[MicroHydro]

American Graffiti was a 1973 George Lucas movie about teenagers graduating from High School in Modesto, California in 1962. It was about youth, innocence, and burning a lot of petrol driving around town for no good reason.

Forty Three years have passed, but time stands still in the Waikato. People are thrilled that petrol has dropped from NZ$1,60/litre to NZ$1,37/litre, and are back to driving as much as ever. The suburbs are booming, building ever bigger houses that need ever more natural gas and electricity. Eight local teenagers were racing in a station wagon and crashed it into a power pole. Nothing has changed.

In the real word, Kuwait has peaked and the US Federal Reserve plans to stop reporting M3. New Zealand is suffering serious declines in natural gas production. Electric blackouts are a near certainty within 18 months. Nobody cares. I asked the bankers (all of the commercial banks are foreign owned) about deposit insurance. There is no such thing here.

It is nice that this region is blessed with moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. It is also fortunate that population densities are lower than most developed places. However, people here are living in a state of peak oil cluelessness and denial equal to Las Vegas, NV or Phoenix, AZ. Human nature just does not allow people to worry about abstract problems I guess. People here are in for a rude awakening.

[aldente]

I wonder about that effect daíly. Mass psychosis is the closest that I could nail it down to so far. Cluelesness is insofar a subcategory or the above term, in particular deliberate cluelesness.

Would we want it different on the other hand? What to expect from the average Joe once he or she realizes disruption? Nothing fancy I would say. Put yourself in the position of power. I sure would not like to communicate PO broad scale - what would be the purpose?

[Liamj]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', '.'). I sure would not like to communicate PO broad scale - what would be the purpose?

[rostov]

Microhydro,

That's the macro scale. How about the micro scale of things? Your co-workers (not sure if you brought family or friends, etc).

I've got a staff on my team on fromthewilderness.com and fully PO aware, and there's another company we deal with containing 4 staff PO aware. Still about less than 5% of the total company strength that are PO ready, but at least there's more than 0.

[oowolf]

People are starting to realize something is wrong here in NW MT. For years I've been dissed as a radical chicken little wacko but just within the last month damn near everyone I encounter is willing to listen and discuss. I think its a combination a gasoline scare, a federal govt that is visibly corrupt and disfunctional, and perhaps Diamond's new book (Collapse)which is currently the hottest book around. And maybe even me putting the bug in their ears. Folks are getting worried.

Micro, If I couldn't be here I'd be in NZ. But I only know NZ from National Geographic--it's like Montana with beaches.

[jesus_of_suburbia_old]

I think most people feel they are powerless when it comes to making change. I know that's the way I feel.

There is a big establishment out there. They have infinite amounts more money, power and influence behind them than I do.

David and Goliath doesn't really work in the real world-not on this scale at least.

There will be a time in our lives when it will again be okay for the ruling class to overtly screw over their inferiors and treat them like shit. Not to say they don't do it now. It's just that enough of us have just the right amount of wealth to amuse ourselves and ignore it.

Bod Knight once said that if rape is inevitable, "you may as well sit back and enjoy it."

The bad men are coming. We can't stop them. Might as well enjoy this delusion while it lasts.

It's true. It's true.

[Lokutus]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('MicroHydro', '
')
Forty Three years have passed, but time stands still in the Waikato. People are thrilled that petrol has dropped from NZ$1,60/litre to NZ$1,37/litre, and are back to driving as much as ever. The suburbs are booming, building ever bigger houses that need ever more natural gas and electricity. Eight local teenagers were racing in a station wagon and crashed it into a power pole. Nothing has changed.

In the real word, Kuwait has peaked and the US Federal Reserve plans to stop reporting M3. New Zealand is suffering serious declines in natural gas production. Electric blackouts are a near certainty within 18 months. Nobody cares. I asked the bankers (all of the commercial banks are foreign owned) about deposit insurance. There is no such thing here.

It is nice that this region is blessed with moderate temperatures and adequate rainfall. It is also fortunate that population densities are lower than most developed places. However, people here are living in a state of peak oil cluelessness and denial equal to Las Vegas, NV or Phoenix, AZ. Human nature just does not allow people to worry about abstract problems I guess. People here are in for a rude awakening.

[MicroHydro]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Lokutus', 'S')ounds like a great entrepreneurial opportunity for you. Do you have some spare cash to invest in goods that are likely to become necessities once the SHTF?

[MicroHydro]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rostov', 'M')icrohydro,

That's the macro scale. How about the micro scale of things? Your co-workers (not sure if you brought family or friends, etc).

I've got a staff on my team on fromthewilderness.com and fully PO aware, and there's another company we deal with containing 4 staff PO aware. Still about less than 5% of the total company strength that are PO ready, but at least there's more than 0.

[MicroHydro]

PS: Waikato had 96 highway deaths in 2005. That out of a resident population of about 250,000. This is a very high rate. I can't wait for this place to start petrol rationing. Then I could ride my bicycle on the narrow roads without fear of sudden violent death.

[BAM]

How long have you lived in NZ for?