I recently moved away from the bad town I lived in back clear across the region to the very well off town I now live in.
I have to say the problem of the world seem almost useless in this region while even the slightest change in price changed everything back in the other town.
The other town suffered much more financially than this town. Most homes are occupied and well maintained and many people still drive their hummers and SUV's! I have to say after having to adapt so much in the other town it makes me very ill to see these people, unaware of what is happening. My parents told us that they knew this town was going to be like the other soon. A ton of homes are for sale and most people can't even afford their home payments yet they still go out and purchase all this stuff they don't need! Fortunately, the area may be better off, the grocery stores purchase goods from the state while a very large farmer's market is in operation in the very revived and being restored downtown.
The population is small enough that the county could maintain itself without much help. Railroads ship just about everything and a lot of people have large gardens(not to mention there are farmers, EVERYWHERE.). Yet, many of my friends weren't even aware that there was an energy crisis or a food shortage!
I am strongly discouraged whenever they talk about 'new alternatives' that cannot possibly be the replacement of oil. Shale, they talk about it like it will save us all! Gas went down a bit so everyone assumed that there is no energy crisis and that we are all well off! -_-
I see the oil crisis as a last hope for many areas around here. People seem so careless about their fragile history and culture(or what's left of it.). My god, I went to the cemetery and found many quaker graves broken, faded, and half way in the ground! People are very careless except a handful of people who are trying to preserve it and educate the people who just want to stick their fingers in their ears and go 'LALALALAL' same with the energy crisis!
My life is cozy for now but I am fully aware things are going to change.. and fast..

