Peak oil wedding list

[kenneal - lagger]

The problem with flying cars in the order of magnitude increase in power required to make them fly. In a power hungry world this ain't gonna happen!

We need to get over this idea that everyone has to work in an office and at the same time. More flexibility is required from egotistical bosses who want their empires displayed before them every day!

[fuzzy]

The problem with flying cars in the order of magnitude increase in power required to make them fly. In a power hungry world this ain't gonna happen!

We need to get over this idea that everyone has to work in an office and at the same time. More flexibility is required from egotistical bosses who want their empires displayed before them every day!

What is required is competent gov that taxes employers through the distance their employees travel to work. Living locally is totally disregarded as employment criteria by employers who think life revolves around being a petrolhead.

[vtsnowedin]

What is required is competent gov......

Yes yes of course. Do you know where we might find such a thing?

[kenneal - lagger]

What we need is a government that isn't in the pocket of big business and runs things for their benefit and not ours.

[vtsnowedin]

What we need is a government that isn't in the pocket of big business and runs things for their benefit and not ours.

Could you settle for one that realizes that big business needs customers with money in hand just as much as Government needs those same people to pay taxes year after year to keep the government solvent.
You can only milk a cow so many times a day (Three is the current standard) and if you don't feed and water the cow you wont get any milk.

[clv101]

I can see self driving cars, but I don't see a significant fall in car ownership or congestion. Cars are primarily used for two things, driving to the office and taking the kids to school. These are both time critical and simultaneous and not optional in our current social structure. Most cars are used for one or both jobs, and very few owners would ditch their car and risk an Uber or other taxi not turning up at the right time. If there were enough cars available, they then would either have to park up, or cruise round waiting for customers until it was time to take their customer home again. That would not make economic sense, and would increase overall congestion as well as increasing total miles travelled.

I don't think this is right. Self driving cars can dramatically reduce the number of cars in a city/country. Privately owned cars have a hopeless 'duty cycle', typically only actually being driven for less than 5% of the time... and that 5% absolutely doesn't all occur in the same hour. Walk through a residential area at 8:30am... and see how many cars still parked up. Drive through town on a Sunday afternoon and see how many cars are still driving around.

Driverless cars in a urban environment should be able to deliver a better service, with fewer vehicles for lower cost.

[emordnilap]

Could you settle for one that realizes that big business needs customers with money in hand just as much as Government needs those same people to pay taxes year after year to keep the government solvent.

I've seen this called a 'metabolic rift': the fundamental contradiction between capital accumulation and the environment needed to sustain that accumulation.

Or, yeast.

[RenewableCandy]

I see it as like blood circulation.

But then again I would, wouldn't I?

[emordnilap]

I see it as like blood circulation.

But then again I would, wouldn't I?

I think I get yer. More, please, sounds interesting...

[RenewableCandy]

As I see it, there are plenty of very efficient mechanisms for getting money/resources from a large number of ordinary people to a small number who are already rich. Rents and usury, for example. Plus the economies of scale you have as a large enterprise (owned by one of the said well-off people).

What there are presently fewer and fewer of (and those not very efficient) are the mechanisms for re-circulating the money to the said ordinary people. 'Jobs' being the main one, of course, but also welfare of various types. Both are withering.

If the loot doesn't circulate, the 'body economic' won't function.

Hence my analogy about blood.

[emordnilap]

As I see it, there are plenty of very efficient mechanisms for getting money/resources from a large number of ordinary people to a small number who are already rich. Rents and usury, for example. Plus the economies of scale you have as a large enterprise (owned by one of the said well-off people).

What there are presently fewer and fewer of (and those not very efficient) are the mechanisms for re-circulating the money to the said ordinary people. 'Jobs' being the main one, of course, but also welfare of various types. Both are withering.

If the loot doesn't circulate, the 'body economic' won't function.

Hence my analogy about blood.

Yes, get your analogy now, thanks. The organ that decides it wants to suck all the blood causes the rest of the body to do without, which ain't gonna work.

The banks are leading it - naturally! - as shown by Ulster Bank in my county, mirroring no doubt the general strategy. Only the county town branch now deals with cash, all others won't handle it, for instance.

Also, I went into Ulster Bank to pay a bill. There was only one cashier: another was body asking customers 'would they like to use the automated facilities'.

I said, "Yes, I'll help you destroy your job, if that's what you want."

She smiled, as she had been told to.

[adam2]

Another long term update.
Still happily married, and generally things are going well.

Fostering children provides a useful income and has been very successful, disabled children in particular seem to thrive in the countryside.
A variety of lightweight electric vehicles are available, electric tricycles in particular are very useful for some disabled children. Also adult type mobility scooters if fitted with rough terrain tyres.

After loosing money when first tried, pig farming is now profitable, they have some odd looking pigs, believed to result from breeding with feral pigs.

The Rutland wind turbines have exceeded expectations and produce a fair proportion of winter power demand.

[adam2]

Quick update.
Surroundings flooded, like many other areas. The house is on a small hill and not flooded, nor expected to be.

The "inspector of children" expressed great concern that "no one had rescued the disabled children"
No rescue is needed.
House and outbuildings not flooded.
Electricity available as normal, generated on site.
Food stocks ample, and supplemented by Canada geese.
The kids think it is all a splendid adventure.

Access is certainly problematic, much of the water is too deep for safe walking or vehicle use, but not deep enough to use a boat.

[adam2]

Quick update. Snowed in briefly in the recent cold weather.
Food supplies ample, firewood ample, off grid power working fine.
The fostered children seem very happy and greatly enjoyed the snow. BTW, it does not make a very good impresion on visiting social workers if the door is answered by a child wearing a blood spattered overal ! (helping dad butcher a sheep) Esp if social worker is a veggie.

Both pigs and sheep are doing well. Bee keeping has been a success, though only on a small scale. Chickens are not doing well, one theory is that the wretched Canada geese are outcompeting them for food, or perhaps frightening and stressing them.

The only problem has been damp at one end of the house. A thorough inspection reveals no defect in the roof, and I suspect that driving rain may be soaking through the wall, investigation underway.

[adam2]

The cause of the damp has finally been located.
In certain weather conditions, rain was blowing UNDER the end edge of the roof, trickling down the inner face of the gable end wall, and spreading. Only a very little water, but still a nuisance.

Rectified by filling in the gaps with sand/cement mix.

Keeping chickens has been abandoned. Pigs doing well. A handful of lambs are being fattened for eating, not for sale.