PowerSwitch

so london's won the olympics. well that's silly isn't it? lets see, oil'll be at 80 bucks a barrel by the end of the year (and that's optimistic), i wonder what it'll be by 2012? (even if we're lucky enough not to peak until 2009)
so instead of gearing london up for a world without oil (you know, making sure we've electricity for pumping drinking water, etc) we'll be spending money on the olympics.
bye-bye londonADVERT DELETED

Sometimes I feel that if the human race wipes itself out it got what it deserved! For an ?intelligent? species we are surprisingly stupid at times.

Still, business as usually. What are we worried for?

Actually, thinking about this this might be a good thing. There will be a lot of people watching this and if PO happens and problems occur with the Olympics as a result maybe a lot of people will start to see why? It may end up being a public lesson in what may come?

I think peak oil will have an effect on the 2008 Olympics in China. They are already facing energy problems.

Don't forget that most of the people behind the Olympic Games organisation probably aren't really aware of the potential oil crisis or, if they are, don't really give it much consideration.

So it'll still be business as usual for them.

We never win anything in the Uk, ever - esp not in a contest with the french!

How ironic then that the ONE TIME we come out on top is the one time WE DON'T WANT IT !

Since we are now stuck with it, we'd better try and see the good bits:
1) It might be something that can bind the nation together
2) If we have major PO probs and people are watching it might be more educational than PO otherwise (as peopel have already mentiond)
3) Getting gov backing and oversight for a huge capital project like this is good practice for the future

Can anyone else think of anything good about it??

A small silver lining: There may be some new/upgraded public transport infrastructure as part of the developments.

They're going to need to upgrade them after today.

I heard the news after I posted (and had a frantic 10 mins after phoning my Mum to discover my Dad was somewhere on the underground nr Liverpool St and she hadn't heard from him - fortunately he turned up safe).

Very sad news indeed.

Re the Olympics thing: PO hasn't happened yet and it *might not* happen for another 10-15 years.

Why let this get in the way of trying to organise the world's second largest global sporting event? We still need to feel good for ourselves.

If PO hasn't hit by 2012, I'll eat my hat!