[Pops]

I went to a picnic…

…on the 4th down at the river with a bunch of neighbors. There were about 12 4wd pickups and I think one car parked in the hayfield – my full size but short bed, half-ton, V8 Ford looked positively puny next to the 1-ton, straight-piped diesel duallies.

I had hung a battle flag my Son in law had flown over Iraq and sent me for Fathers Day so of course things turned to War and whatall. I commented that Iraq has huge oil reserves and I thought that had to be at least a portion of why we were there.

One fella said: "Ah, there is enough shut in oil to run the world for years but the oil companies blah, blah."

This one old gray haired, third generation Ozark dairyman, in big bellied-out, holey overalls, leaned into the little circle, spit through his tobacco-stained whiskers and said:


"Bullshit."

"See all those trucks sitting there? That’s why we are in Iraq."

"You wanna know something else? I’ll sit right here and predict that the world will be out of oil on April 16, 2042."

I just about spilled my beer and fell off the stump! Susan looked at me and winked. That was the first time anyone outside of the internet had preached PO to me!

And to hear it coming from Walter was the perfect topper!


Have you ever been surprised?

[perdition79]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'H')ave you ever been surprised?

[PrairieMule]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', '
')
"See all those trucks sitting there? That’s why we are in Iraq."

[I_Like_Plants]

Goddamn those old folks, my Great-Aunt who was in the Depression, was against my going to college, said I should keep on working for the veterinarian I worked for, said people will always have their animals and need care for them.

Damned if she isn't right. College turned out to be a farce and a waste of time, and while not contemplating going to work for a veterinarian right at the moment (it would be a good career field though) a decent caricature artist who was not above painting a sign or whatever was needed, could always scare up a bowl of soup...

[Twilight]

The people who saw the system built know best, I guess.

Reminds me of some old saying about the first generation building an empire, the second generation being a good steward, and the third generation bringing it to ruin.

Why, because they never saw it built, it was just there to be treated as a personal bank account.

That's what's up. There's still people alive who saw it all come into existence.

[I_Like_Plants]

Yep I thought my great-aunt was anti-progress, anti-self-betterment, etc., but damned if she wasn't right. She got to go to college, in fact attained quite a high position in government service. I guess I thought it was just more "fuck you, I've got mine" which is such a big part of 'Merkan culture. But maybe the old biddy was smarter than I give her credit for - maybe she was able to see the party was coming to an end. She died in the mid-80s, so she saw things go downhill from the mid-70s on I think.

[jdumars]

I had a co-worker come up to me last week making a little small talk, then they asked... "so... tell me about Peak Oil."

The guy who we are buying our new place from in rural Tennessee is probably 80, and he knew that the way things are has to change. He said he wanted a bumper sticker that said WWJCD? What would Jimmy Carter Do? I was surprised to say the least...

[Laurasia]

On my last visit home, my Mum and I were talking about Peak Oil (she's on board) and she mentioned a conversation she had with her brother several years ago. He had said to her: "you know, we're on the pinnacle right now - thing's aren't going to get much better than this - it will be basically downhill from now on." She said she recently remembered this conversation and saw how well it applied in the light of what she now knows about Peak Oil.

Come to think of it, I remember reading somewhere several years ago, that Baby Boomers (I'm one!) will be the last generation who have it better than their kids.

Regards,

L.

[PeakOiler]

I visited my ex-sister-in-laws parents' house a few years back, (delivering a peach pie, celebrating a nephew's b-day in early July), and her father knew about America's Hubbert Peak. I guess we had been talking about gas prices and the conversation turned briefly to oil.

He seemed to be quite aware of the worldwide Hubbert Peak too, but it was a topic that was soon hushed away, as if the subject was taboo.

It did surprise me.

[WildRose]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'I') went to a picnic…

I just about spilled my beer and fell off the stump! Susan looked at me and winked. That was the first time anyone outside of the internet had preached PO to me!

And to hear it coming from Walter was the perfect topper!

[peaker_2005]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('perdition79', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Pops', 'H')ave you ever been surprised?

[Jack]

That sounds like an interesting picnic.

Isn't it interesting that the peak oil concept has penetrated deeply, but the mass of people seek to ignore it? Sounds like a train wreck coming.

[frankthetank]

I've come across a few people that know that the now can't continue into the future. That list includes one 20 something male friend, my mom, and one brother... My mom has told me on different occasions about her parents having to deal with the depression. My grandpa in his older years (1980's) use to squeeze ketchup packets from McD's into his ketchup bottle @ home. He would load up on napkins and salt/pepper. Drove an old Buick with over 200K miles and like to squeal the tires.

[I_Like_Plants]

In all fairness, cheap tires squeal really easily.

[NWMossBack]

My surprise is how few people are willing to accept that Peak Oil is real, and could even be upon us right now. I was at a picnic, and brought up the subject with a new neighbor out drinking a beer after most had turned in. He accepted everything I said until I outlined a few consequences of PO, then he rejected the whole concept and terminated the conversation. It's just too threatening for the average person.

If I lay out a scenario sufficiently removed in the future (like 20 years), then discussion is possible, but usually ends something like: "well, I hope that doesn't happen, I'm sure they'll think of something before then." If I talk about even the possibility of a depression within 5 years I get shut down pdq.

[sameu]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Twilight', 'T')he people who saw the system built know best, I guess.

Reminds me of some old saying about the first generation building an empire, the second generation being a good steward, and the third generation bringing it to ruin.

Why, because they never saw it built, it was just there to be treated as a personal bank account.

That's what's up. There's still people alive who saw it all come into existence.

[Pops]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', 'I')n all fairness, cheap tires squeal really easily.