What is the subtext of the Peak Oil Myth?

by **lorenzo** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 17:39:31

Peak Oil is real, most people agree. At a certain undeterminable time in the future, we will reach a peak in oil production. That's probably a fact and there's not much we can say about it.

But then there is the Peak Oil Myth, dealing with what will happen to society once this peak has arrived. This myth has obvious doomerish undertones about the total extinction of life in the cosmos, etc...
Other people are more realistic and look at solutions, at substitution, at technology, at science, etc...

So let's stick to the Peak Oil Myth. Many have wondered what the subtext of this mythical discourse really is. Is it a naive romantic ideal (back to nature, small scale living, more organic sociality, etc...), angst (paranoia?), anti-modernism (a reactionary movement?), or is it just a sectarian expression (because the myth shows many resemblances to the foundational myths of sects and cults)...

What is it to you?

by **RonMN** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 18:02:25

Survival.

by **BigTex** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 18:09:15

Stating that there is a subtext in all cases presupposes something that is not true--i.e., that there is, in fact, a subtext. There need not be a subtext to projecting how people will react to a disaster.

When FEMA models disaster planning, is there a subtext? Or are they just trying to figure out how to address the needs of a disaster situation?

Presupposing that disaster planning necessarily has a subtext is silly.

For some, I'm sure, there is a subtext--alienation from the modern world, paranoia, anti-technology ideas, whatever. Other people just see a storm coming and want to board up the windows.

by **keehah** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 18:15:08

It most cases it is denial, but in your case it has been too long for that. I thought it must be required due to a paid profession (alt fuels company etc.) but since you have moved on to claims of myth (then alt fuels are not needed), seems like some sort of gov. PsyOps profession or, less likely, mental issues more severe than the normal grieving stages.

by **Jacksoncage** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 18:22:24

Wow, this has been here for a long time. Most posts questioning imminent peak are deleted with seconds of being started.

Personally, I think of Peak Oil as Global Warming with a kick. Who cares if the Earth's temperature increases 1 degree this century? With peak oil, society collapses in 10 years and all of us who know how to farm and "live sustainably" will survive, and create in the place of any and all progress an agrarian, Shire-style society. Bah. I think the appeal to most people is as follows: "LOL! The party's over, Paris Hilton! All you rich people having casual sex and drinking martini's aren't living SUSTAINABLY! You krazy kapitalists have it all wrong. You're world's gonna end, and ours will survive!"

by **LadyRuby** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 18:43:18

None of the above. Supply and demand, that's all.

by **dinopello** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 19:51:13

What he said.

No, seriously, survival is getting close but human nature is probably more complete.

by **KhanCEO** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 20:13:27

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', '
')But then there is the Peak Oil Myth, dealing with what will happen to society once this peak has arrived. This myth has obvious doomerish undertones about the total extinction of life in the cosmos, etc...
What is it to you?

by **mgibbons19** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 20:19:23

This is a great question. Straight out of cultural anthropology.

PO does seem to feed into some underlying mythology. What it exactly is I'm not sure. My vote is on the neo-romantic and anti-modern smooshed together.

**note that this does not mean that PO is not real - to think that is to seriously miss the point**

by **mgibbons19** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 21:21:22

Well I can't speak for lorenzo, but it is not an unrealistic question at all.

art, story, myth, culture ties into our deepest mythologies. Mythology in this usage does not refer to false stories, but the stories that reflect our deepest held beliefs. At the individual level AND the socio-cultural level.

Thus peak oil reflects or brings out our deepest mythologies. For some it is mad max, for others back to nature, yet others techno-fix future world.

Those who cannot examine their own mythologies may have misled themselves into thinking they have found god's (T)ruth, and not be able to answer this question. They may not even be able to analyze at this level.

by **NEOPO** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 21:25:02

No doubt - Lorenzo is like Johndenver with an lemon onion twist.

Total BS.
Posts anything and everything that to him disproves peak oil or more importantly die off.
I wonder what he will try to hang his hat on next...............

WTF Jackson cage?
"Wow, this has been here for a long time. Most posts questioning imminent peak are deleted with seconds of being started. "

Thats total BS also.
I have probably read more peak aint gonna happen crap then anything here.
Where have you been?
I dont believe the mod's are censoring anyone but instead seem rather lenient.

Thankfully there are a handful of people here who are very good at connecting the godamn dots and they do so regularly enough to cancel out all the noise from those who just cant seem to accept the facts.

It really doesnt f***ing matter as one day there will be no denying.
Thats the day when we wont hear a peep out of people like Lorenzo as he will be busy losing the rest of his mind......

by **TheTurtle** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 21:37:54

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', '
')I dont believe the mod's are censoring anyone but instead seem rather lenient.

Thankfully there are a handful of people here who are very good at connecting the godamn dots and they do so regularly enough to cancel out all the noise from those who just cant seem to accept the facts.

by **Vexed** » Fri 01 Sep 2006, 23:32:02

by **katkinkate** » Sat 02 Sep 2006, 01:34:29

All of the above, plus another point: seeing the big picture (in time and space) and not being blinded by a specialty viewpoint.

by **lorenzo** » Sat 02 Sep 2006, 16:23:19

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mgibbons19', 'T')his is a great question. Straight out of cultural anthropology.

by **Ludi** » Sat 02 Sep 2006, 18:08:34

lorenzo, You don't provide enough choices, since the personal meaning ("subtext") of the story ("myth") of Peak Oil is different for each individual. Your examples indicate a simplistic, even derogatory, lack of understanding of the significance of the idea of Peak Oil to each person. You seem to lack empathy, or, perhaps, the poll was actually meant to be insulting, not revealing (except revealing of your own lack of empathy). If you want to insult people here, why not just come out and do it in the Hall of Flames instead of posting a dopey poll?

by **davep** » Sat 02 Sep 2006, 18:39:04

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', ' ') Naive romanticism: back to nature, back to simple living, back to friendly people living together in harmony in small communities