PowerSwitch

One of the best ways to make people face the fact that we all depend and love an oil based society is to argue about war in Iraq.

Almost everybody is against that war. But ask them to choose: Invading some far Arab country or giving up your heating system this winter? Or paying ten times more for gas, food and goods? It?s easy to make the link ?no gas = high prices?. People know that war in Iraq is for gas only, but they never stopped to think that maybe if we have to send soldiers up there is because we completely depend upon oil.

That choosing makes people realize how selfish we all are, some even answered that they would rather give up their heating system this winter. OK. What about next winter? And the other?

Persoanlly I'm a giver-upper of my heating, but I think it is a very good question that you raise.

I strongly believe that if you asked the UK public to vote on that very question they would vote for war.

Had TonyB arranged that kind of vote pre-iraq he could have won a true mandate for the war, instead of what we have now....

The best thing is obv no war and sorting ourselves out in a reasonable way but surely it would be better to be up front about questions such as this rather than pretend that things are not the way they really are?

Actually the question maybe should have been "give up your car" rather than "heating" but that hardly matters!

I think the results of the poll highlight what we really need to concentrate on.

The people that have voted have the knowledge of PO and what it is going to mean to our lifestyle. They are therefore able to make rational choices, even though they may have to give something up.

Without that knowledge, they might have thought that we would invade because the middle eastern country was deliberately holding back oil, and therefore we would be justified in attacking.

The biggest threat in the coming difficult times will be lack of knowledge about why things are happening. This will lead people to jump to conclusions, look for scapegoats, panic, etc. This will have serious ramifications on all and sundry, even those who have prepared and are growing their own vegetables.

I therefore think that the greatest amount of effort, for each of our sakes, needs to be put into getting that knowledge out there, through every/any means possible.

Even if (as another thread talks about) people go into denial or run away from the topic, the next time it is mentioned they will look a bit deeper, and the next time deeper again.

Agreed Newmac.

"but surely it would be better to be up front about questions such as this rather than pretend that things are not the way they really are?"

Unfortunately, I feel we will wait a looooong time before the Governments of the UK and US are up front with the truth. I know I have become old and cynical but we shall see.

I haven't voted in the poll yet, but I intend to modify my central heating shortly (before this winter). I plan to replace my open fire in our main sitting room (which we light a lot in autumn, winter and spring) with a solid fuel stove with back boiler. Everytime this is lit it will heat the room, provide hot water and heat radiators. It should take coal, wood, peat and anything else that will burn well.