[arocoun]

Soon after I heard that San Fransisco passed a peak oil resolution, I thought peak oil would become much more mainstream. Maybe I'd read about it, or something like it, in the papers? Maybe I'd hear about it on the radio? Maybe I'd see them discussing it on the evening news? What happens? None of the above.

That got me wondering if even most of the people living in San Fransisco know about peak oil. Maybe only the very politically and socially active people there know about it. Hell, they might not even WANT the average person to know about peak oil, because I have recently come to an interesting conclusion about us peak-aware people.

We are broken.

Most humans--at least most humans these days--are semi-mindless drones. They do as they are told, and like it. They believe what they are raised to believe, and cling to those beliefs with their lives. They set boring-arsed routines for themselves, and faithfully follow those boring-arsed routines every day of their lives. Basically, the average human practically worships sameness.

We, however, are broken. We believe whatever proof shows us is true. We do what we need to survive and thrive. And, if we happen to believe or act differently from the rest, we don't really mind, usually.

And thus, the differences in our reactions to peak oil...

For us:
Step 1--Denial
Step 2--Acceptence
Step 3--Adjustment
Step 4--Spread knowledge [smilie=eusa_snooty.gif]
Step 4.5--"Hey, I tried."
Step 5--Step cautiously forward into an uncertain future.

For them:
Step 1--"Hey, slow down! Now, what's this crude oil stuff again?"
Step 2--Denial
Step 3--More denial
Step 4--"Don't worry, They will fix it."
Step 5--Nothing
Step 6--"Look at those gas prices! Greedy executives!"
Step 7--More nothing
Step 8--"Look at those gas prices! That peaking oil stuff might just be true..."
Step 9--More nothing, ad nauseam...
Step 10--"Why can't I drive anymore? Or, for that matter, afford food?"

Something tells me, however, that after peak oil, we broken humans might outnumber the normal ones.

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

That is really good, very clever if you don't mind my saying so. You did forget the anger part in ours though. First at the situation we are in, and then at the sheeple around us who don't want to get it or do anything about it.

[rogerhb]

Freedom includes the freedom to be stupid.

[Free]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', 'F')reedom includes the freedom to be stupid.

[rogerhb]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Free', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', 'F')reedom includes the freedom to be stupid.

[Free]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Free', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('rogerhb', 'F')reedom includes the freedom to be stupid.

[ChoKyOTO]

*tears*

[ashurbanipal]

I tend to think that if the "prime directive" of an organism is to survive and ensure the survival of its group, then it's everyone else that's broken, not us.

[arocoun]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ashurbanipal', 'I') tend to think that if the "prime directive" of an organism is to survive and ensure the survival of its group, then it's everyone else that's broken, not us.

[Terran]

As an attender of the oil meetings in SF, peak oil is getting closer to mainstream. In San Francisco, it is the city in the U.S with the highest level of peak oil awereness.
I remember at the yearly Green Fest, during all the peak oil prep workshops, there were so many people attending that there wasn't enough seats. Same with Richard Heinberg speech at the Green Fest, not enough seats, alot of people ended up standing up, but there still wasn't enough space.

This is also true with the other events, Julian Darley speech, around 200 people showed up for that one. There are quite a few people out there in the San Francisco Bay Area that knows about peak oil, its just a matter of if they want to do anything about it.

Post Carbon itself has over 400 people around here on their listserve. People around the Bay Area needs to start acting, instead of waiting for someone else to do that job.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Terran', 'P')eople around the Bay Area needs to start acting, instead of waiting for someone else to do that job.

[Falconoffury]

Most people are dysfunctional at even recognizing the problems we face, much less doing anything about it. This post shows the typical consumer attitude. They care about only their own pathetic little lives, and believe that smart people out there will work out the solution. They don't realize that most of the smart people are stupid.

[Terran]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Doly', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Terran', 'P')eople around the Bay Area needs to start acting, instead of waiting for someone else to do that job.

[Doly]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Terran', '
')Done all A, B, D, E already, just need to start on C.

[Terran]

Agree,
A year ago, the Green Party, as well as the Sierra Club didn't even take peak oil seriously, they just dismissed it as a minor issue. Now they're starting to acknowledge it, and starting to do something about it.
Around here we have a really nice climate, nice warm summers with plenty of sunshine, and mild winters with rainfall. We rarely even need AC or heating. Maybe this explains why so many people are complacent and don't want to act.