Does your partner support your Peak Oil views?
Please respond via the poll ...
Does your partner understand you?
Moderator: Peak Moderation
The poll options didn't quite fit, so I went with the best one. She broadly understands the issues, but has great difficulty envisaging a world that is anything but Business As Usual. However, she has deep-down enviro-hippy tendencies, so she likes pottering in the garden and is happy to re-use and recycle, etc.
I think it helps to have a counterbalance to doomerish tendencies.
I think it helps to have a counterbalance to doomerish tendencies.
I think my wife is somewhere between the top two. She undestands PO, but I think she's putting off really thinking about what it might mean and the timescales involved. With anything in life it's a trade off. We have small kids, so it's hard on her as I am holding down a full time job AND doing peak prep stuff. We're stretched for time, and it means its harder work for her, which tires her out and makes her miserable sometimes. We've just had a holiday thought which has done us the world of good.
All in all, I've very lucky to have a wife that understands PO, and supports me in the things we are doing. It's hard to spend money on fencing and sheds etc when eveyone else round here seems to be eating out and driving 2 year old cars. She buys her clothes at the charity shop, and economises where ever she can. Without her efforts and support we'd be nowhere near as far down the road as we are. We effectively live like peasants at the moment to make money avaliable for PO preps. If she wasn't 'on board' that wouldn't really be possible.
All in all, I've very lucky to have a wife that understands PO, and supports me in the things we are doing. It's hard to spend money on fencing and sheds etc when eveyone else round here seems to be eating out and driving 2 year old cars. She buys her clothes at the charity shop, and economises where ever she can. Without her efforts and support we'd be nowhere near as far down the road as we are. We effectively live like peasants at the moment to make money avaliable for PO preps. If she wasn't 'on board' that wouldn't really be possible.
Jim
For every complex problem, there is a simple answer, and it's wrong.
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs" (Lao Tzu V.i).
For every complex problem, there is a simple answer, and it's wrong.
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, and treat the myriad creatures as straw dogs" (Lao Tzu V.i).
My case is similar to SunnyJim and Vertis.
My wife is happy with the ecofriendly feed the chickens wood stove and reduce/reuse/recycle attitude. She has a bit of a downer on the constant doom and gloom, and insists on us taking (one last?) holiday by flying, talks about buying a bigger car etc. and talks about new careers that seem improbable in post-PO UK.
However, she has agreed in principle to my solar panel /UPS plan because we have the cash and I have been right so far on the predicted downturn...
My wife is happy with the ecofriendly feed the chickens wood stove and reduce/reuse/recycle attitude. She has a bit of a downer on the constant doom and gloom, and insists on us taking (one last?) holiday by flying, talks about buying a bigger car etc. and talks about new careers that seem improbable in post-PO UK.
However, she has agreed in principle to my solar panel /UPS plan because we have the cash and I have been right so far on the predicted downturn...
Again, wife is between the top two. Seems to get the general idea of PO, but is not particularly interested to make it a big interest of hers.
Sometimes she worries that I might get depressed with all this doom-stuff, I try and reassure her about that, especially as most of you folk seem quite lively and positive!
Sometimes she worries that I might get depressed with all this doom-stuff, I try and reassure her about that, especially as most of you folk seem quite lively and positive!
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tomhitchman
- Posts: 164
- Joined: 04 Jan 2008, 14:57
- Location: London EC1
my girlfriend has been pretty supportive on stuff and generally gets it but has a little difficulty in imagining where it might go in the distant future.
On the good side she is supportive of my plans for PV & solar thermal, loves the wood burning stove enough to forgo the gas heating unless there are elderly visitors, has got into the switch everything off and general energy and emissions care and into most things but has no limits on hot water (as yet).
On the whole great but she works currently in the mortagage industry and as we watch and listen to the doom and gloom she is getting very worried about future job prospects.
On the good side she is supportive of my plans for PV & solar thermal, loves the wood burning stove enough to forgo the gas heating unless there are elderly visitors, has got into the switch everything off and general energy and emissions care and into most things but has no limits on hot water (as yet).
On the whole great but she works currently in the mortagage industry and as we watch and listen to the doom and gloom she is getting very worried about future job prospects.
When this forum went down I found it most instructive to visit the LATOC forums site. There's concerned, and then there's scary. Which I don't think we are.goslow wrote:Sometimes she worries that I might get depressed with all this doom-stuff, I try and reassure her about that, especially as most of you folk seem quite lively and positive!
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eatyourveg
- Posts: 1289
- Joined: 15 Jul 2007, 17:02
- Location: uk
Mrs Vortex gets it 110% ... but bases her view on the bad things happening in the eco world.
Essentially we feel that its not just oil ... we have simply hit multiple limits.
The final collapse (if any) probably won't be triggered by oil ... it'll be a flu epidemic or copper thefts taking out the power network or fertiliser shortfalls ... whatever.
Essentially we feel that its not just oil ... we have simply hit multiple limits.
The final collapse (if any) probably won't be triggered by oil ... it'll be a flu epidemic or copper thefts taking out the power network or fertiliser shortfalls ... whatever.
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frankd2689
- Posts: 143
- Joined: 24 Nov 2005, 11:09
- Location: Chelmsford
My wife understands that PO is very big in my life and understands that I'm unhappy about the scenario. I really find it difficult to (and won't) give her my full on doomerist point of view. I'll try to lead her in gently as and when I can. It will take a while. Imagine if you knew nothing about PO and your partner suddenly unloaded the Olduvai theory on you. Nobody said it was going to be easy. 
Frank
