[jake]

I'm a big believer in action. As my sig says, "I am both idealist and realist. For there is no point in ideals if they cannot be realised." The future is not set in stone. We make it happen. But we make it happen for a reason. Every action we take, everything we do, we do for a reason. This applies to everyone. Sometimes, the reasons for actions are hard to decipher - there may be many interrelated reasons. But there's still a reason. You don't randomly go and open your window. You open it because you feel hot, or stuffy. You don't reandomly decide to get dressed. You do it because it feels like the thing to do. Everything, EVERYTHING you do is for a reason. In part, the reason may be in your genes, but the rest will be down to your environment, your surroundings (including the people in it), and your previous interactions with it.

In a way, this leads to a belief that there is no such thing as free choice. But my view on this, is that free choice is a necessary illusion to enable consiousness. What is 'I'? I would say that 'I' is nothing more than my genes and my environment. And in that way, 'I' have free choice. But its important to understand that 'I' is not some spiritual entity, some supernatural being, but a thing of physics. I am, therefore I think. The physical body is needed for thinking to occur. But the thinking occurs within that body, and does not happen randomly. There is always a cause and effect.

Okay, so that's the basics out of the way. Where's the join with peak oil? Well, if every effect first needs a cause, then we need to make that cause. Without cause, there will be no effect. And we have to compete against others seeking alternative effects - perhaps to line their own pockets.

But also, don't be unnecessarily mean to people who seem 'evil', such as Bush. My argument follows that in a way, nothing is 'his' fault. 'He' is simply his genes and environment. If we didn't want him to be 'evil' then we could have tried to change his environment, but it may be too late for that now. His genese are uncontrollable, but I would hope there's no 'evil' gene. He's a poor confused little boy. His daddy told him how important money was, and what a fantastic little son he was, and how he loved him to bits. He wanted to be like his daddy. He got a thirst for money, and for power. Imagine you could actually sit down in a room with Bush and psycho analyse him. Have him restrained with no means of escape. Imagine you could get inside his brain and figure out what's going on up there. Why does he do things? I'm saying its NOT because he's evil. If its becaue he's greedy, there's a reason for that. If its because he's power hungry, there's a reason for it. I would find it fascinating to find out those reasons.

Look around you today at children, at the "horrible horrible, disrespectful youth". Is it really of any surprise that they're so disrespectful, so rebellious? They see a world in which adults don't truly care about them. They see adverts which tell them to buy, buy, buy and then they can live the glorious lives they see on the tele. But what are we doing about it? What the HELL are we dong about it? Often, we get pissed off at them, shout at them, tell them off, get the police onto them. We should be trying to understand them, see what's going on in their heads, and trying to change our ways.

But, of course, 'our' ways are the product of our genes, our environments. We've had a poor start. But let's bloody do something. Let's try and change things. Don't just sit around all day consuming, watching TV, calling the police when you see a crime.

Make a difference. If we have a 'go out there and do something' attitude then we can start to believe in ideals, in a utopia. If we don't, we're left with a dystopian reality in which peak oil will ellivate and feed on hatred. There is no reason why that must be the case. The future is not yet set.

Be idealistic, but be realistic too. Realise that people do things for a reason. Realise that you can give people new reasons to do things. That you can be the cause of great effects.

[MadScientist]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')ealise that you can give people new reasons to do things. That you can be the cause of great effects

[jake]

Too right. The hardest thing I find, is trying to talk to friends, particularly girlfriends. Family I can talk to about it fine, but friends - student friends, as I'm a student - tend to laugh or dismiss me offhand.

But a girlfriend is worse. I've been going out with a girl for only about a week or so, and I feel kinda decietful if I DON'T talk about it. But its hard to, to say what I have to say without sounding like some kinda religious nut freak or something. Having watched The Day After Tomorrow I managed to talk about it a bit the other day though, which was good.

But yeah, you should start with family and friends. But you can also do more than that. A lot more. I'm thinking political activism, forming pressure groups and associations, PR campaigns, correcting disinformation from the media, investing in alternative, encouraging organic foods and local production through your own consumption.