In a message dated 8/11/2005 12:03:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
carl1679@... writes:
I am just wondering how long it will take for the average American to
start to put 2 and 3 together.
==============================================================
It's hard to put 2 and 3 together when you suffer from brain freeze.
I've been investigating Peak Oil for about half a year or so now, and just
finished writing a three part series on it - specifically how it will effects
a specific set of emerging religious and philosophical movements, a group
that in broad generalities tends to be well educated, liberal, and
environmentally concerned.
Now, here was a ready made group, and there was no response - and there was
certainly enough in the articles to annoy everyone.
Why the lack reaction? Simple - shock, fear, denial. The usual stuff. I
asked around, and there is certain shell shocked response of 'But..but.." Yeh,
you get the picture.
I've grown-up hearing about the end of the world from one group or another,
and often people I respected and knew well. None of it ever happened. Many see
this as Y2K revisited.
Yet with Peak Oil it is all very clear - and there is no real escape.
When informed about it many ask the same questions, as if it were an episode
of Star Trek and we could just 'tech' our way out of it - but it is clear -
there are no technological solutions (at least not yet). Peak Oil is a
nightmare and when was the last time you were in a nightmare and not frozen with
fear? Only this time, there is no waking up. They hope that they will not
experience and without saying so, abdicate it to being their children and
grandchildren's responsibility.
Now, almost everyone I deal with is college educated and professional, and
they understand science about as well as my five year old - and that is not an
exaggeration. My wife is an award winning PhD Biologist who teaches
environmental science and whose students come from the best end of
social-economic
spectrum. Here again, my wife is amazed at the lack of understanding on
environmental-energy issues not only her students have (before she is done with
them <G>), but also many of the other people she talks to about this as well.
To ask when the average person will figure it out assumes they even know
their is an equation in front of them.
So, let me give you an example relevant to the discussion.
My Masonic Lodge is broke. We can barely pay our bills, and often don't do
it on time. The average age of a Mason in Pennsylvania is 65, meaning that
within 10 years, half of the current membership will be dead, impaired, or
unable to support the lodge in the manner such activities require. Many will be
50 year members and not paying dues - a critical point - as cash is energy, as
is oil.
Despite the fact that the organization has been loosing members steadily for
40 years, and the average age suggests impending financial catastrophe - as
if not being able to pay the bills isn't bad enough - the members are in
deep denial about the situation and the only viable solution.
Here we can sell our building, invest the money, and from interest on a
paltry Federal bond pay rent off at a neighboring lodge - thereby benefiting
both parties - and never worry about income (ie - energy) issues again.
However, the reaction to this plan is purely emotional, not rational, and I
bring this up because these are good, solid men, who help each other and their
community, but they are as the above question asked 'average'.
If a group of people cannot even change how they relate to a simple equation
of income and expense, then asking when they will figure out that they need
to change almost every aspect of their life and be environmentally
responsible for themselves borders on ridiculous.
It is unfortunate, but many people will only understand when the lights go
out.
Sincerely,
Mark Stavish
PA
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