[PenultimateManStanding]

I'd be interested to hear your stories about what happened when you tried to tell somebody about this problem and got angry or scornful replies. The one that sticks in my mind more than two years later is when I showed a class of high school kids the oil production bell curve on the chalkboard and put the present day as the top of the curve. A girl in the front row was immediate in understanding the implications and shouted, 'you're lying!'

[Anthrobus]

my fahter in law's way of discussing is usually to deny global warming and then, after some time of arguing by me, his opinion changes to "its to late now to do something".

[Grifter]

I was trying to explain that we must try to make the business more "peak oil" proof. Engage in other areas that were less popular / profitable in terms of what was invested. Its hard to explain without going into loads of boring detail. Hope you get the idea.

I was told about the MASSIVE find in the caspian sea, technology and the fact that this has happened before in the 70's. I didn't argue the case very well but I did have some facts whereas they did not.

Later on (months maybe over a year) one of the 5 people I'd been talking to about it came up to me asking questions. His apparent attitude was that he would be dead when it happens so it didn't matter but I sensed he was very concerned.

[Lore]

In terms of Global Warming:

1) Complete denial that it is happening.

2) It's happening but man is not the cause.

3) it's happening but far to slowly to worry about.

4) It's getting warmer, but it won't be as bad as the alarmist say, may even be good for us.

5) It's happening but doing anything won't make a difference.

6) I'm too old to care if it does happen, I'll be gone by then.

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Anthrobus', ' ')his opinion changes to "its to late now to do something".

[dinopello]

This is a good thread idea. I could come up with a few. Let me start with the one that vexes me most.

It's a guy I work with and also a good friend from college. He's a few years older than me, has 2 young kids and also an engineer. I really admire him and his lifestyle is perfect for post peak survival. Let's see... he's in great shape and runs 10K's regularly and marathons occasionally, he's an ameteur mechanic, he plays the bass, he's an awesome gardener and he hunts deer. Like me, he lives where he can walk to just about everything and does. He's a great guy under pressure and someone you want on our side if a fight breaks out.

But, he's an extreme optimist. I'm not sure if he believes we are at peak now or not, but whatever the situation he thinks we will figure something out to maintain an acceptable lifestyle whether it be efficiency, new energy sources, or whatever. I'm not sure of the extent he has performed his own analysis, but I'm sure its less than me (which isn't all that much relative to the uncertainty).

The main point is that he is not one bit worried. I always say worry doesn't help and not too worry, but in the end I am. It bugs me that he is not worried. And I'm pretty sure its not an act. It is more than he's just not worried, but its a little ambiguous whether he really thinks it won't be a problem or that he just doesn't wish to consider the negative ramifications.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Anthrobus', ' ')his opinion changes to "its to late now to do something".

[killJOY]

Some friends of mine came over to watch End of Suburbia couple of years ago.

One woman really got it. After the movie, she covered her face and said, "Oh. My. God."

Later, she told stories about how people at work thought she was a nutcase because she would talk about peak oil.


Recently, she has shut up about peak oil. It never seems to come up anymore.


She is now pregnant.

[Lore]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('killJOY', 'S')ome friends of mine came over to watch End of Suburbia couple of years ago.

One woman really got it. After the movie, she covered her face and said, "Oh. My. God."

Later, she told stories about how people at work thought she was a nutcase because she would talk about peak oil.


Recently, she has shut up about peak oil. It never seems to come up anymore.


She is now pregnant.

[NEOPO]

"You are lying!"

Yeah I received a few of the "thank god I will be dead then" remarks and got to watch as those people realized how callous and self centered such a statement really is!!!

I also received a few "God will take care of us" as well and at this point I am not sure which is worse. My reply is always "didnt God tell Noah to build an ark?" or that one guy to go into the wilderness? hahah

Yet do not give up children, as my aunt says "you are planting seeds" and sometimes it is in barren fields and in that case do not expect anything to grow just be happy when something does!

IMHO anyone who is not seriously prepping/planning is in denial.
Do you really want to hear my stories which will expose your own level of denial?

So what if they drop nuclear bombs, we cant stop it, did you quit your job today?
So you know you should prep yet you are not and I cant fix you thus good night and good freakin luck!

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', '"')
Do you really want to hear my stories which will expose your own level of denial?

[auscanman]

It's interesting how law students react to this. Most of them look at you like you're a total nut when you even bring up anything related to energy, finite resources or conservation. Then again the only things that matter in their yuppie world are social status, Entertainment Tonight, and making as much money as possible...

I went to a screening of End of Suburbia last year at the law school, mostly to see others would react. As would be expected the general reaction was that we should have been warned, that someone must be to blame for this, and that people are stupid anyway for not doing anything about this. I'm sure none of them were affected at all by watching this, and have not done any further research, or adapted their plans the slightest bit; it was just something to debate for an hour or so.

[cynicalheretic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('dinopello', 'T')his is a good thread idea. I could come up with a few. Let me start with the one that vexes me most.

It's a guy I work with and also a good friend from college. He's a few years older than me, has 2 young kids and also an engineer. I really admire him and his lifestyle is perfect for post peak survival. Let's see... he's in great shape and runs 10K's regularly and marathons occasionally, he's an ameteur mechanic, he plays the bass, he's an awesome gardener and he hunts deer. Like me, he lives where he can walk to just about everything and does. He's a great guy under pressure and someone you want on our side if a fight breaks out.

But, he's an extreme optimist. I'm not sure if he believes we are at peak now or not, but whatever the situation he thinks we will figure something out to maintain an acceptable lifestyle whether it be efficiency, new energy sources, or whatever. I'm not sure of the extent he has performed his own analysis, but I'm sure its less than me (which isn't all that much relative to the uncertainty).

The main point is that he is not one bit worried. I always say worry doesn't help and not too worry, but in the end I am. It bugs me that he is not worried. And I'm pretty sure its not an act. It is more than he's just not worried, but its a little ambiguous whether he really thinks it won't be a problem or that he just doesn't wish to consider the negative ramifications.

[dinopello]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cynicalheretic', '
')Why should he worry, from what I can see of what you wrote... it sounds like that guy is better off than 99.9% of the people in this forum.

[eastbay]

PMS,

Excellent topic idea. This is mentioned all the time around here, but not on a single thread like this... at least not that I can recall.

I cut and pasted this from the Psychology section because it fits nicely here too.

The response I received wasn't exactly 'strident', but it was designed to inform the group that I was a quart low. It can be interesting having what others may call a fringe or minority perspective on anything. Welcome to the fringe everyone... heh.


Just when I think I'm done wasting my time trying to awaken people to peak oil, I go and open my big fat mouth one more time. It happened just this afternoon. Someone at my local temple mentioned that another temple has a very small parking lot requiring people to park far away for special events and this may be due to their poor planning.

Well, I suggested that due to reduced oil and gasoline availability we may soon experience increasing prices thereby reducing driving, therefore maybe it wasn't such poor planning after all. One person said, 'what do you mean?' I said, well, as we know, everything is impermanent and that includes oil and therefore gasoline. Oil's getting scarcer, you know, it's running out. Soon it'll be too costly for casual personal trips (or words to that effect). As he started nodding his head and grinning around to the others, I knew I had screwed up again by blurting out a mention of oil depletion.

I should have kept my mouth shut. Not a single person in the group has a clue. Plus, this was a group of really nice and kind people, friends of mine who may now, because of that one series of comments about peak oil, be questioning my ability to properly organize rational thoughts.

Darn it.

[NEOPO]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('PenultimateManStanding', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NEOPO', '"')
Do you really want to hear my stories which will expose your own level of denial?

[I_Like_Plants]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('zensui', '
')
In a talk with a PO-aware friend we came to a similar conclusion. There's something 'in the air', people unconciously sense that something is wrong. When TSHTF will be the time when this seeds can be useful... shame it won't be before as worldwide precautions...

[cynicalheretic]

I say we all get together and put together a movie with actors / scenery and the full budget (how many people on here)

If we get every member to donate $50.00 we can easily raise enough to make it work.

What was I just talking about, I am confused. Nappy time yay

[Newsseeker]

My mom's a doomer and my dad's a cornucopian. My dad defines peak oil as "the price of oil goes up a little bit" and leaves it at that. All hope is lost. My girlfriend accepts it as true but is completely bored by it.

[Newsseeker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cynicalheretic', 'I') say we all get together and put together a movie with actors / scenery and the full budget (how many people on here)

If we get every member to donate $50.00 we can easily raise enough to make it work.

What was I just talking about, I am confused. Nappy time yay