[Tyler_JC]

The best and easiest way to look at peak oil is through the analogy of The Great Cheese Grater. The entire world is a block of parmesan. Every idea, every person, every government, every religion, and everything else is a part of this block of cheese. Peak Oil is the first time that the entire block of cheese will face The Grater together. Everything is going to have to pass through The Grater in order to survive. Now some things won't make it. Some things will be cut up so badly that they won't exist after the entire block goes through The Grater.

For example, there are 6.4 billion people on the planet. Earth can only support, say, 1 billion without oil. That means that all of the extra people must die at some point between now and the end of all oil. It won't have to be a sudden mass die off, the change could be gradual. But eventually only 1 billion people will be able to live on the planet. Only 1 billion people can fit through The Cheese Grater (and on to the Celestial Spaghetti) .

Another example, there are dozens of different governmental philosophies currently being used. We have totalitarian police states, free market democracies, anarchy, monarchies, and many other kinds of governments. Maybe only a few of these types of governments will be sustainable Post Peak. The Grater will destroy some philosophies and will bring other philosophies out of the woodwork, but society as a whole can't fit through The Grater.

Each country has its own carrying capacity. That level is dropping in most of the world do to environmental destruction and resource depletion. Let's say the USA can handle 80 million people. That means that every extra person wonlt make it past oil. The Grater will kill anyone else who tries to fit through. Anyone who tries to add extra people to his community (beyond the carrying capacity) will damage his community. He will wipe out its sustainability by allowing the community to over-consume its resource base. In this way, The Grater prevents anyone from subverting the system.

This also works on a personal stand point. How much of my lifestyle can survive The Grater? Will I be able to maintain my home 30 miles from where I work? Will I be able to feed 5 children? These kinds of questions will be answered swiftly and brutally. Anything that is not sustainable will be destroyed by The Grater.

(In case you haven't gotten it yet, The Grater is code for Mother Nature)

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Peak Oil came home to roost today. I was walking to the bank and saw record gas prices. Here in Canada, we switched to metric so the motorists wouldn't be pissed off when the price per/gallon went over a dollar. Well, it hit a dollar a litre here today.

I was walking to the bank (none of the computers were working) they were taking deposits though. I figured after that I'd go get a diet coke but the 7-eleven had a sign on the door saying it was closed because the computers weren't working.

This is no joke, this is how my day went. I had business in another part of town and took the bus. A couple of the street lights were blinking red instead of their usual pattern.

Instead of the usual mass of cars, there were a lot more spaces on the road. I saw groups of teens with backpacks (and there was no school) with big walking sticks.

I like your cheese grater analogy. I think we will find a lot of the die off will occur for those who are dependent upon electric scooter chairs casue they can't walk.

Instead of the insurance industry replacing billy-joes trailer after a tornado took off with it again, he will be without, left to fend for himself as the whole insurance/economic system crashes. All it will take is another major incident like 911 or an earthquake with a lot of damage and our economic system will implode.

Without cars and gas people won't be able to evacuate from Hurricane Helga. A few very hot summers (like the one in France that killed 30,000 two years ago), or very cold winters and we will be lookoing at a totally different picture.

[TWilliam]

Parmesan on a pizza? Ewwww... that's almost as bad as pineapple...

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')nly 1 billion people can fit through The Cheese Grater (and on to the Celestial Spaghetti) .

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', '.')..on to the Celestial Spaghetti...