[ranger]

I wanted to get a few opinions on this notion because I don't know what to think!! Alot of my extended family members are in the oil business and have been for over 50 years.....they know all about this idea of peak oil and they are not worried at all. These guys are in their 30's and early 40's with young families are are rolling in the dough. I just was asking a few of them about peak oil last weekend and they literally "chuckled" at me and said don't worry about it. I am very close with these cousins of mine and I can read them pretty well. I am being brutally honest when I tell you they aren't worried about it. Do they know something we don't or are they being naive?

[UIUCstudent01]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ranger', 'I') wanted to get a few opinions on this notion because I don't know what to think!! Alot of my extended family members are in the oil business and have been for over 50 years.....they know all about this idea of peak oil and they are not worried at all. These guys are in their 30's and early 40's with young families are are rolling in the dough. I just was asking a few of them about peak oil last weekend and they literally "chuckled" at me and said don't worry about it. I am very close with these cousins of mine and I can read them pretty well. I am being brutally honest when I tell you they aren't worried about it. Do they know something we don't or are they being naive?

[aldente]

hey ranger,

I am also in my early 40's with kids and (soon) rolling in the dough as well (not yet exactely)... not kidding, I work on a local food production 'kind'a thing' which might very well be in high demand within the next couple of years.

The point is - Peak Oil is incommunicable and only accessible to a given amounts of receptors (which find this site like bees find the blossoms).

Lesson one: Do NOT try to communicate this knowledge. Those who are 'self-starters' find the news anyway.

Lessson two: Keep going.

Feel free to add, I just made this shit up...

[Zardoz]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ranger', '.')..Alot of my extended family members are in the oil business...These guys are...rolling in the dough. I just was asking a few of them about peak oil last weekend and they literally "chuckled" at me and said don't worry about it...

[Concerned]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ranger', 'I') wanted to get a few opinions on this notion because I don't know what to think!! Alot of my extended family members are in the oil business and have been for over 50 years.....they know all about this idea of peak oil and they are not worried at all. These guys are in their 30's and early 40's with young families are are rolling in the dough. I just was asking a few of them about peak oil last weekend and they literally "chuckled" at me and said don't worry about it. I am very close with these cousins of mine and I can read them pretty well. I am being brutally honest when I tell you they aren't worried about it. Do they know something we don't or are they being naive?

[SoothSayer]

I asked a friend (a recently retired mud logger) about Peak Oil.

He too just laughed in my face, saying something like "Don't worry about it, places like Angola are floating on a sea of oil".

He has spent the last 30+ years on rigs mainly in Africa, so perhaps deep in his soul he simply knows that there is a lot of oil about.

It's all beyond me ....

[Vexed]

If I was at the end of the oil age, I can't imagine any better time to be in oil.

Why would your relatives be worried?

Life is good. They're at the peak.

[mrobert]

This is a pretty complex questions.
I believe in Peak Oil, but we won't run dry in 2 years, with oil becoming scarce as gold (in quantities).

Offcourse, it will hit hard and damage those that are totally unaware (or don't want to be) of the situation.
In terms of energy usage and other things related to energy, for me it can go up to 5 times in it's price, and I would still live life like normal.

Why?
First of all, I barely spend 1/3 of what I earn, and 2/3 goes into savings.
I can quit using a lot of things and services without having almost any impact on my life.

I am not rich in any terms. I make more then the average joe here, but that's just it.

Prices here have went up by 20-30% in the past 3 years. Yet I spend the exact same amount of money every month living the very same life.

As an example, some time ago I canceled my newspaper subscription.
I can read the same news for free and more conveniently, online.
Saved me some money which I can use to make up for higher gas prices, etc.

We can slowly and nicely change our lifestyles without those changes having a huge impact on us.
This is really a matter of choice.
1. Do you choose to slowly change your life style over the years, and live to survive

or

2. Don't give a sh*t about, go ahead ... and when it hits ... it hits hard.

[RonMN]

My bother is a smart guy, Runs his own business, and is aware of PO...but thinks it'll be a non-event.

I once backed him into a corner on exactly why he thinks it'll be a non-event. After some verbal struggeling, he finally told me that "THEY will think of something...THEY wont simply let our economy crash & burn"

If i were you (in order to get a true perspective) i would ask those family members to support/explain their thoughts so you can better understand. See what their reasons are.

[mrobert]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RonMN', '"')THEY will think of something...THEY wont simply let our economy crash & burn"

[rs]

Looks like Mother Culture has done a good job on him.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('RonMN', 'M')y bother is a smart guy, Runs his own business, and is aware of PO...but thinks it'll be a non-event.

I once backed him into a corner on exactly why he thinks it'll be a non-event. After some verbal struggeling, he finally told me that "THEY will think of something...THEY wont simply let our economy crash & burn"

If i were you (in order to get a true perspective) i would ask those family members to support/explain their thoughts so you can better understand. See what their reasons are.

[clifman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', 'A')s an example, some time ago I canceled my newspaper subscription.

[Raxozanne]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', '
')As an example, some time ago I canceled my newspaper subscription.
I can read the same news for free and more conveniently, online.
Saved me some money which I can use to make up for higher gas prices, etc.

We can slowly and nicely change our lifestyles without those changes having a huge impact on us.
This is really a matter of choice.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('clifman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mrobert', 'A')s an example, some time ago I canceled my newspaper subscription.

[ranger]

Great insights! Thank you! Someone asked what part of the oil business are they in.......they are oil distributors and own MULTIPLE gas stations ( Citgo)

[coyote]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('albente', 'L')esson one: Do NOT try to communicate this knowledge.

[Roy]

Spreading the word serves to alienate friends and loved ones almost without exception.

Now I just lead by example. No one I know personally is following though!

I figure they'll show up when TSHTF. Or at least they think they will.

Once that happens multi=state travel will likely be very difficult if not impossible. Which is why I moved to a more sustainable area last year.

The hardest part will be not gloating to all the naysayers.

I guess we'll all cross that bridge when we get to it.

Roy

[dbarberic]

It is sometimes nearly impossible to convince a man of point of view that is completely contradictory to his livelihood.

[turtleT]

I'm glad that some of you are not affected by the recent rise in energy prices yet. I truly am. But let me tell you, as someone living in the trenches of near poverty, things are really beginning to affect the 'little' people. I am a highly qualified professional in the medical field; however, I have not quite finished my medical residency, thus I am living on a graduate student's salary. I have no disposable income, no savings, and severe debt - some of which I have to pay back monthly right now, some of which is deferred. My education extends 10 years past high school.
Just giving background so that you understand I am a hard working individual.

So there I was with no disposable income able to get by from paycheck to paycheck based on my budget calculations from 2 years ago. I got married to another economically poor soul, who lost her employment for what I see as reasons related to the downturn of the U.S. economy and PO, and has not been able to find a new job yet. Along comes the massive increase (for us) in energy costs. Suddenly, we have to choose between paying the phone bill and paying the heating bill. Well, that was an easy choice, the phone went and we are still without one. Yet that wasn't quite enough. Soon we were choosing between eating and paying the utilities. We tried going without a little of both. Juggling having the gas turned off for a bit, then the electric, then our water (that was tough), then seeing how much beans and rice we could stand. Then my wife found a church that would donate food for some volunteer time. That helped a lot. We're still scraping by, out of money again until next month, but thankful that we have a full fridge - not everyone is as lucky.

My point is, the consequences of peak oil are hitting. They may not be hitting you yet, but they are starting to affect the poor. I can't imagine what some people must be going through that are a lot poorer than me. The issue here is just as some people pointed out in previous posts. You may be able to personally weather the recent increase in energy related costs, but you don't exist in a economic vaccuum. The people that lose their jobs because you are forced to cut back on discretionary income will have less money to put back into the economy. Just like my family. We don't go out to eat. We don't buy new clothes. We don't buy electronics. We can't even afford Wal-Mart's crap (not that we'd want to!). More and more people will be falling into my category as time goes on. How do you think that will affect the economy?

T

[Karl]

Interestingly a few months ago as part of a work meeting I met with a guy who runs a company supplying engineers on short term contracts on oil projects around the world.

I asked if he had a take on 'Peak Oil' and received the retort that he had 'never heard of it'.

To someone who is no doubt raking it in from Norwegian projects, Sakhalin Island and Middle East refineries perhaps he doesn't see a shortage, or doesn't want to. Who knows?