[KaiserCesar06]

Hello, everyone. I've been reading the views and opinions on this forum off and on over the last couple of years while trying to educate myself. I'm 19, and found out about PO 2-3 years ago when Matt Savinar was a guest on "Coast to Coast AM" which I use to get to sleep. I checked out LATOC the next day and got a real hard dose of reality.

It initially dominated my thoughts and I tried to tell everyone I could, with mixed response. I'd like to think that I have some pretty smart and informed friends and a good amount checked it out for themselves, and came to accept it, but for the most part were somewhat optimistic acknowledging that some change had to occur. A few others were just completely ignorant and remain like many of you classify the typical joe shmo american. I guess being able to intelligently talk to a few people about it has kept me from really "needing" to check on this forum or post a lot before.

Even so, if I could classify my treatment of the whole issue as trying to blissfully ignorant and optimistic but not being able to forget. Even so, I make some attempts to practice a little conservation. I live in the NW suburbs of Chicago in a fairly dense area. While a good amount of places are walkable, especially friends houses and other places I frequent, only a handful of people are really ever seen walking for reasons other than exercise or leisure. Starting last summer I stopped driving completely and started walking everywhere that was possible. Then I went off to my first year of college at Grand Valley State University in Allendale/Grand Rapids, MI. Aside from the ~ 220 mile trip I made only for move-ins and breaks and move-out, most of which I carpooled with 3 or 4 others from my area, I felt good about being very independent of a car. Now I am back home, trying to use as little energy as possible, walking to places, reading or playing sports or whatever instead of using electronics, except for my necessary ipod and macbook. Still, this life is obviously dependent on oil, with me trying to do as much without drastically changing my lifestyle.

I guess my biggest struggle has got to be my mother. My parents divorced about 4-5 years ago and my mother moved out, temporarily to an apartment closer to her work. She decided she wanted her own house, and can anyone guess where? The growing expanse of exurbia in a townhome that she said she "hopes" to pay off by the time she is ready to retire. She still works at the same place, except now it is something like a 30-40 mile commute that can take up to 1 1/2 - 2 hours due to traffic in the morning. She's driven her old '93 civic into the ground and is ready for a replacement in the near future. What is she looking at? A toyota rav4 with "good" efficiency of 25/31. I guess its not as bad as it could be. Any attempt I've tried to explain to her about peak oil leads to her talking about how "they" constrict supplies to manipulate prices and her not really willing to grasp the concept. It can be frustrating, as you all probably know.

Alright, so that's pretty much what I've got to say as an introduction. I look forward to reading more and adding what I can.

[auscanman]

Hi and welcome! It's great to see more and more young people taking an interest in peak oil. We're the ones it is going to affect most significantly, and who are going to devise a lower energy manner of living. The future is very much in our hands... will we turn it into a mad-max world, a blissful low energy utopia or something in between?

You should check out threads here more often. There is some great information. Also, the elusive pursuit of the truth becomes a somewhat simpler task when you have the wide (and usually intelligent) contribution of ideas that you get on this site.

[canis_lupus]

Welcome from the Western 'Burbs! Good first post --

I had the same reaction after reading the Long Emergency in Rolling Stone. It was like an epiphany and made way too much sense. I unloaded on my wife (bad idea) and some friends (who remain skeptical). I've since learned to take it easy with the rhetoric, the proof, the stats, facts, figures, etc. If you become an unassuming model for your friends, they'll notice and you can include them instead of alienate them, as I did.

PO has become a way of life for me now and I'm having a blast. What comes, comes. I'll be as prepared as I can.

I'm fortunate to have a mother in law ten minutes away (my mom and dad made the big move when I was your age). She's amused by my pestering her with questions about her growing up on a farm and thinks I'm nuts (I'm growing 1/2 acre of sunflowers in SW Wisconsin to press into oil to make my biodiesel). I tell her farming is in her blood and she tells me sure, but why give up her lifestyle to go back to raising cows?

[katkinkate]

Let me be the third person to welcome you to Peak Oil.com.

(clearing of throat)

Welcome to Peak Oil.com.

[ONeil]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('KaiserCesar06', 'I')'m 19, and found out about PO 2-3 years ago when Matt Savinar was a guest on "Coast to Coast AM" which I use to get to sleep.

[eric_b]

Welcome.

Yeah I remember when I first stumbled across this site. It was in 2004 .. (2003?) I think. This was when I was between computers so I was using my friends internet connection, killing time one afternoon online.

I've always been interested in energy use and had stumbled across some Ohio professors site where he mentioned our dependence on oil and how it's indirectly used by just about everything in our economy. I'd also come across Cambell's estimate of the global volume of oil used (in 1997) being something like a cubic mile, which really impressed me.

Anyway, somehow I stumbled on the PO discussion groups, and I remember how much they impressed me. They were outstanding, and I clearly remember reading some of Monte's early threads. I still think some of Monte's posts on various PO related topics are very lucid and remain the 'benchmark' for best explanation.

Also agree on the waste you mentioned. There's so much of it in the US (& west), and so many people are just ignorant when it comes to the hidden costs and consequences of our excessive energy use. Just the thought that in order to make enough biofuel to fill a typical SUV tank requires enough grain (food) to feed a person for a year.

[Heineken]

Waste is certainly ugly, eric, but if we became more efficient, would we really use less energy overall? Remember Jevon's Paradox.

Beyond that, human nature may ensure that we remain wasteful no matter how efficient we try to become.

The more we got, the more we spend!

[AndyP]

Hi, I am happy to find this forum about this great subject.
Just saying Hi and hoping to be a frequent poster and to see and read all of your ideas and opinions.

[WildRose]

Hi, AndyP. There is much to read here, and many different opinions! It sounds from your post that you were acquainted with PO before arriving at this site. Welcome aboard.

[steam_cannon]

Welcome Andy! This is a good place to be. If you have questions, concerns everybody's here to help. By the way, how did you learn about this site?

[IntentionallyLeftBlank]

Hello everyone! I've been lurking around this site for some time and I have to say I am impressed by the level of discussion here, so much better than most blogs or chat forums. Before I discovered this site I really did not know much about peak oil, but thanks to all of your posts I'm learning more everyday.

I work at a prominent histrorical site and one of the things that really amazes me is how many people think life was impossible before the twentieth century. When I consider this fact, and I ponder the predictions of some of the "doomers" on this site, I realize that even if only half of the things they predict come true we could be in serious trouble.

Anyways, I hope to make wothwhile contributions to this site. All I ask is that you have patience. Thank You.

[steam_cannon]

Welcome aboard! Cool nick

If you like history here on the forums there are a lot of discussions on it's relevance to modern events, what sets policy and human nature. Like the historical observations on what lead to the soviet collapse and the ramifications. Or the recent forum on the Irish Potato Famine and how food distribution schemes caused mass starvation while Ireland was still exporting food. Their's a lot to reflect on here and learn and I'm sure a lot you can contribute.

And all opinions are welcome, within reason

By the way kind of a standard question, how did you find this site?

[IntentionallyLeftBlank]

Well, to be honest I don't recall exactly how I discovered this site. Last summer, when crude prices were soaring and in the news, I must have followed a few links and eventually ended up here. Thanks for the warm welcome!

[aldente]

It is indeed tempting to trust the logic of natural selection and random outcome, in mankinds current distressed case however I surmise a form of electronic consciousness will very likely be the heir and owner of the near future.

All this probably can be compared to the birth to an artificial form of intelligence and such is generally perceived hostile, since unknown.

I talk about the near future and what it might bring.

We're in it and somehow we have do deal with it.

PO as the most accurate predictor and indicator of unpredictable near-future events.

Welcome to the future!

[steam_cannon]

What interests you?
I'm mostly here for news and opinions, but also for entertainment. For example:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'A')ll this probably can be compared to the birth to an artificial form of intelligence and it is generally perceived hostile, since unknown.

[aldente]

Well, don't make fun of this brother Popcorn.
This site deals with extinction and provokes death inspiring toughts. Mankind is facing a wall and either you are in denial or you respectfully greet the new reality. My apologies if this comes over as seemingly out of context.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... mark+pesce

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'W')ell, don't make fun of this brother Popcorn.
This site deals with extinction and provokes death inspiring thoughts. Mankind is facing a wall and either you are in denial or you respectfully greet the new reality. My apologies if this comes over as seemingly out of context.

[roccman]

"and I have to say I am impressed by the level of discussion here"

Well thank you and welcome on board we are like one big (disfunctional) family here...I am sure you will fit right in.



So pull up a chair...grab some popcorn and enjoy the show!!!!

[aldente]

It sure does not get boring and it is not all oil that is talked about. Hey SteamCannon what did you think of the Mark Pesce video? This guy keeps surpising me. When do do a general search you'll find that he is one of the minds behind Bit Torrent, which really is some sort of a new information exchange web within the web. There are visonary qualities in that and when pushing it further you'll see what they mean with an artificial intelligence. Eventually a sort of electronic consciousness might develop, or is developing already within the world wide web. Sort of an electronic superbrain in the works here. Becomming Transhuman!

[ccricers]

Hey everyone, I've known about the PO situation for over a year now and have bought a book about it. It's a chilling fact for sure, but to use an analogy from The Matrix, I already took the red pill and accepted what's coming ahead. I think being PO aware is already winning half the battle.

I'm probably on the younger side, aged 24, which feels odd because I'm usually seen as an oldie in most other message boards I visit. I'll be graduating soon with a BA in Art & Design (computer graphics) and also have an interest in more technical fields like Computer Science.

Some people say there's no hope for our generation because we're too weaned on techno-toys and we are all equally spoiled. Don't know about you guys, but that makes me apprehensive and its gives off vibes like those from grandparents talking about how their generation was the best. I think it's not best to underestimate other people's abilities, as a clouded judgment is not ideal to have in times of crisis.

I hope to find this forum full of diversified topics and interesting people. As these are interesting times we're heading toward.