[BigTex]

I just want to take a second and recognize TheDude as an outstanding member of this site and an encyclopedia of clear thinking on resource depletion issues.

He is knowledgeable, fair, good natured, reliable, to the point, relevant, and funny.

Considering that there have been quite a few new members coming on board lately with the same batch of questions about the basics of peak oil, a useful way to spend some time would be to search TheDude's posts and read through them.

I am putting this post in the Peak Oil Discussion forum because I think that this forum is a likely starting point for folks coming here to see what this peak oil thing is all about.

Here's to TheDude.

[Duende]

And he finds cool graphs!

[TheDude]

[TheDude]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Duende', 'A')nd he finds cool graphs!

[DomusAlbion]

Agree with all of the above, plus he's got the best Latin signature that I've ever seen.

[BigTex]

To focus the discussion a bit, I think that one of the challenges in becoming educated about peak oil is deciding who to get your information from and who to believe.

For the beginner, I think that they often start off listening to the hardcore doomer line on the peak oil topic, and this basically puts them in a rattled state of mind from the very beginning and it is often a long time before the initial fear lifts and their thinking really begins to clear up on the topic.

Thus, one of the consequences of the dissemination of the peak oil message in general is an over-emphasis on the doom aspect and an under-emphasis on some of the gray areas that are just unknown at this point.

For example, I think that for a lot of people, paying off their credit cards could possibly be a better use of their money than buying an assault rifle and freeze dried food. That's a decision for each individual to make for himself, of course.

People like TheDude don't seem to come to the peak oil issue with a predisposition toward doom or cornucopianism. There seems to be an honest attempt to sort through what a piece of data may actually mean. More of this kind of thinking and analysis (in layman's terms) would, I think, speed the dissemination of the peak oil problem and potential consequences outside of the peak oil community.

[NeoPeasant]

The dude is cool, but let's not make a religion out of him.

Otherwise they'll stop calling us peakers and start calling us
Zen Dude-ists.

[BigTex]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('NeoPeasant', 'T')he dude is cool, but let's not make a religion out of him.

Otherwise they'll stop calling us peakers and start calling us
Zen Dude-ists.

[TheDude]

I've already gathered my flock, man:

[web]http://www.dudeism.com/[/web]

[not my project!]

[I like this next bit a lot:]

[web]http://www.oliverbenjamin.net/lebowski%20bowling%20ball/lebowskiballintro.html[/web]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'P')eople like TheDude don't seem to come to the peak oil issue with a predisposition toward doom or cornucopianism.

[Hagakure_Leofman]

Here is to theDude! *raises glass*