tunnel vision

To further the discussion I started a few days ago advocating that Peak Oil types latch on to the Global Warming bandwagon, I’d like to make my position clear, and then devolve into some lazy ruminations.

Put the puzzle together. Everything that is happening in our world – resource depletion, over-consumption, depletion, global warming, global inflation, global wars– these ARE ALL THE SAME SICKNESS. Peak Oil, Peak methane, Peak coal, Peak agriculture, etc, these are each a demonstration of the human condition writ on the world, evolution tossed out of balance -- for perhaps only an instant -- by technology exercised without thought to limits.

In terms of Global Warming, and Peak Oil, this I believe:

Humans will burn EVERY SCRAP of accessible carbon fuel left on the globe, and quickly too. Sorry if this strikes some of cynical, I’d love to know how one is supposed to respond to the examples of the last century. It is HAPPENING and most carbon sequestration schemes are energy inefficient until proven otherwise.

Procrastination is the order of the day. In America, should Bush make it through the rest of his term without being impeached, he’ll spend the rest of his tenure paying lip service to global warming, and doing nothing.

Damn lucky, then, that energy depletion will proceed so rapidly. The opinion of some is that the ride down the energy ladder will be smooth. I disagree, I think it is bad analysis to say you can simply apply nanotechnology (yeast) and continue to brew beer without sugar, but I don’t care. Everyone has a cherished scenario. Some faithfully believe Jesus will return to divide up the corn amongst the baby boomers until there is enough ethanol for all. Others are capable of doing arithmetic.

We’re on the oil production plateau NOW. Use of carbon fuel is GOING DOWN. Get it? Humanity is going to strike the runaway Global Warming tipping point, or dodge it. My guess is dodge by a hair.

My guess is as good as yours, friend, and hopeful to boot.

In the meantime, there is a global warming bandwagon, and everybody is lining up. The good and the bad together. So how about Peak Oil types as well? What are we going to do, run on a platform of water injection or bust? A basket of crude grades? EROEIWTF?

This is not a stab at the necessary work all of us in the Peak Oil community are doing. I’m an energy geek certified, licensed and bonded. I’m fascinated by the world revealed. I’m pleased to get an orthogonal perspective on the arcane priestcraft of economics. Thanks, Ken Deffeyes! None of us, myself included, are going to de-focus from this topic.

Just saying. When advocating solutions, one may advocate something that will be largely misunderstood, or one can hitch a walkable community to global warming. An“eat local” movement to global warming. Wind turbines. Wee little smart cars. Bicycle lanes.

And people might listen. We’ll need this stuff, soon.

Together, we might recycle suburbia.

Tears For Fears
Mad World


All around me are familiar faces
Worn out places, worn out faces
Bright and early for their daily races
Going nowhere, going nowhere
And their tears are filling up their glasses
No expression, no expression
Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow
No tommorow, no tommorow
And I find it kind of funny
I find it kind of sad
The dreams in which I'm dying
Are the best I've ever had