[TOKYO-EXPAT]

In spite of $3-a-gallon gas, carmakers are still betting big on SUVs. Look out, Prius—here comes the Nitro.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')ct. 10, 2005 issue - To Cleveland real-estate agent Kim Bittner, the incredible bulk of a Hummer H2 was always oddly alluring, but just too over the top. For one thing, it wouldn't fit in her garage. And with runaway gas prices, owning a 12mpg H2 just wasn't an option. But then General Motors came out this summer with the slightly smaller Hummer H3, which gets 20mpg on the highway. Now Bittner's $36,000 "mini-tank" is turning heads wherever she goes. "The first thing people ask is 'How is it on gas?' " she says. "When I tell them it gets 20 miles to a gallon, they just grin and say, 'I want one, too'."

[FoxV]

don't expect anyone to walk up anytime soon.

The economy will soon crash, prices will go down
People will say "look, gas is $2.00/gln, no problems"
The economy will pick up, and a few disasters will bring gas to $5.00/gln.
The economy will soon crash and prices will go down
People will say "look, gas is $3.00/gln, no problems"
The economy will stagnate post peak, and a few disaster will bring gas to $10.00/gln
People will say "look, gas is $10.00/gln. I'm hungry"

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TOKYO-EXPAT', '[')b]In spite of $3-a-gallon gas, carmakers are still betting big on SUVs. Look out, Prius—here comes the Nitro.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')ct. 10, 2005 issue - To Cleveland real-estate agent Kim Bittner, the incredible bulk of a Hummer H2 was always oddly alluring, but just too over the top. For one thing, it wouldn't fit in her garage. And with runaway gas prices, owning a 12mpg H2 just wasn't an option. But then General Motors came out this summer with the slightly smaller Hummer H3, which gets 20mpg on the highway. Now Bittner's $36,000 "mini-tank" is turning heads wherever she goes. "The first thing people ask is 'How is it on gas?' " she says. "When I tell them it gets 20 miles to a gallon, they just grin and say, 'I want one, too'."

[some_guy282]

When will they learn? When depletion seriously bitch slaps some sense into them.

[bobcousins]

It is quite easy to understand, if you consider that we are the product of several million years of evolution. While recent adaptations have given us the impression of being sophisticated and clever, you know - the wheel, income tax, rice pudding, the digital watch - we are at heart (or brain) still the same dumb old animals.

Our instinct is to acquire things while we can. Because if you don't, someone else will. That is the very essence of natural selection. Our instinct is also to acquire status, because it makes us more attractive as potential mates. Carving up the resource pie is the only game in town. Of course, we are such dumb animals we do not even realise we do this.

I think it is very difficult to quit the habit, and realise that not only is consumption not desirable, but it is bad. You are trying to tell people that their millions of years of evolution has given them the wrong genes, when a lot of them still believe that God created us and don't even accept this whole evolution nonsense.

Clearly it is not rational to buy a fuel-inefficient car of unnecessary size. But people are not rational - period. They buy things because they associate it with success - their boss, celebrities, pop stars etc. They are not buying the car, they are buying status.

So to address the issue, you have to find some way to tell people that their instinct is wrong, and that conservation is cool. You have to deprogram several million years of hard wiring in the brain. That is a tough sell. The USA has perfected consumption to a fine art - the very definition of the American way is to consume more. I would say start somewhere else, but more or less the whole world has caught the comsumption bug.

To answer the question, probably never. Living in a dream world is their normal state, they do not actually have a higher level of conciousness to wake up to. They are like robots, following their genetic programming. "Sheeple" is such a perfect description.

[holmes]

the dead can not be awakened

[deconstructionist]

official US wake up date scheduled: the 12th of never...

[o2ny]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bobcousins', 'T')o answer the question, probably never. Living in a dream world is their normal state, they do not actually have a higher level of conciousness to wake up to. They are like robots, following their genetic programming. "Sheeple" is such a perfect description.

[smiley]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')e do a lot of 'people' bashing on this site, a lot of 'they are stupid', 'us vs. them' and 'what is wrong with them' type stuff, but in reality people are just doing what they think is best for themselves and their families.

[rogerhb]

We will never fail to be amused at the stupidity of some people.

If you want to survive on the road, assume that everybody else is an idiot, then you will never be surprised.

[medicvet]

Normally I am a tenderhearted old broad, and would not wish sufferin on anyone, but I have to admit, on SUV's, I draw the line. it is very hard for me to realize that there are parts of OK, and if you live on or have to come through a dirt road, where the big monsters are useful, but I get nearly apoplectic just THINKING about the LA traffic snarls, and all the gdamn big monster machines with piss poor gas mileage, drivin by one person who decided that, by God, SUV's were a symbol of welath and status, and why in the hell something like a prius couldn't be or do the same, is beyond me.

Will they wake up? ONnly after the bottom has begun to fall out from under them, and not a moment before.

[shakespear1]

Don't forget who made the H2 popular. Schwartzeneger!!!! The same guy California chose to fix its problems.

[aahala]

It doesn't bother me much that some bimbo out there is upgrading
to a more efficient tank or there are neighbors turning their heads
wanting the same thing. There are always nuts out there and many
even nuttier than that you could write stories about.

What gets me is the way the author wrote the story. It seems to
be complimentary toward such buffoonery.

[EnemyCombatant]

What bobcousins said.

In addition.

There is no hope. I may be redundant, but the point I want to make is that peak oil is not the problem. Imagine solving the energy crisis tomorrow.

It won't change anything. There will still be genocide in Darfur. Children will be bleeding from their orifices because they don't have access to clean water. And Halliburton will continue to pimp.

Nothing will change unless WE change.

And I am not being pessimistic, it's just the way it is. I am no longer sad about this because this is our choice. We, collectively, chose this path. In 2000, we chose Bush over Gore. In 1992, Al Gore wrote in his book Earth In The Balance a Global Marshall Plan for solving these problems. A Global plan involving the participation of the entire world with the US taking the initiative. But we chose the oil tycoon who says that the American way of life is not negotiable. Now, how can we complain.

We made our bed.

[Novus]

I don't think people are going wake up any time soon. It is human nature to make excuses not to change their ways until it is far too late. People say there was a gas crisis in the 70s...it is been there done that all over again. Peak Oil is a scam because gas prices are down 30 cents this week. Same thing with global warming and climate change and people saying my house survived Camille so I don't have to evacuate.

[Renfield]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Novus', 'I') don't think people are going wake up any time soon. It is human nature to make excuses not to change their ways until it is far too late. People say there was a gas crisis in the 70s...it is been there done that all over again. Peak Oil is a scam because gas prices are down 30 cents this week. Same thing with global warming and climate change and people saying my house survived Camille so I don't have to evacuate.

[Dezakin]

Well, as long as assholes like me continue to tell the masses that most of the peakoilers are ignorant alarmists looking for the next end of the world cult, they wont.

Cheers. See you when the society mysteriously fails to implode.

[Drakn]

People might wake up in 2 or 300 years when they are genetically engineered to think after the communists have taken over. But that's hopeful thinking. Never.

[rogerhb]

A recession might help to wake people up. How transferable are your job skills?

[deadmaker7]

The day after it's too late to do anything, that's when the people will awaken.