[Concerned1]

I think it's time for us all to get real about this Peak Oil issue. I've noticed something about westerners (and I'm one) in general and Americans in particular. We're whiners! Half the world is starving and we're crying about having to pay another 50 cents per gallon for gas. American's have it made compared to the bulk of the world in regards to our standard of living. Maybe too good because when everything is going along as well as it has here for last several decades, when our every want can by met with just a flick of the credit-card carrying wrist, when our biggest decision on any typical day may concern whether we're going to eat in or out, even the smallest inconvience feels like a catastrophe! Next thing you know we're spilling our guts out on some talk show about how terrible our lives are, sucking up for sympathy while people in other countries are trying to figure out were they're going to get their next meal. I agree with Matt Simmons about that. We're spoiled rotten.

First off, we're not running out of oil now or anytime soon! There's plenty of it left. When they've put oil rigs in our backyards and those begin to run dry, then we will have tried everything and we can say that we're running out, not before! I was guilty of worrying about peak oil too when the price at the pump started going up, but after a little more research, I know better now. Just look at all the articles posted here (and often ridiculed out of hand) that speak of this or that new find. And we're looking for more at an unprecedented rate. But even if we find that the amount the world wants is less than it can temporarily produce, so what! We're not going to starve to death! The oil generation only started really getting going about 1950 - 1960. Before that, most people lived just fine without oil. So we have to start pedalling bicycles again. Hell, we're too fat as it is! It'd do us a world of good to get off our butts and start riding bicycles.

If we began to have an oil depletion problem, the gov't could easily circumvent any potential food shortages by simply allowing only food related industries, that is, agriculture and food transportation to use fuel while we stick to pedalling. Problem solved. Sure, things might seem a bit inconvienent at the beginning, but we'd adapt. We always have and we always will!

One other thing. Some of the Peak Oil gurus we've been crooning over, people like James Howard Kunstler, what are their credentials? He was the adamant voice behind the Y2k scare and where did that get us? We became a laughing stock to the rest of the world. When they see us, they see people who have way too much time on our hands. Time to concoct all kinds of conspiracy theories and witch hunts. While I too would love to live in the Willoughby world that Kunstler writes about, it's not going to happen! For me or you or anyone else. We can never go back to that kind of 'idylic life' so we might just as well get used to it. And for those people who seem to want things to get worse in our country, who are these people anyway? I mean, do they come from the mid west or the middle east? Really, who wants things to get worse? The fact is this, our world is going to continue trudging along just as it always has, dragging itself from one crisis to another, staying just a step ahead of the apocalypse, becoming ever more hectic and miserable and somehow out of all that doom and gloom, we'll survive, albiet a good deal less happily than Huckleberry Finn. Get used to it.

[Ludi]

Do you bicycle to work?

Just curious.

[americandream]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Concerned1', 'I') think it's time for us all to get real about this Peak Oil issue. I've noticed something about westerners (and I'm one) in general and Americans in particular. We're whiners! Half the world is starving and we're crying about having to pay another 50 cents per gallon for gas. American's have it made compared to the bulk of the world in regards to our standard of living. Maybe too good because when everything is going along as well as it has here for last several decades, when our every want can by met with just a flick of the credit-card carrying wrist, when our biggest decision on any typical day may concern whether we're going to eat in or out, even the smallest inconvience feels like a catastrophe! Next thing you know we're spilling our guts out on some talk show about how terrible our lives are, sucking up for sympathy while people in other countries are trying to figure out were they're going to get their next meal. I agree with Matt Simmons about that. We're spoiled rotten.

First off, we're not running out of oil now or anytime soon! There's plenty of it left. When they've put oil rigs in our backyards and those begin to run dry, then we will have tried everything and we can say that we're running out, not before! I was guilty of worrying about peak oil too when the price at the pump started going up, but after a little more research, I know better now. Just look at all the articles posted here (and often ridiculed out of hand) that speak of this or that new find. And we're looking for more at an unprecedented rate. But even if we find that the amount the world wants is less than it can temporarily produce, so what! We're not going to starve to death! The oil generation only started really getting going about 1950 - 1960. Before that, most people lived just fine without oil. So we have to start pedalling bicycles again. Hell, we're too fat as it is! It'd do us a world of good to get off our butts and start riding bicycles.

If we began to have an oil depletion problem, the gov't could easily circumvent any potential food shortages by simply allowing only food related industries, that is, agriculture and food transportation to use fuel while we stick to pedalling. Problem solved. Sure, things might seem a bit inconvienent at the beginning, but we'd adapt. We always have and we always will!

One other thing. Some of the Peak Oil gurus we've been crooning over, people like James Howard Kunstler, what are their credentials? He was the adamant voice behind the Y2k scare and where did that get us? We became a laughing stock to the rest of the world. When they see us, they see people who have way too much time on our hands. Time to concoct all kinds of conspiracy theories and witch hunts. While I too would love to live in the Willoughby world that Kunstler writes about, it's not going to happen! For me or you or anyone else. We can never go back to that kind of 'idylic life' so we might just as well get used to it. And for those people who seem to want things to get worse in our country, who are these people anyway? I mean, do they come from the mid west or the middle east? Really, who wants things to get worse? The fact is this, our world is going to continue trudging along just as it always has, dragging itself from one crisis to another, staying just a step ahead of the apocalypse, becoming ever more hectic and miserable and somehow out of all that doom and gloom, we'll survive, albiet a good deal less happily than Huckleberry Finn. Get used to it.

[Ludi]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Concerned1', ' ')albiet a good deal less happily than Huckleberry Finn.

[seahorse]

Yes, you're right. We aren't running low on oil. But when we get to the point, as you suggest, that the gov't only allows oil for food related industries we have left democracy behind and reverted back to feudalism. How fun is that?

[timmac]

cocerned 1 wrote :

If we began to have an oil depletion problem, the gov't could easily circumvent any potential food shortages by simply allowing only food related industries, that is, agriculture and food transportation to use fuel while we stick to pedalling. Problem solved. Sure, things might seem a bit inconvienent at the beginning, but we'd adapt. We always have and we always will!


my reply :

Yea we will adapt,, but how many will be unemployed,, when we changed from the horse and buggy to auto's there was more people needed to make auto's and all the spin off company's for aftermarket items for auto's, tires, gas stations, mech, etc, etc, where will they work, do you have any idea how many people are employeed by the huge auto industrial system,, [millions],, how about drive thru coffe shops, drive thru fast foods, hotels on highways,, the list goes on and on,, if we all overnight went to bicycles or over a 6 month period the unemployment rate would be around 50%,, crime rate would rocket up,, people by the millions will be starving, homless, etc, etc, Yes a few will adapt but the rest well thats another story,, China has adapted with bicycles,, we have adapted with cheap oil and autos, take that away and America will turn into a 3rd world country..... [World population, 7 billion by 2015]

[mark]

okay,

you're a new guy, so we'll all cut you some slack. However, learn a little before you post such drivel. Otherwise, people around here will rightfully think you're an idiot

[HEADER_RACK]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mark', 'o')kay,

you're a new guy, so we'll all cut you some slack. However, learn a little before you post such drivel. Otherwise, people around here will rightfully think you're an idiot

[jlw61]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Concerned1', 'I') think it's time for us all to get real about this Peak Oil issue. I've noticed something about westerners (and I'm one) in general and Americans in particular. We're whiners! Half the world is starving and we're crying about having to pay another 50 cents per gallon for gas.

[Micki]

Concerned1, funny I am coming to the opposite conclusions.
I have been following PO since 05 and I keep getting more pessimistic. (But no, I am not yet a doomer)

First of all world population has gone up during the oil age.
Secondly our economy is dependent on oil. So removing it has economical, social, material impact. Most of it negative.
Thirdly, you can't start installing rigs in everyones backyard and expect to get oil.
4th, oil rigs globally are rusting and and workforce with knowledge is aging and shrinking.
5th Mitigation program is minimum 20years and we have so far done nothing.
6th sounds like you haven't read up on Net Energy output. It is not the sice of the well that counts, it's the size of the tap. You can have a million years of reserves but if it only produces 1000 barrels a year, it is worthless.

[vilemerchant]

Why do fools always think PO is about 'running out' of oil?

[Kristen]

The problem isn't just the status quo, its the status symbol. Until Americans lose their appetite for material goods, we will continue down this death spiral.

[jlw61]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Kristen', 'T')he problem isn't just the status quo, its the status symbol. Until Americans lose their appetite for material goods, we will continue down this death spiral.

[vilemerchant]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jlw61', 'w')alking 30 miles to work... in the snow... uphill... both ways... and they like it!.

[JimW]

When you write : The oil generation only started really getting going about 1950 - 1960.

While I will agree this was the beginning of suburbia I have to say that our farms i.e. ALL of our food production (ergo population growth) was in full swing long before this. We have been under the thumb of oil since it began replacing whale oil for our lights.

And yes we will survive I don't think anyone really disputes that. Its the transistion period that has a lot of us concerned.

[jlw61]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vilemerchant', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jlw61', 'w')alking 30 miles to work... in the snow... uphill... both ways... and they like it!.

[JJ]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jlw61', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('vilemerchant', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('jlw61', 'w')alking 30 miles to work... in the snow... uphill... both ways... and they like it!.

[mystiek]

Riding a kangaroo-do you sit in the pouch-just curious? Since people are wanting everybody to "put on the table" their ideas for energy solutions you might be on to something (smily face).

[Sixstrings]

What convinced me was just seeing the number.. someone posted a spreadsheet here, with worldwide annual production and consumption.

If I remember correctly, we've been running short by a million barrels per day for quite a while now? And growing? Or did I read that wrong.. ?

[VMarcHart]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Concerned1', 'I') think it's time for us all to get real about this Peak Oil issue.