how he can change his lifestyle habits thereby saving himself money and helping to save the planet at the same time.

Am I too misguided???

[mgibbons19]

I'm a college professor. I teach this stuff in class. The students are just bored.

I've mostly given up.

They still think this war on IRAQ has something to do with 911!

[Madpaddy]

The other night as oil rose above $70, I said to my wife,

"looks like my prediction are coming true"

She didn't reply with "yes, you're so great" that I expected.

She said " what are you doing about it?"

I said " well, look at all my preparations, solar panels, vegetable garden, yada , yada, yada, I've tried telling people and I couldn't be bothered anymore"

Her point though was that we have a responsibility to try harder to inform and educate for all our sakes.

[mgibbons19]

Hey, your family is cute. Nice pic btw.

There was a comic in the paper yesterday "Why do all the geeky looking guys end up with all the hot women?"

[Madpaddy]

The family is great,

Although it is difficult being the most immature member.

[azreal60]

I think the average person has an impression of their government that is simply incorrect.

Before i go into that, madpaddy, I think your intent is noble and good, but misaimed. I would agree with the poster sighting the ohio example, writing messages to foriegn goverments isn't going to really get you anything except maybe a nice thank you letter. You have no power over them, as you don't vote for them.

This is the thrust of my arguement, you should be focusing on the government that you have direct voting power over.

I realize alot of people on here have an extreme distrust of government. Rightly so too. But what people on here need to realize is the reason governments become untrustworthy is we let them get that way. Anytime you say to yourself, this and such government is doing this and such thing i don't like, if you have the power to vote those people into office, what you should be saying is, why the heck did i vote for them, or, why the heck didn't i work harder to keep them out of office.

Now, on to specifics. Madpaddy, i don't know dick about irelands goverment. I have never been there nor studied it, so your going to have to decide if i what i advise is even feasable over there. But i do know in the US, local government is the most under paid attention to form of government known to man. Town, city, county, even at the state level, all these elections are often won by less than 500 votes, and they have HUGE effects on what your peak oil picture is going to look like. If you really want to have an effect, stop thinking of what just you can do.

Governments of all levels listen to only one thing, what will get them out of office. IE Voters. They DO listen to them, its just they listen harder if they know your going to bring large numbers of voters to the polls on a paticular issue. To do this you need organization. You need to get people knowledgable about this on more than an informal basis. An organization get's respect, some guy in an email yelling about peak oil gets about 0 respect. ( i am doing a diservice to some politicians who actively do listen to even the smallest amount of voters, but the more honest ones will admit even they, when push comes to shove, vote the way the majority of the citizens want them to vote. In a rep. democracy, this is after all their job)

So you need an organization. The nice thing about peak oil is it brings people together. Stop and think about it for a second. This page has people who are hard core republicans, democrats, greens, libertarians( using usa party distinctions) and yet we all agree on one thing. That is an organization that could be feared. Such cross party support means that any candidate that doesn't agree with your issues would find not only their political enemys gunning for them, but people within their own party.

As for what you personally can do, get involved in city or other local government. Run for public office. Learn more about the poltical process in a way other than disgust. One of the sadest things i know is their is a local politician in Wisconsin who was doing what people had been begging for for years, holding public meetings on if housing projects where going to be approved or what not. The only people who attended where members of the media. The point is, until you become involved, you kinda don't have a right to complain. And just voting is not involved enough. Not if you really want to make a difference. Voting is expressing one's opinions, activism is changing peoples opinions.

Inclosing though, keep that activism close to home at first. You know no place better than your own home. Trying to cross continents and advise someone else on something they may not even believe in probably will backfire. That's up to the people in those places to do. What you can do is change your own locale. And that IS within your power.