Is raising awareness of Peak Oil in your interests?

[caspian]

If people don't want to hear bad news, that's their lookout.

But surely if they hear the news and ignore it, at least they were warned and chose to do nothing. Isn't keeping it a secret that only comes out when TSHTF asking for trouble, when everyone gets angry because they didn't know?

Indeed, you are right. The poll question is "Is raising awareness of Peak Oil in your interests?", not "Whose fault is it if people can't be bothered to find out about energy related problems before the SHTF?"

Caspian: If you could give people a magic PO pill which made them see the light (or forthcoming lack of light as it were)... would you do so?

I'm not sure to be honest. On the one hand I don't believe in censoring information but on the other hand it's too late for anything to be done about it and it might cause a panic.

The reason I've stopped telling people about it is because it can tend to label you as a doomerish joyless outcast (which I am, but I'd rather not advertise the fact). Even after the disastrous financial upheavals of this year, nobody wants to believe that their world is going to collapse. I no longer believe that a collapse is likely anyway.

On balance I think I'd be better off not having ever heard about PO. It's coloured everything I do and I don't find much to enjoy about life these days. I think it would be rather selfish of me to inflict that on someone else. I feel a bit guilty about telling my sister about it.

I don't think it's storing up trouble keeping such information to myself, because how is anyone going to know? In any case, it's not going to be a sudden awakening and angry realisation - more likely a long slow decline over many decades.

[Erik]

The reason I've stopped telling people about it is because it can tend to label you as a doomerish joyless outcast (which I am, but I'd rather not advertise the fact).

Yeah, I know what you mean. I was a doomer even before PO came into my life

On balance I think I'd be better off not having ever heard about PO. It's coloured everything I do and I don't find much to enjoy about life these days. I think it would be rather selfish of me to inflict that on someone else. I feel a bit guilty about telling my sister about it.

I've brought a few people down to my miserabilia level with PO too, over the years. Made amends with my family this Xmas though by buying a WII games system. Peak oil? Baaah, F##k it.

[Ben]

I would like to be further ahead with my plans before they all find out though. Once I've bought land and somewhere to live (if that's what I decide to do) everyone else can find out, otherwise the price and supply of suitable places may become a problem!

Is it in my interests? For the reasons John outlines, definitely not.

From a purely selfish point of view I should probably move house, buy my land and then work to integrate into my new local community and help make it more peak oil aware and transition resilient.

I don't think the Great British Public will have "Peak Oil awareness" until the lights start going out and it becomes difficult to afford proper heating and fill up the petrol tank. The world recession has probably put the date of the last two back some time. Just as well as the credit crunch has made selling my house tricky.

[JohnB]

Just as well as the credit crunch has made selling the house tricky.

It's made buying them tricky too. So many to choose from, and they'll be cheaper next year! Unfortunately there are very few that are suitable for surviving PO in, and at times it gets tempting to buy something unsuitable just to get settled.

[Ben]

Yep, it is tricky.

If you believe we're heading for deflation, including hefty house price falls, probably best to hold on to your cash (and/or pay off debts) and maybe rent in the area you're interested in.

If you think all this money injected into the financial system will eventually lead to hyperinflation better buy the land and perhaps even gold asap. If you think your source of income is secure and would match any hyperinflation this might even be a great time to take on as much debt as you can (caution - banks tend to have a lot of devilish small print about their right to demand the early repayment of loans!).

And that's to greatly over simplify.

[Papillon]

Very interesting thread you started off here, Adam.

Just to clarify my first reply:

Is it in my interest that the general public is more PO aware? As I perceive the situation to be - I believe the answer is no. This answer is heavily influenced by my personal circumstances: ie, I live in a rented bedsit in South East London, earning just over minimum wage. I am not British, nor is my partner, who is earning very little at all due to a health condition.

Is it in the interest of the general public to be more PO aware? I suppose it is. As been said above - you need to have a community tackling these issues. I agree.

Do I try and promote PO? Not anymore. I have done for about a year after finding out myself (2005), and it ended up costing me my previous relationship.

Conclusion: I will try to do what I can, including try and see how to start a Transition Towns movement in my local area. However, I believe that trying to scare people into sustainability (ie tell them all about PO) is not the way to go about it and will backfire.

[JohnB]

Yep, it is tricky.

If you believe we're heading for deflation, including hefty house price falls, probably best to hold on to your cash (and/or pay off debts) and maybe rent in the area you're interested in.

Can you imagine what the country would be like if everyone had no debts, had sold their house at the top of the market, and lived in a van until they found what they were looking for

[Ben]

Yep, it is tricky.

If you believe we're heading for deflation, including hefty house price falls, probably best to hold on to your cash (and/or pay off debts) and maybe rent in the area you're interested in.

Can you imagine what the country would be like if everyone had no debts, had sold their house at the top of the market, and lived in a van until they found what they were looking for

Yes, full of a lot of lucky people and empty houses!

[PaulS]

I also voted Yes, but its not clear cut as others have pointed out.

If you are the only one in your neighbourhood to know then you should be able not just fix your own electrics, but also set yourself up as a 'solar electrician' and make some dosh out of fitting up other people's houses once blackouts start.

But

there are so many dangers of being the only smart alec.

Better try to get a few neighbours interested, start a little group, learn a whole range of skills and help each other. That and more is what Transition is all about. That's why I'll do my best to make sure we are the best prepared village and maybe even County in the country!
Checkout our website at www.TransitionNC.org.

[J. R. Ewing]

I used to but I've lost interest now, mainly because I find most people either don't believe there's such a thing, don't care or ask 'What Oil in the Peak district?' amongst other things.

So now I'm just ito watching and waiting and living as much as possible untill the worst happens - although I recon this credit-crunch thinggy is now more likely to send us back to the dark ages than PO is.

[RenewableCandy]

Yes, and I plead "enlightened self-interest". If, say, everyone in our street had a fruit tree, none of them would have a reason to nick our apples. Same goes for a stove plus logpile, food stash, solar PV, you name it.

But I don't call it PO unless people already know. I refer instead to "power cuts and interruption to the food supply".

[MisterE]

Yes, and I plead "enlightened self-interest". If, say, everyone in our street had a fruit tree, none of them would have a reason to nick our apples. Same goes for a stove plus logpile, food stash, solar PV, you name it.

But I don't call it PO unless people already know. I refer instead to "power cuts and interruption to the food supply".

Same here, thats how I go about it with friends and family and give it the old saving coin, getting your bills down etc That gets through to people Sadly though a lot of my friends and family spend their lives in work (both partners) then home to spend what they can with their kids, they have no time to stop and think.

[chrisc]

Conclusion: I will try to do what I can, including try and see how to start a Transition Towns movement in my local area.

This is the conclusion I reached -- the transition initiative offers the best hope of a positive community response to the crisis of peak oil that I have come across. But of course peak oil isn't the only crisis we are facing...

[happychicken]

But of course peak oil isn't the only crisis we are facing...

Personally I think peak oil is behind the financial crisis i.e. it caused it.

But, yes there are other related crises that we must also face very soon - gas shortages, climate change, overpopulation, food stock depletion e.g. over-fishing, colony collapse disorder (in honeybees) etc etc.

I openly talk to my friends, family and work colleagues about peak oil, and about all the other inter-linked issues. Some will be more prepared than others when TSHTF. Some are in complete denial. I am hoping they don't ALL turn up at my house expecting to be fed!

As for "the general public" - the ones with plasma screen TVs who can't switch lights off when they leave a room, can't make a meal unless it comes in a packet and goes in a microwave, and whose favourite hobbies are shopping and reading about celebrities won't do very well in the world of the future.

Should they be told? I'm not sure. It might be better to continue with the bread and circuses for them for as long as possible.