This is from May 12th but before May is over,you've got to listen to Matt. He sounds just like me, not in tone or voice but by his experiences in trying to powerdown and change his lifestyle! I had the pleasure of getting a response from him in a discussion forum concerning my daughter's path towards college next year. He basically told me (and everyone else) that his degree hasn't prepared him at all for what is coming (a law degree). He mentioned we should all be taking more classes to learn more basic skills like plumbing, etc.
I loved it in the interview when Matt was asked what he thought about hybrid vehicles. He said "a hybrid is like putting a filter on a cigarette"! Ain't it the truth! LoL
Technorati Peak Oil
(just testing the above out for now)
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Kevin Drum--peak oil part 2
The Washington Monthly
I don't recall seeing this post on anyone else's blog. There's a link to 'part 1' in the text. I'll have to look for a 'part 3'. There are lots of fun comments to read on there, too.
on edit: This is a funny comment I found on there I just had to post it! Even though I consider myself a believer, I'm not a believer in the "secret rapture theory" so I can poke fun at this:
"As anyone with half a brain can tell you, production in the US has gone down because of governmental regulations (environmental and such.) That's why not one new oil field has been erected in the US in years. And that is the reason for the decline. If the free market were allowed to work, high oil prices would trigger new exploration and digging in fields where the marginal cost would warrant at the higher price.
(response):
Three degrees in Geology\GeoChem and twenty years in the business has convinced me that it's pointless to argue with people that can't understand the word FINITE. If God would just rapture up these idiots (since they want to go so bad), we could tack another 100 yrs on the peak and buy enough time for those that are "left behind" to maybe switch to alternatives."
I don't recall seeing this post on anyone else's blog. There's a link to 'part 1' in the text. I'll have to look for a 'part 3'. There are lots of fun comments to read on there, too.
on edit: This is a funny comment I found on there I just had to post it! Even though I consider myself a believer, I'm not a believer in the "secret rapture theory" so I can poke fun at this:
"As anyone with half a brain can tell you, production in the US has gone down because of governmental regulations (environmental and such.) That's why not one new oil field has been erected in the US in years. And that is the reason for the decline. If the free market were allowed to work, high oil prices would trigger new exploration and digging in fields where the marginal cost would warrant at the higher price.
(response):
Three degrees in Geology\GeoChem and twenty years in the business has convinced me that it's pointless to argue with people that can't understand the word FINITE. If God would just rapture up these idiots (since they want to go so bad), we could tack another 100 yrs on the peak and buy enough time for those that are "left behind" to maybe switch to alternatives."
"Clean Coal" for the military?
The Montana Standard - Butte, Montana USA
30,000 barrels of oil a day? This article didn't quote how much oil could be produced from this guy's plan. 30,000 barrels of oil is hardly a dent in the rate of consumption. Doesn't the U.S. consume about 21-24 million a day? Of course, this is for the military, and the taxpayer will probably be paying a pretty penny for the production of this "clean" technology. It will still produce greenhouse gases, too, although not as much as burning the coal in its more primitive form. Sounds like it would create some jobs, though. Looks like we'll be using up all of our coal someday, too. It's inevitable. I wonder what the ERoEI is on this. Might be pretty expensive.
Exerpt:
"In an interview with the Lee Montana Newspapers State Bureau last week, Schweitzer said he met with Pentagon officials earlier this month in Washington, D.C., to discuss a military plan to promote the private production of various petroleum fuels by using clean-coal technologies. The idea, they said, is to make U.S. armed forces less dependent on foreign oil."
"Some may scoff at such big thinking, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, production of U.S. oil deposits peaked 35 years ago, and many experts predict worldwide production will hit its peak within the next five years.
As oil production slows, prices will soar, finally spurring an all-out effort to convert to renewable energy sources. But until that process is complete, oil will become a truly precious commodity — justifying investment in ‘‘clean coal'' liquefaction technology as well as others, such as getting oil from tar sands."
30,000 barrels of oil a day? This article didn't quote how much oil could be produced from this guy's plan. 30,000 barrels of oil is hardly a dent in the rate of consumption. Doesn't the U.S. consume about 21-24 million a day? Of course, this is for the military, and the taxpayer will probably be paying a pretty penny for the production of this "clean" technology. It will still produce greenhouse gases, too, although not as much as burning the coal in its more primitive form. Sounds like it would create some jobs, though. Looks like we'll be using up all of our coal someday, too. It's inevitable. I wonder what the ERoEI is on this. Might be pretty expensive.
Exerpt:
"In an interview with the Lee Montana Newspapers State Bureau last week, Schweitzer said he met with Pentagon officials earlier this month in Washington, D.C., to discuss a military plan to promote the private production of various petroleum fuels by using clean-coal technologies. The idea, they said, is to make U.S. armed forces less dependent on foreign oil."
"Some may scoff at such big thinking, but it makes a lot of sense. After all, production of U.S. oil deposits peaked 35 years ago, and many experts predict worldwide production will hit its peak within the next five years.
As oil production slows, prices will soar, finally spurring an all-out effort to convert to renewable energy sources. But until that process is complete, oil will become a truly precious commodity — justifying investment in ‘‘clean coal'' liquefaction technology as well as others, such as getting oil from tar sands."
ABC Radio National: Breakfast - 30/05/2005
ABC Radio National: Breakfast - 30/05/2005
Haven't listened to this yet as I'm taking a break inbetween my routine sleeping hours (work nights). But anything about Jared Diamond's new book ought to be good. It's in audio. I'll listen to it later...
Haven't listened to this yet as I'm taking a break inbetween my routine sleeping hours (work nights). But anything about Jared Diamond's new book ought to be good. It's in audio. I'll listen to it later...
BostonHerald.com - Business: It's time to gas up your portfolio with some energy plays
Here's another "soft and quiet" mention of peak oil in an investment article. Where did they get the information that global oil production is to top out this year, then slide in 2006 I wonder?
Exerpt:
"Oil is back up above $50 a barrel, and it's hard to see what's going to drive it south for long anytime soon.
China and India, in the words of Hub fund manager Jeremy Grantham, are ``trying to pull a South Korea with 2.2 billion people.''
The two countries' industrial revolutions are soaking up world oil supply just as that supply is about to peak.
Forecasters expect global oil production to finally top out this year, then begin a long, inevitable slide in 2006. We're about out of easy gushers. (Of course, here in the United States we're not exactly helping by driving around sport utility vehicles that get 15 feet to the gallon.) "
Exerpt:
"Oil is back up above $50 a barrel, and it's hard to see what's going to drive it south for long anytime soon.
China and India, in the words of Hub fund manager Jeremy Grantham, are ``trying to pull a South Korea with 2.2 billion people.''
The two countries' industrial revolutions are soaking up world oil supply just as that supply is about to peak.
Forecasters expect global oil production to finally top out this year, then begin a long, inevitable slide in 2006. We're about out of easy gushers. (Of course, here in the United States we're not exactly helping by driving around sport utility vehicles that get 15 feet to the gallon.) "
Monday, May 30, 2005
Earth Day Footprint Quiz
Earth Day Footprint Quiz
I'm embarrassed to say my footprint is 18. I'm below the average of 24, though! I have a lot of work to do!
I'm embarrassed to say my footprint is 18. I'm below the average of 24, though! I have a lot of work to do!
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Can I get sick now? (Long Emergency Book Review)
Here is a review of James Howard Kunstler's book "The Long Emergency". I half want to buy the book and read it but then I already know what he is going to say and it will just scare the bejeebees out of me. Matt Savinar's website made me sit in a stupor state for about a month after learning about peak oil. I don't want to do that again. I hope it's all a bad dream. I never thought I'd say this but I miss life in the '70s. We have lived in great times, haven't we? I thank God for every day. I thank God every day for hot showers and food on my table. What have you thanked Him for today?
The world in the palm of their hands: Bilderberg 2005
onlinejournal.com
"Energy
An American Bilderberger expressed concern over the skyrocketing price of oil. One oil industry insider at the meeting remarked that growth is not possible without energy and that, according to all indicators, the world's energy supply is coming to an end much faster than the world leaders have anticipated. According to sources, Bilderbergers estimate the extractable world's oil supply to be at a maximum of 35 years under current economic development and population. However, one of the representatives of an oil cartel remarked that we must factor into the equation, both the population explosion and economic growth and demand for oil in China and India. Under the revised conditions, there is apparently only enough oil to last for 20 years. No oil spells the end of the world's financial system. So much has already been acknowledged by The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, two periodicals who are regularly present at the annual Bilderberg conference.
Conclusion: Expect a severe downturn in the world's economy over the next two years as Bilderbergers try to safeguard the remaining oil supply by taking money out of people's hands. In a recession or, at worst, a depression, the population will be forced to dramatically cut down their spending habits, thus ensuring a longer supply of oil to the world's rich as they try to figure out what to do.
During the afternoon cocktail, European Bilderberger noted that there is no plausible alternative to hydrocarbon energy. One American insider stated that currently the world uses between four and six barrels of oil for every new barrel it finds and that the prospects for a short-term breakthrough are slim, at best.
Someone asked for an estimate of the world´s accessible conventional oil supply. The amount was quoted at approximately one trillion barrels. As a side note of interest, the planet consumes a billion barrels of oil every 11.5 days.
Another Bilderberger asked about hydrogen alternative to the oil supply. The US government official agreed, gloomily, that hydrogen salvation to the world´s imminent energy crisis is a fantasy.
This confirms public statement made in 2003 by HIS, the world´s most respected consulting firm cataloguing oil reserves and discoveries, that for the first time since the 1920s there was not a single discovery of an oil field in excess of 500 million barrels.
The oil industry at the 2005 Bilderberg conference was represented by John Browne, BP´s chief executive officer; John Kerr, director Royal Dutch Shell; Peter D. Sutherland, BP chairman and Jeroen van der Veer, chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors of Royal Dutch Shell.
It should be remembered that in late 2003, oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, announced that it had overstated its reserved by as much as 20 percent. Queen Beatrix of Holland, Royal Dutch Shell´s principal shareholder is a full-fledged member of the Bilderbergers. Her father, prince Bernhard was one of the founders of the group back in 1954. The Los Angeles Times reported that "For petroleum firms, reserves amount to nothing less than ´the value of the company.'" In fact, Shell cut its reserve estimates not once, but three times, prompting the resignation of its co-chairman. At Rottach-Egern, in May 2005, industry's top executives tried to figure out how to keep the truth about diminishing oil reserves from reaching the public. Public knowledge of the diminishing reserves directly translates into lower share prices, which could destroy financial markets, leading to a collapse of the world economy."
I had to print this part of the article. Bold emphasis is mine.
Like others, I sometimes think what is going to happen is that things will happen in a negative-loop cycle. In other words, oil demand will outstrip supply, prices will go higher for everything petroleum-related (which is almost everything), this will cause a downturn in the economy and our quality of life will decline slowly. This will make it a 'slow burn' more or less because at that point a slowed economy will decrease demand for petroleum products (except heating and cooling of which we'll be spending more on and not able to spend on less important things), and the decreased demand will give the illusion that petroleum will last much longer and that there is no crisis. Therefore, we will not be (as a population) inclined to search for other alternatives or renewables. Hence, CRASH! When? That's hard to predict. There's no question in my mind as to IF it will happen. The debate entails WHEN and HOW. There are so many variables. Killer viruses. Nuclear threats. Housing bubbles. Climate changes. I feel so very sorry for the children growing up today. We're going to hit some rough ground. Maybe they can turn it around. I still have hope.
"Energy
An American Bilderberger expressed concern over the skyrocketing price of oil. One oil industry insider at the meeting remarked that growth is not possible without energy and that, according to all indicators, the world's energy supply is coming to an end much faster than the world leaders have anticipated. According to sources, Bilderbergers estimate the extractable world's oil supply to be at a maximum of 35 years under current economic development and population. However, one of the representatives of an oil cartel remarked that we must factor into the equation, both the population explosion and economic growth and demand for oil in China and India. Under the revised conditions, there is apparently only enough oil to last for 20 years. No oil spells the end of the world's financial system. So much has already been acknowledged by The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times, two periodicals who are regularly present at the annual Bilderberg conference.
Conclusion: Expect a severe downturn in the world's economy over the next two years as Bilderbergers try to safeguard the remaining oil supply by taking money out of people's hands. In a recession or, at worst, a depression, the population will be forced to dramatically cut down their spending habits, thus ensuring a longer supply of oil to the world's rich as they try to figure out what to do.
During the afternoon cocktail, European Bilderberger noted that there is no plausible alternative to hydrocarbon energy. One American insider stated that currently the world uses between four and six barrels of oil for every new barrel it finds and that the prospects for a short-term breakthrough are slim, at best.
Someone asked for an estimate of the world´s accessible conventional oil supply. The amount was quoted at approximately one trillion barrels. As a side note of interest, the planet consumes a billion barrels of oil every 11.5 days.
Another Bilderberger asked about hydrogen alternative to the oil supply. The US government official agreed, gloomily, that hydrogen salvation to the world´s imminent energy crisis is a fantasy.
This confirms public statement made in 2003 by HIS, the world´s most respected consulting firm cataloguing oil reserves and discoveries, that for the first time since the 1920s there was not a single discovery of an oil field in excess of 500 million barrels.
The oil industry at the 2005 Bilderberg conference was represented by John Browne, BP´s chief executive officer; John Kerr, director Royal Dutch Shell; Peter D. Sutherland, BP chairman and Jeroen van der Veer, chairman of the Committee of Managing Directors of Royal Dutch Shell.
It should be remembered that in late 2003, oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, announced that it had overstated its reserved by as much as 20 percent. Queen Beatrix of Holland, Royal Dutch Shell´s principal shareholder is a full-fledged member of the Bilderbergers. Her father, prince Bernhard was one of the founders of the group back in 1954. The Los Angeles Times reported that "For petroleum firms, reserves amount to nothing less than ´the value of the company.'" In fact, Shell cut its reserve estimates not once, but three times, prompting the resignation of its co-chairman. At Rottach-Egern, in May 2005, industry's top executives tried to figure out how to keep the truth about diminishing oil reserves from reaching the public. Public knowledge of the diminishing reserves directly translates into lower share prices, which could destroy financial markets, leading to a collapse of the world economy."
I had to print this part of the article. Bold emphasis is mine.
Like others, I sometimes think what is going to happen is that things will happen in a negative-loop cycle. In other words, oil demand will outstrip supply, prices will go higher for everything petroleum-related (which is almost everything), this will cause a downturn in the economy and our quality of life will decline slowly. This will make it a 'slow burn' more or less because at that point a slowed economy will decrease demand for petroleum products (except heating and cooling of which we'll be spending more on and not able to spend on less important things), and the decreased demand will give the illusion that petroleum will last much longer and that there is no crisis. Therefore, we will not be (as a population) inclined to search for other alternatives or renewables. Hence, CRASH! When? That's hard to predict. There's no question in my mind as to IF it will happen. The debate entails WHEN and HOW. There are so many variables. Killer viruses. Nuclear threats. Housing bubbles. Climate changes. I feel so very sorry for the children growing up today. We're going to hit some rough ground. Maybe they can turn it around. I still have hope.
Crude Awakening: Struggling to keep a lid on oil crisis
Cleveland Plain Dealer
"John D. Rockefeller's Cleveland refineries launched the Oil Age.
A superhighway in China may end it.
Almost 150 years ago, barges plied the Cuyahoga River ferrying black gold for oil lamps. There was no turning back. Cheap, plentiful crude would power cars, mold plastics, birth the suburbs and grease the path to a prosperous American century.
Much of today's world slides along that same industrialized path. A 52,000-mile superhighway system is under construction in China. Millions of prospering Chinese browse auto showrooms looking for a new lifestyle based on crude.
But recent spikes at gas pumps worldwide hint that, for the first time, oil won't come cheap. Analysts and traders alike suspect we are on the verge of demanding more oil than we can produce.
Prices hover around $50 per barrel despite a global effort to pump more oil. Producers try to squeeze more out of old wells, scour the Earth for undiscovered fields and develop technologies to process thick heavy crude that's harder to refine.".......(continued in link above)
"John D. Rockefeller's Cleveland refineries launched the Oil Age.
A superhighway in China may end it.
Almost 150 years ago, barges plied the Cuyahoga River ferrying black gold for oil lamps. There was no turning back. Cheap, plentiful crude would power cars, mold plastics, birth the suburbs and grease the path to a prosperous American century.
Much of today's world slides along that same industrialized path. A 52,000-mile superhighway system is under construction in China. Millions of prospering Chinese browse auto showrooms looking for a new lifestyle based on crude.
But recent spikes at gas pumps worldwide hint that, for the first time, oil won't come cheap. Analysts and traders alike suspect we are on the verge of demanding more oil than we can produce.
Prices hover around $50 per barrel despite a global effort to pump more oil. Producers try to squeeze more out of old wells, scour the Earth for undiscovered fields and develop technologies to process thick heavy crude that's harder to refine.".......(continued in link above)
ExxonMobil Sounds Silent Peak Oil Alarm
EV World: The World of Electric, Plug-in Hybrid, Fuel Cell and Alternative Fuel Vehicles
Wow. What's going on with this deluge of articles coming out in the mainstream about peak oil? I thought it'd never come out. I've seen a huge increase on reports of this since I found out about it last year. I hope people will understand and get the message. Things will only change when everybody internalizes what impact this will have on society.
Wow. What's going on with this deluge of articles coming out in the mainstream about peak oil? I thought it'd never come out. I've seen a huge increase on reports of this since I found out about it last year. I hope people will understand and get the message. Things will only change when everybody internalizes what impact this will have on society.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Friday, May 27, 2005
A word from the big boys
Exxon's Energy Forecast
ExxonMobil Corporate Citizenship - Energy Outlook
Here's an exerpt of the summary:
"Our outlook recognizes the fundamental linkage between economic growth and energy usage. We have highlighted the need for focus on accelerated efficiency gains – initiatives which extend the life of the world’s finite resources and reduce the potential for emissions. We have also emphasized the importance of technology for enabling industry to continue to produce adequate and timely supplies. Innovative and responsible ways to grow and develop the world’s resources, as well as utilize energy more efficiently, will be key.
One lesson we can draw from a long history in the energy industry is that, ultimately, market fundamentals will prevail, and that means that hydrocarbons will remain the principal source of energy for many decades to come.
In time, the energy supply system will become more diverse, but one thing is certain: because energy is essential, opportunities for economic growth may be compromised if the significant supply and demand challenges are not met.
The energy industry is critical to power the world and support growing prosperity. We at ExxonMobil plan to continue to be engaged fully in the challenges and opportunities ahead."
Is U.S. prepared for bird flu pandemic? - Bird Flu - MSNBC.com
This is for real, folks.
Sorry to be off topic but this is a real possible threat. It is suggested to have some Tamiflu on-hand for all of your family members. Also taking multi-vitamins and Vitamin C is recommended. It's not here yet, but stockpiles of Tamiflu may not be available if this becomes a pandemic as discussed in the article. Tamiflu requires a prescription, so you would have to get a prescription from your doctor beforehand. The Center for Disease Control is concerned about it, and this is alarming. I can't get into it all here but the virus is an H5N1 where not many people have built up any immunities to it, and it would be very serious.
Sorry to be off topic but this is a real possible threat. It is suggested to have some Tamiflu on-hand for all of your family members. Also taking multi-vitamins and Vitamin C is recommended. It's not here yet, but stockpiles of Tamiflu may not be available if this becomes a pandemic as discussed in the article. Tamiflu requires a prescription, so you would have to get a prescription from your doctor beforehand. The Center for Disease Control is concerned about it, and this is alarming. I can't get into it all here but the virus is an H5N1 where not many people have built up any immunities to it, and it would be very serious.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
EnergyBulletin.net | Oil: Caveat empty | Energy and Peak Oil News
EnergyBulletin.net | Oil: Caveat empty | Energy and Peak Oil News
"Without any press conferences, grand announcements, or hyperbolic advertising campaigns, the Exxon Mobil Corporation, one of the world's largest publicly owned petroleum companies, has quietly joined the ranks of those who are predicting an impending plateau in non-OPEC oil production. Their report, The Outlook for Energy: A 2030 View, forecasts a peak in just five years."
"Without any press conferences, grand announcements, or hyperbolic advertising campaigns, the Exxon Mobil Corporation, one of the world's largest publicly owned petroleum companies, has quietly joined the ranks of those who are predicting an impending plateau in non-OPEC oil production. Their report, The Outlook for Energy: A 2030 View, forecasts a peak in just five years."
Natural History Museum Exhibit "COLLAPSE?" in Los Angeles
COLLAPSE? will be open from this May until January 2006 if anyone plans on visiting Los Angeles in that time period. Looks interesting.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Eating Bugs
(Or Why I'm Thinking Like a Frog)
On ROE2 we've been discussing the possibility of having to eat "delicacies" if we had to encounter a fast crash. Yuck! I don't think I'm going to test this out until I have to.....but in case I ever have to encounter that scenario, I have this reference that I found from this collection on hollowtop.com. I just did a google search for 'edible insects' and I do believe there are alot of people eating insects out there! Yack!
Monday, May 23, 2005
Peak Oil Goes Hollywood
Watch this trailer for a preview of "Oil Storm" to be shown on FX, June 5th @ 8pm. It's really weird to see peak oil become commercialized. People probably won't take it very seriously now since it's "in the movies". Actually, I think it's just a disaster movie about losing some oil tankers that would affect our supply suddenly but it has the same jist(sp?). Good thing I don't have to work that night so I can see it.
That's funny, because I hardly watch TV anymore unless it's cnbc. They're the only station that analyzes and talks about energy at any length because of the stock market. Yep, follow the money. It's always FOLLOW THE MONEY! I'm totally obsessed aren't I? Boy when that price of crude went skyrocketing and the stocks almost dipped below 10,000 a couple weeks ago they couldn't talk about anything else. You could tell there were some darn nervous investors out there! It's so interesting to see how the analysts and commentators try to rationalize every high and low in the market. You can tell how their moods swing right along with the market.
I honestly think the prices are being kept artificially low right now in order for the summer driving season to kick in full throttle to keep the economy looking good. Heh, did you catch that? I'm calling $1.98 "artificially low"! It's like a roller coaster...each time the price gets higher, then it dips but never below previously reached high. Ew. I hope we don't have to "free-fall" before we get off.
That's funny, because I hardly watch TV anymore unless it's cnbc. They're the only station that analyzes and talks about energy at any length because of the stock market. Yep, follow the money. It's always FOLLOW THE MONEY! I'm totally obsessed aren't I? Boy when that price of crude went skyrocketing and the stocks almost dipped below 10,000 a couple weeks ago they couldn't talk about anything else. You could tell there were some darn nervous investors out there! It's so interesting to see how the analysts and commentators try to rationalize every high and low in the market. You can tell how their moods swing right along with the market.
I honestly think the prices are being kept artificially low right now in order for the summer driving season to kick in full throttle to keep the economy looking good. Heh, did you catch that? I'm calling $1.98 "artificially low"! It's like a roller coaster...each time the price gets higher, then it dips but never below previously reached high. Ew. I hope we don't have to "free-fall" before we get off.
Goodbye to American Dreamland / Congress receives testimony quoting Jan Lundberg
Goodbye to American Dreamland / Congress receives testimony quoting Jan Lundberg
This is a "must read" regarding one of the few congressmen in our House of Representatives that actually understands the peak oil concept, and believe it or not, he is a very conservative Republican, and this issue trumps my biases. Special thanks to Flying Talking Donkey (listed in my links section) for the link.
This is a "must read" regarding one of the few congressmen in our House of Representatives that actually understands the peak oil concept, and believe it or not, he is a very conservative Republican, and this issue trumps my biases. Special thanks to Flying Talking Donkey (listed in my links section) for the link.
BBC NEWS Survey
Let the BBC know that you want to see more coverage of peak oil in their news! Peak oil is in first place now.
(Update 5/23/05: Poll now closed. Peak oil won @ 33.71% over about 9 other categories!)
(Update 5/23/05: Poll now closed. Peak oil won @ 33.71% over about 9 other categories!)
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Path to Freedom--How to Make Biodiesel from Veggie Oil
How to Make Biodiesel from Vegetable Oil
Someday I'm going to get brave enough and creative enough to make this stuff!
Someday I'm going to get brave enough and creative enough to make this stuff!
Saturday, May 21, 2005
The Journey (Suburban mom blog)
Someone needs to wake this girl up! Specifically read the entries for April 18th, 29th, and May 4th. She knows something isn't quite right but can't pin it down! Here's an exerpt:
"I had the most awful dream last night.
My parents, my sisters and I were on vacation in a tropical paradise. We were driving along the beach-front street when my dad let my mother and me out of the car so we could walk into the village to go shopping. As we looked into town, we admired the odd blend of ancient architecture and modern sprawl, with a sprinking of poverty stricken shacks thrown in for good measure. We were making our way through the town towards a center that consisted of several tall buildings when I happened to turn around and glance at the sea, which should have been peacefully lapping at the beach.
What I saw instead was a terrible tsunami making its way inland, straight towards us. I tried desperately to tell my mother what was coming, but I couldn't get my message across. I grabbed her arm and we ran together towards what amounted to a set of stadium bleachers against a 3 story high wall. We climbed as high as we could, slipping and grasping all the way because for some reason the stairs were muddy. We finally reached the top, which turned out to be a balcony for a building, rather than just a wall, and we stayed on top of the balcony to watch the water swirling around us. We stood there together, crying, as the water finally receded.
My mother had lost her glasses somewhere during our escape, so she couldn't really see what was going on. I decided that she would be safest there, since she was high enough to avoid the water should it come again, but that I needed to try to find my father and my sisters. I could not face the fact that they had probably been among the first to be swept out into the ocean. I went down through the building as the steps we had come up were gone, and tried to find my way through town. I had only made it half way back through town to the beach when I saw the next wave. I scrambled up a fallen concrete wall to avoid the rushing water this time, and was barely above the water line. I waited for the water to recede again, and climbed back down the wall."........
Her blog was featured on the front page of my msn homepage.
"I had the most awful dream last night.
My parents, my sisters and I were on vacation in a tropical paradise. We were driving along the beach-front street when my dad let my mother and me out of the car so we could walk into the village to go shopping. As we looked into town, we admired the odd blend of ancient architecture and modern sprawl, with a sprinking of poverty stricken shacks thrown in for good measure. We were making our way through the town towards a center that consisted of several tall buildings when I happened to turn around and glance at the sea, which should have been peacefully lapping at the beach.
What I saw instead was a terrible tsunami making its way inland, straight towards us. I tried desperately to tell my mother what was coming, but I couldn't get my message across. I grabbed her arm and we ran together towards what amounted to a set of stadium bleachers against a 3 story high wall. We climbed as high as we could, slipping and grasping all the way because for some reason the stairs were muddy. We finally reached the top, which turned out to be a balcony for a building, rather than just a wall, and we stayed on top of the balcony to watch the water swirling around us. We stood there together, crying, as the water finally receded.
My mother had lost her glasses somewhere during our escape, so she couldn't really see what was going on. I decided that she would be safest there, since she was high enough to avoid the water should it come again, but that I needed to try to find my father and my sisters. I could not face the fact that they had probably been among the first to be swept out into the ocean. I went down through the building as the steps we had come up were gone, and tried to find my way through town. I had only made it half way back through town to the beach when I saw the next wave. I scrambled up a fallen concrete wall to avoid the rushing water this time, and was barely above the water line. I waited for the water to recede again, and climbed back down the wall."........
Her blog was featured on the front page of my msn homepage.
Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!
Buy Your Gas at Citgo: Join the BUY-cott!
Well, this isn't getting ourselves away from foreign oil but probably the best we can do, right now, aside from not driving at all.
Well, this isn't getting ourselves away from foreign oil but probably the best we can do, right now, aside from not driving at all.
sustainable journey
I was browsing through some of the peak oil webring sites/blogs and I found this blog that is so neat! It's exactly where I'd like to be and what I'd be doing if I could!!! Sustainable journey is the blog. I'll have to definitely add this one to my links section.
It's so funny to see that someone else is actually trying out the beekeeping! This year, I decided to experiment with gardening for my first time, so I put the beekeeping class on hold until next year (can't get too many irons in the fire). A local community college offers a beekeeping class every year but it has to start in January when the weather is so bad and I'd have to make a slippery drive to the class. I also probably can't keep bees so close to the elementary school that is next to where I live. I'd have to find a safe location. It IS one of my goals, though. I WILL do it. No mistake. I like honey! :)
It's so funny to see that someone else is actually trying out the beekeeping! This year, I decided to experiment with gardening for my first time, so I put the beekeeping class on hold until next year (can't get too many irons in the fire). A local community college offers a beekeeping class every year but it has to start in January when the weather is so bad and I'd have to make a slippery drive to the class. I also probably can't keep bees so close to the elementary school that is next to where I live. I'd have to find a safe location. It IS one of my goals, though. I WILL do it. No mistake. I like honey! :)
The Long Road Down: Decline and the Deindustrial Future
The Long Road Down: Decline and the Deindustrial Future
Take into consideration this won't happen fast, I don't think, by any means, but I believe our grandchildren or great-grandchildren may see it, barring no nuclear exchanges in the future. Something worth thinking about. Long but worth the read.
Take into consideration this won't happen fast, I don't think, by any means, but I believe our grandchildren or great-grandchildren may see it, barring no nuclear exchanges in the future. Something worth thinking about. Long but worth the read.
Friday, May 20, 2005
Crisis? What Crisis?
The Cultural Economist
I like this blog.
Also, I want to thank those other bloggers and websites for linking me on their websites--FlyingTalking Donkey, Path to Freedom, and uncommonthought--all because of Olwe's writings, of course! Thanks to all! :)
I like this blog.
Also, I want to thank those other bloggers and websites for linking me on their websites--FlyingTalking Donkey, Path to Freedom, and uncommonthought--all because of Olwe's writings, of course! Thanks to all! :)
They Really Are Watching You
They Really Are Watching You
Are we just going to sit back and accept this? Life is surreal anymore.
Are we just going to sit back and accept this? Life is surreal anymore.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
The Five Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning
The Five Basics for Nontoxic Cleaning
Make your own household cleaners from scratch with these 5 basic ingredients.
Have you bought a clothesline yet? It's on my agenda for this summer. It might balance my gas bill against my electric bill. At some point, I'm going to have to use my central air as it gets hot in the upper level of my bi-level home where the kitchen faces the west. Using a clothesline instead of the dryer might help balance some costs.
Make your own household cleaners from scratch with these 5 basic ingredients.
Have you bought a clothesline yet? It's on my agenda for this summer. It might balance my gas bill against my electric bill. At some point, I'm going to have to use my central air as it gets hot in the upper level of my bi-level home where the kitchen faces the west. Using a clothesline instead of the dryer might help balance some costs.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Investment Strategy Related to Peak Oil
Resource Investor - Energy - Oil Doomsday is Nigh, Tar Sands Not a Substitute
Investment advice points at the bottom of the article. Ho-hum. Sure wish I had the money to invest!
Investment advice points at the bottom of the article. Ho-hum. Sure wish I had the money to invest!
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
I'm So Excited! Maybe there is hope for my community!
New Plan director can walk to his job!
Exerpt:
Williams, 45, spent his first day on the job as the new city/county planning director Monday, attending his first official meeting as the successor to Steve Edson. Williams took part in the Logansport Board of Zoning Appeals meeting -- and walked home afterward........
If he could do one thing with planning, what would it be?
"I would revitalize the downtown area, have areas reserved for agricultural environments and make sure Logansport is a city of choice for various types of families and that amenities are here -- schools, recreational facilities, hospitals and other quality of life amenities."
(Bold emphasis is mine)
Exerpt:
Williams, 45, spent his first day on the job as the new city/county planning director Monday, attending his first official meeting as the successor to Steve Edson. Williams took part in the Logansport Board of Zoning Appeals meeting -- and walked home afterward........
If he could do one thing with planning, what would it be?
"I would revitalize the downtown area, have areas reserved for agricultural environments and make sure Logansport is a city of choice for various types of families and that amenities are here -- schools, recreational facilities, hospitals and other quality of life amenities."
(Bold emphasis is mine)
Kucinich Introduces Bill to Tax Windfall Profits of Oil Companies
Here's one politician who "gets it" at least partially.....
KUCINICH INTRODUCES BILL TO TAX WINDFALL PROFITS OF OIL COMPANIES:
Provides tax benefit for purchasers of high efficiency American-made cars, subsidies for mass transit
On May 4, Congressman Kucinich and 33 cosponsors introduced in the House of Representatives H.R. 2070, the Gas Price Spike Act of 2005. The Bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
This legislation provides for a windfall profit tax on oil and natural gas (and products thereof), allows an income tax credit for purchases of fuel-efficient passenger vehicles made in the United States, and provides grants for operators of mass transit systems to lower fares during gas price spikes.
Oil companies should not profit excessively from the increasing scarcity of our natural resources
Windfall profits are profits due to outside circumstances - not directly under the control of the energy company - which exceed a reasonable profit level, to be established by an appointed board whose members have no financial interest in any of the affected companies.
The windfall profits tax on oil companies would be:
Half of the profit between 100% and 102% of what's determined to be reasonable; and
Three-quarters of the profit between 102% and 105% of the reasonable level; and
All of the profit which is 105% or more of the reasonable level.
Cleaner and more efficient cars, American jobs and money in the bank
To qualify for a tax credit, a vehicle would need to be a new car, truck or sport-utility vehicle (SUV) purchased for non-business use and assembled in the United States by workers employed under a collective bargaining agreement which gets at least 45 miles per gallon (MPG) of fuel (35 MPG for trucks and SUVs).
The tax credit allowed per taxpayer per year would be:
$6,000 for cars getting 65 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 55 MPG plus), or
$4,500 for cars getting 55 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 45 MPG plus), or
$3,000 for cars getting 45 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 35 MPG plus).
These would not be mere deductions, but credits off the bottom line income tax of purchasers.
Mass transit needs to be easier and cheaper
Fare reductions would need to be applied equally to all passengers using a mass transit system. Grants would be funded by revenue from the windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies, to the extent that revenue remains after funding of tax credits for purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Kucinich Insight on Environment and Energy
KUCINICH INTRODUCES BILL TO TAX WINDFALL PROFITS OF OIL COMPANIES:
Provides tax benefit for purchasers of high efficiency American-made cars, subsidies for mass transit
On May 4, Congressman Kucinich and 33 cosponsors introduced in the House of Representatives H.R. 2070, the Gas Price Spike Act of 2005. The Bill has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee and to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
This legislation provides for a windfall profit tax on oil and natural gas (and products thereof), allows an income tax credit for purchases of fuel-efficient passenger vehicles made in the United States, and provides grants for operators of mass transit systems to lower fares during gas price spikes.
Oil companies should not profit excessively from the increasing scarcity of our natural resources
Windfall profits are profits due to outside circumstances - not directly under the control of the energy company - which exceed a reasonable profit level, to be established by an appointed board whose members have no financial interest in any of the affected companies.
The windfall profits tax on oil companies would be:
Half of the profit between 100% and 102% of what's determined to be reasonable; and
Three-quarters of the profit between 102% and 105% of the reasonable level; and
All of the profit which is 105% or more of the reasonable level.
Cleaner and more efficient cars, American jobs and money in the bank
To qualify for a tax credit, a vehicle would need to be a new car, truck or sport-utility vehicle (SUV) purchased for non-business use and assembled in the United States by workers employed under a collective bargaining agreement which gets at least 45 miles per gallon (MPG) of fuel (35 MPG for trucks and SUVs).
The tax credit allowed per taxpayer per year would be:
$6,000 for cars getting 65 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 55 MPG plus), or
$4,500 for cars getting 55 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 45 MPG plus), or
$3,000 for cars getting 45 MPG or more (trucks/SUVs 35 MPG plus).
These would not be mere deductions, but credits off the bottom line income tax of purchasers.
Mass transit needs to be easier and cheaper
Fare reductions would need to be applied equally to all passengers using a mass transit system. Grants would be funded by revenue from the windfall profits tax on oil and gas companies, to the extent that revenue remains after funding of tax credits for purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles.
Kucinich Insight on Environment and Energy
Monday, May 16, 2005
Powering Down
In my opinion, both of the two major political parties are failing to address the possible upcoming scenarios we may face in an energy-depleted end-of-cheap-oil society quick enough. Why must we always be one step behind in the political realm?
For example, the past 20+ years have been spent consolidating schools which require an increase in bus transportation. Most of the new school buildings that I see look like prisons with small windows inefficient for decent air quality and where the atmosphere requires controlled climate conditions with heating and cooling. Instead of spending money on hiring more teachers for smaller class sizes, they've spent mega amounts of money building monumental structures which are energy inefficient. I think as energy becomes more and more expensive, it would be wise to revert back to smaller schools within walking distance for students and buildings which are more energy efficient. They could even heat and cool by alternative means such as passive solar heating in the winter (maybe even solar or wind energy) and greenroofs benefitting cooling in the summer (could be used as a dual purpose "science educational area" AND for cutting energy costs). These ideas would cut state and local taxpayer expense in the long run by eliminating the need for more bussing transportation and rising heating and cooling costs. The school year could even be tailored to the average hot and cold extremes of weather. I've also read where making the schools larger is not as beneficial for the students as they once thought.
Another foresight would be local transportation. In smaller towns, especially, we've almost totally eliminated our old rail systems. As well as having a viable working tourist attraction, inter-urban railways and historical (maybe now-diesel-run) trolleys along less car-infested streets would be beneficial as well as cost-effective for those who will no longer be able to afford the luxury of a car and all of it's expenses. Or at least the car could be saved for long trips while the communal transportation could be used locally. The creation of more bike paths should be pushed to encourage conservation of fuel.
Here in my state of Indiana, we have passed a new law enabling the speed limit to go beyond 55mph. I wonder if it's dawned on any state politician how much more energy is consumed the faster we go? How much more of an expense it is for the consumer?
As one who has always been in favor of social programs like Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, I can see where it's leading. If the economy tanks and there aren't enough taxpayers working, then it will be increasingly difficult to provide for these programs. I can accept my fate. I, now into my 40s, will probably not reap the benefits as many of my predecessors are now doing. And with companies like United, GM & Ford on the verge of bankruptsy, that goes for pensions, too. Then you can look at the new bankruptsy bill which doesn't take into account astronomical medical bills people can accumulate, I don't have much of a prayer for my future. Can you understand why I'm a doom & gloomer? And the prez wants me to begin putting my earnings into the stock markets!?!?!? Pffft. Sure, the stock markets will save me.
Maybe that's why all the new McMansions are being built today. Extended families will all have to move in with one another in order to survive and only the McMansions will be able to house us all providing we can afford the outrageous property taxes that we will have! What happens when you're the only one in the family that will be able to work and all of your children and elders are depending on you? Tough luck, I guess.
Well, this turned into a rant but the remedies mentioned above for local communities would be nice but I know I'm dreaming again. Politics is a no-win situation. The masses are unaware of the coming changes so they don't know what they are voting for and even when they know it's almost impossible for a politician to do what is right because of being between big business and the common man. The masses sense something isn't quite right but they haven't been given (or chosen) the right pill. The mass media or the educational system isn't going to tell them up front. They'll have to figure it out on their own and by then it might be too late.
All of my life I've been taught to consume, consume, consume and I've passed the mindset onto my children. This is going to take alot of work to turn around our mindset. I'm still working on it day-by-day. I own an SUV on a 4-year lease which is coming to an end in December. I think I've almost got my spouse talked into buying a Toyota Prius or a Honda this time. My goal is also to buy a bike this summer. I would do more biking except for the fact that I might get pulverized on the street from all the traffic!
More later......
For example, the past 20+ years have been spent consolidating schools which require an increase in bus transportation. Most of the new school buildings that I see look like prisons with small windows inefficient for decent air quality and where the atmosphere requires controlled climate conditions with heating and cooling. Instead of spending money on hiring more teachers for smaller class sizes, they've spent mega amounts of money building monumental structures which are energy inefficient. I think as energy becomes more and more expensive, it would be wise to revert back to smaller schools within walking distance for students and buildings which are more energy efficient. They could even heat and cool by alternative means such as passive solar heating in the winter (maybe even solar or wind energy) and greenroofs benefitting cooling in the summer (could be used as a dual purpose "science educational area" AND for cutting energy costs). These ideas would cut state and local taxpayer expense in the long run by eliminating the need for more bussing transportation and rising heating and cooling costs. The school year could even be tailored to the average hot and cold extremes of weather. I've also read where making the schools larger is not as beneficial for the students as they once thought.
Another foresight would be local transportation. In smaller towns, especially, we've almost totally eliminated our old rail systems. As well as having a viable working tourist attraction, inter-urban railways and historical (maybe now-diesel-run) trolleys along less car-infested streets would be beneficial as well as cost-effective for those who will no longer be able to afford the luxury of a car and all of it's expenses. Or at least the car could be saved for long trips while the communal transportation could be used locally. The creation of more bike paths should be pushed to encourage conservation of fuel.
Here in my state of Indiana, we have passed a new law enabling the speed limit to go beyond 55mph. I wonder if it's dawned on any state politician how much more energy is consumed the faster we go? How much more of an expense it is for the consumer?
As one who has always been in favor of social programs like Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, I can see where it's leading. If the economy tanks and there aren't enough taxpayers working, then it will be increasingly difficult to provide for these programs. I can accept my fate. I, now into my 40s, will probably not reap the benefits as many of my predecessors are now doing. And with companies like United, GM & Ford on the verge of bankruptsy, that goes for pensions, too. Then you can look at the new bankruptsy bill which doesn't take into account astronomical medical bills people can accumulate, I don't have much of a prayer for my future. Can you understand why I'm a doom & gloomer? And the prez wants me to begin putting my earnings into the stock markets!?!?!? Pffft. Sure, the stock markets will save me.
Maybe that's why all the new McMansions are being built today. Extended families will all have to move in with one another in order to survive and only the McMansions will be able to house us all providing we can afford the outrageous property taxes that we will have! What happens when you're the only one in the family that will be able to work and all of your children and elders are depending on you? Tough luck, I guess.
Well, this turned into a rant but the remedies mentioned above for local communities would be nice but I know I'm dreaming again. Politics is a no-win situation. The masses are unaware of the coming changes so they don't know what they are voting for and even when they know it's almost impossible for a politician to do what is right because of being between big business and the common man. The masses sense something isn't quite right but they haven't been given (or chosen) the right pill. The mass media or the educational system isn't going to tell them up front. They'll have to figure it out on their own and by then it might be too late.
All of my life I've been taught to consume, consume, consume and I've passed the mindset onto my children. This is going to take alot of work to turn around our mindset. I'm still working on it day-by-day. I own an SUV on a 4-year lease which is coming to an end in December. I think I've almost got my spouse talked into buying a Toyota Prius or a Honda this time. My goal is also to buy a bike this summer. I would do more biking except for the fact that I might get pulverized on the street from all the traffic!
More later......
RollingStone.com: The Long Emergency : Politics
RollingStone.com: The Long Emergency : Politics
I know this is kind of old news to some but it apparently has awakened alot of people to the reality of the peak oil theory, so I thought I'd post it. I haven't even read it all yet but I'm about to in a minute.
I know this is kind of old news to some but it apparently has awakened alot of people to the reality of the peak oil theory, so I thought I'd post it. I haven't even read it all yet but I'm about to in a minute.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Friday, May 13, 2005
List of Things Made from Oil
This isn't exclusive but just a start of a list of things derived from petroleum to give you a clear picture of how much we are dependent on oil:
ink,dishwashing liquids, paint brushes, telephones, toys, unbreakable dishes, insecticides, antiseptics, dolls, fishing lures, deodorant, tires, motorcycle helmets, linoleum, sweaters, tents, refrigerator linings, paint rollers, floor wax, shoes, electrician's tape, plastic wood, glue, roller-skate wheels, trash bags, soap dishes, skis, hand lotion, dyes, soft contact lenses, shampoo, panty hose, cameras, food preservatives, oil filters, combs, transparent tape, anesthetics, upholstery, dice, disposable diapers, TV cabinets, cassettes, mops, sports car bodies, house paint, eye glasses, ice chests, ammonia, synthetic rubber, boats, credit cards, fertilizers, crayons, insect repellant, balloons, shower curtains, garden hose, golf balls, umbrellas, detergents, volleyballs, nail polish, antihistamines, rubbing alcohol, rubber cement, carpeting, aspirin, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, petroleum jelly, cortizone, heart valves, computers, vehicle parts, hearing aids, lipstick, luggage, roofing, yarn, hair coloring, guitar strings, false teeth, artificial limbs, ball point pens, wading pools, plastic utensils, plates and cups, perfume, tupperware, .......basically anything you can see around you that is made from plastic. Isn't this amazing?
Think of this one. There are men and women dying in battle right now so that we can have these things. Use them wisely and just don't throw them away if you don't have to. It's patriotic. Recycle. You know the mantra--Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These things are made from a finite resource that may one day be so expensive that they will become unaffordable to the average joe. Also add in the cost of transporting these goods to you. The trucks drive on wheels made from petroleum and they use gas for the transport. Also, don't forget the packaging which is also derived from petroleum.
Don't just think about transportation when you think of oil depletion. Think about all the mowers that rev up daily to mow yards! Unbelievable, huh?
Then I think of all the medical equipment I work with. The catheters, bandaids, tourniquets, pens, pill cups, medicine packaging, medicines, IV bags and tubings, monitors, wires, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, call lights,.......I feel like I work in the Matrix of oil--a fabricated world. Can this last forever??
ink,dishwashing liquids, paint brushes, telephones, toys, unbreakable dishes, insecticides, antiseptics, dolls, fishing lures, deodorant, tires, motorcycle helmets, linoleum, sweaters, tents, refrigerator linings, paint rollers, floor wax, shoes, electrician's tape, plastic wood, glue, roller-skate wheels, trash bags, soap dishes, skis, hand lotion, dyes, soft contact lenses, shampoo, panty hose, cameras, food preservatives, oil filters, combs, transparent tape, anesthetics, upholstery, dice, disposable diapers, TV cabinets, cassettes, mops, sports car bodies, house paint, eye glasses, ice chests, ammonia, synthetic rubber, boats, credit cards, fertilizers, crayons, insect repellant, balloons, shower curtains, garden hose, golf balls, umbrellas, detergents, volleyballs, nail polish, antihistamines, rubbing alcohol, rubber cement, carpeting, aspirin, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, petroleum jelly, cortizone, heart valves, computers, vehicle parts, hearing aids, lipstick, luggage, roofing, yarn, hair coloring, guitar strings, false teeth, artificial limbs, ball point pens, wading pools, plastic utensils, plates and cups, perfume, tupperware, .......basically anything you can see around you that is made from plastic. Isn't this amazing?
Think of this one. There are men and women dying in battle right now so that we can have these things. Use them wisely and just don't throw them away if you don't have to. It's patriotic. Recycle. You know the mantra--Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These things are made from a finite resource that may one day be so expensive that they will become unaffordable to the average joe. Also add in the cost of transporting these goods to you. The trucks drive on wheels made from petroleum and they use gas for the transport. Also, don't forget the packaging which is also derived from petroleum.
Don't just think about transportation when you think of oil depletion. Think about all the mowers that rev up daily to mow yards! Unbelievable, huh?
Then I think of all the medical equipment I work with. The catheters, bandaids, tourniquets, pens, pill cups, medicine packaging, medicines, IV bags and tubings, monitors, wires, stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, call lights,.......I feel like I work in the Matrix of oil--a fabricated world. Can this last forever??
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Richard Heinberg's ASPO Abstract Presentation for this May 19-20 in Portugal
Bill Totten's Weblog has Richard Heinberg's latest abstract for a presentation to be given on the 19th-20th in Portugal. To look for it on his blog, look for "The Likely Impact of Global Oil Peak on the United States". Heinberg's abstract pretty much sums it up for us.
Downtown Revitalization Plans
It looks like the Logansport Zoning Commission is attempting to allow progress towards downtown revitalization by amending an ordinance to permit apartments above the businesses! I think this is a wonderful idea. I intended on making that meeting for the first time in my life to see what the general concensus was but I had other commitments so I couldn't go. In the local paper tonight, I was upset by the fact that Rochester appears to be moving along faster than we are in revitalization.
Earlier in the year, I emailed Logan's Landing and gave them this link to a website with resources for developing sustainable communities and for downtown revitalization/urbanization programs. They probably already have plenty of resources but I was just trying to help! I never got any response so maybe they never received it. I really need to attend the meetings but I work odd, unscheduled hours and the meetings seem to always be at the crack of dawn just as I'm getting ready for bed after working all night! My thinker doesn't operate very well at that point in time. My brain turns to mush. Maybe someday I can be a real person and work a M-F 9-5 job but I feel as if working all the unwanted hours sometimes gives me some job security!
Well, anyway, it sounds as if some of our leaders are trying, althought they may not realize what a benefit a more local decentralized economy would be in a post-peak oil society. We definitely won't benefit from more highways running past our city, that's for sure.
My dream is to someday own a market that sells locally-produced (hopefully mostly) organic food, heirloom seeds, equipment, etc., right within the downtown area. Weekend parking lot bluegrass band and everything! I need to get to know a few local organic growers first, though! I'll tell you about my vision sometime. There isn't any thing like this for miles around Logansport and the concept is a growing, spreading phenonmenon in the upper northeast, west, and northwest. I can dream can't I?
Earlier in the year, I emailed Logan's Landing and gave them this link to a website with resources for developing sustainable communities and for downtown revitalization/urbanization programs. They probably already have plenty of resources but I was just trying to help! I never got any response so maybe they never received it. I really need to attend the meetings but I work odd, unscheduled hours and the meetings seem to always be at the crack of dawn just as I'm getting ready for bed after working all night! My thinker doesn't operate very well at that point in time. My brain turns to mush. Maybe someday I can be a real person and work a M-F 9-5 job but I feel as if working all the unwanted hours sometimes gives me some job security!
Well, anyway, it sounds as if some of our leaders are trying, althought they may not realize what a benefit a more local decentralized economy would be in a post-peak oil society. We definitely won't benefit from more highways running past our city, that's for sure.
My dream is to someday own a market that sells locally-produced (hopefully mostly) organic food, heirloom seeds, equipment, etc., right within the downtown area. Weekend parking lot bluegrass band and everything! I need to get to know a few local organic growers first, though! I'll tell you about my vision sometime. There isn't any thing like this for miles around Logansport and the concept is a growing, spreading phenonmenon in the upper northeast, west, and northwest. I can dream can't I?
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Edenism by Olwe
I often hang out at Running On Empty 2 to find some good posts or links regarding anything related to peak oil. Today I found one. Olwe has a way with words. Although thoughts like his may cross my mind at certain times, I would never be able to express them with the writing style he is gifted with. And no, I'm not pagan! With his permission, I post:
"One of the great things about getting older and possibly wiser is you
find yourself combing over the old, simple givens of life and finding,
lo and behold, something profound you missed long ago or took for
granted. In this case I'm combing over the story of The Fall from the
Garden of Eden.
I thought I as an animist Earth-centric pagan understood the whole
Eden thing as a grand metaphor. Carl Sagan talked about it in his "Dragons
of Eden," then Daniel Quinn put it all in brilliant perspective paraphrasing the progressive, post-Margaret Meade anthropologists when they assert that yes, the so-called prehistoric human led a great life--just as the Bible describes the proverbial Eden.
The Serpent excited in Adam and Eve the itch to use their intelligence
in a novel way, to go with science and technology. He sowed doubt and
dissatisfaction with the Eden status quo. Fine, fine, this has all
been hashed out beautifully by many rationalists and read-between-the-
liners.
But one day I found myself talking to some fundamentalist Christians
about Quinn and PO, etc., and on the fly I was translating everything
into their Bible-speak, using all the early Genesis stories. Before I
knew what I was saying, I was claiming that, sure, God was upset with
us and kicked us out for following the Serpent, but the stories of
Cain and Abel, the Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gommorah, the Great
Flood--all could be read as God wanting us to renounce the Serpent's ways
and beg for forgiveness and try to get back into Eden.
With Cain and Abel, God was literally saying, no I don't like
farming, I'd rather you be nomadic herdsmen. With S and G, He was saying, I
don't like you concentrated in cities. With Babel He slapped us down
for essentially what we're doing again: high-tech "playing God" in a
multi-cultural Brave New World mega-hive. Great, nothing that new
here to Quinn-ish anthropologists interpreting the old legends.
But it struck me recently that yes, indeed, the Serpent was saying a)
I'll show you how to turn this wild mess Eden into palaces and
gardens, and b) I'll show you how to really use your brains, just
like God does so you can one day be your own gods! This is fairly well
paralleled by Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" where bad-guy Melkor
always wants to destroy what is beautiful.
Again, I'm not telling Quinn and his followers anything new here when
I say that yes, 100%, the Serpent represents the first steps into
civilization, the endless quest for more. And the immediate post-Fall
slap-downs by God seemed to say God does not approve. But what really
grabbed me was how incredibly serious this, as the Catholics call it,
"original sin" really is! I mean, think about it: Adam and Eve
rejected Eden as is, as well as trying to use their brains in new ways to
create a seperate and independent god-like status. When you think of
it, that's about as sinful as you can get! And after the Great Flood,
I believe God was saying, d-i-v-o-r-c-e, that we had rejected Him to
keep chasing the Serpent's dangling carrots once too often and He was
calling it quits.
But this would be far too much heresy for any believer to swallow--an
interpretation way too devastating, i.e., that God has truly abandoned
us.
Yet maybe there was hope still. Enter Moses. Once he had taught the
Pharaoh a lesson, he went off into the wilderness. To try and
establish a society that would slowly move back to Eden? After all,
taking off into the Sinai with thousands of people and practically no
supplies was all but suicidal. God provided water and manna, which
might be seen as modest overture to restart the old Eden
relationship, huh?
But there was also the curious case of John the Baptist. He lived in
the wilderness, but why? I was taught that he was a minor figure, and
probably a crazy-eyed zealot. But what if he had grokked that The
Fall, original sin was still a real bad problem, that, no, you can't
just follow the Serpent's original offer AND be tight with God. No
indeed, you would have to start heading back to Eden to truly once
again be a "child of God." Maybe John tried to talk Jesus into this,
but the latter thought he could bring change from within civilization.
If you're still with me, it really seems to me that if our high-tech
civilization is indeed just the latest phase of Serpent's bargain,
wow! ,we've really blown it! I don't know how serious the Jews take this
first sin, but obviously, the Christians have blown it off big-time!
They've even set John the Baptist's protoge up as a savior who
totally obviates any consideration of that first sin. And of course, a
Catholic baptism as an infant "cleanses" you of "original sin". I know this is
serious heresy for most believers, but hey, what if God really didn't
want us to leave Eden? What if He really took offence at our
believing we could do better than His Eden and His lordship over us? What if
this whole "eat cake and have it to" routine doesn't cut any ice with
Him? Can we basically follow the Serpent's game AND be believers in
God? Can Jerry Falwell drive a Mercedes to a huge modern climate-
controlled church AND have his version of redemption through Jesus?
Falwell is the poster-child of have-cake-and-eat-it-too.
This might be far afield for most of you, but again, could it be that
God really didn't want us to leave Eden, I mean, REALLY DIDN'T WANT
US TO LEAVE? And maybe He's not going along with us just brushing His
anger and disappointment off, even to this day? Maybe original sin is
really about as bad as it gets--and hasn't gone away. After all, 10,
000 years is just a blink of an eye for what scientists say was our
much, much longer residency in Eden. And could it be that we were
built for Eden, and anything outside of Eden "voids the warranty?" That
is, we really can't succeed outside of an Eden anyway. Maybe St.
Francis, Clare, Thoreau, Gandhi, John the Baptist, all the other
rewilded hermits sort of felt this, but didn't spell it out so black
and white.
...ironic, all this as we're on the verge of being dumped by the
Serpent, i.e., all the brainiac-isms of the last 10k years, all the
tricks we thought would obviate absolute prostration to and
dependence on God are about to fail on us. It's oil that turns out to
be our weak point. We're all but totally weaned off God, totally
outside of Eden and just now the oil window is swinging shut. The
Serpent has tricked us into all but totally destroying Eden in a search
for these castles and gardens he spun into our minds, and tricked us
into believing our minds when bent to science and logic could make us
His equals.
No, don't worry. I'm still a pagan tree-hugger. But I can't help but
be amazed at the power of the Abrahamic religions' mythology.
Olwe"
And back towards Eden is just where I think we as a society should be moving towards. Here's an exerpt from the website:
"We provide a current listing of upcoming permaculture design courses and a valuable global networking directory linking students to teachers and information, homeowners to designers and consultants, homeseekers to community, and hope and help for all who desire a healthy happy planet that cares for it's people. You can help us make a difference, have fun, find new friends, propagate love and justice, help the earth heal, and earn the praise of your descendants."
technorati peak oil
"One of the great things about getting older and possibly wiser is you
find yourself combing over the old, simple givens of life and finding,
lo and behold, something profound you missed long ago or took for
granted. In this case I'm combing over the story of The Fall from the
Garden of Eden.
I thought I as an animist Earth-centric pagan understood the whole
Eden thing as a grand metaphor. Carl Sagan talked about it in his "Dragons
of Eden," then Daniel Quinn put it all in brilliant perspective paraphrasing the progressive, post-Margaret Meade anthropologists when they assert that yes, the so-called prehistoric human led a great life--just as the Bible describes the proverbial Eden.
The Serpent excited in Adam and Eve the itch to use their intelligence
in a novel way, to go with science and technology. He sowed doubt and
dissatisfaction with the Eden status quo. Fine, fine, this has all
been hashed out beautifully by many rationalists and read-between-the-
liners.
But one day I found myself talking to some fundamentalist Christians
about Quinn and PO, etc., and on the fly I was translating everything
into their Bible-speak, using all the early Genesis stories. Before I
knew what I was saying, I was claiming that, sure, God was upset with
us and kicked us out for following the Serpent, but the stories of
Cain and Abel, the Tower of Babel, Sodom and Gommorah, the Great
Flood--all could be read as God wanting us to renounce the Serpent's ways
and beg for forgiveness and try to get back into Eden.
With Cain and Abel, God was literally saying, no I don't like
farming, I'd rather you be nomadic herdsmen. With S and G, He was saying, I
don't like you concentrated in cities. With Babel He slapped us down
for essentially what we're doing again: high-tech "playing God" in a
multi-cultural Brave New World mega-hive. Great, nothing that new
here to Quinn-ish anthropologists interpreting the old legends.
But it struck me recently that yes, indeed, the Serpent was saying a)
I'll show you how to turn this wild mess Eden into palaces and
gardens, and b) I'll show you how to really use your brains, just
like God does so you can one day be your own gods! This is fairly well
paralleled by Tolkien's "The Silmarillion" where bad-guy Melkor
always wants to destroy what is beautiful.
Again, I'm not telling Quinn and his followers anything new here when
I say that yes, 100%, the Serpent represents the first steps into
civilization, the endless quest for more. And the immediate post-Fall
slap-downs by God seemed to say God does not approve. But what really
grabbed me was how incredibly serious this, as the Catholics call it,
"original sin" really is! I mean, think about it: Adam and Eve
rejected Eden as is, as well as trying to use their brains in new ways to
create a seperate and independent god-like status. When you think of
it, that's about as sinful as you can get! And after the Great Flood,
I believe God was saying, d-i-v-o-r-c-e, that we had rejected Him to
keep chasing the Serpent's dangling carrots once too often and He was
calling it quits.
But this would be far too much heresy for any believer to swallow--an
interpretation way too devastating, i.e., that God has truly abandoned
us.
Yet maybe there was hope still. Enter Moses. Once he had taught the
Pharaoh a lesson, he went off into the wilderness. To try and
establish a society that would slowly move back to Eden? After all,
taking off into the Sinai with thousands of people and practically no
supplies was all but suicidal. God provided water and manna, which
might be seen as modest overture to restart the old Eden
relationship, huh?
But there was also the curious case of John the Baptist. He lived in
the wilderness, but why? I was taught that he was a minor figure, and
probably a crazy-eyed zealot. But what if he had grokked that The
Fall, original sin was still a real bad problem, that, no, you can't
just follow the Serpent's original offer AND be tight with God. No
indeed, you would have to start heading back to Eden to truly once
again be a "child of God." Maybe John tried to talk Jesus into this,
but the latter thought he could bring change from within civilization.
If you're still with me, it really seems to me that if our high-tech
civilization is indeed just the latest phase of Serpent's bargain,
wow! ,we've really blown it! I don't know how serious the Jews take this
first sin, but obviously, the Christians have blown it off big-time!
They've even set John the Baptist's protoge up as a savior who
totally obviates any consideration of that first sin. And of course, a
Catholic baptism as an infant "cleanses" you of "original sin". I know this is
serious heresy for most believers, but hey, what if God really didn't
want us to leave Eden? What if He really took offence at our
believing we could do better than His Eden and His lordship over us? What if
this whole "eat cake and have it to" routine doesn't cut any ice with
Him? Can we basically follow the Serpent's game AND be believers in
God? Can Jerry Falwell drive a Mercedes to a huge modern climate-
controlled church AND have his version of redemption through Jesus?
Falwell is the poster-child of have-cake-and-eat-it-too.
This might be far afield for most of you, but again, could it be that
God really didn't want us to leave Eden, I mean, REALLY DIDN'T WANT
US TO LEAVE? And maybe He's not going along with us just brushing His
anger and disappointment off, even to this day? Maybe original sin is
really about as bad as it gets--and hasn't gone away. After all, 10,
000 years is just a blink of an eye for what scientists say was our
much, much longer residency in Eden. And could it be that we were
built for Eden, and anything outside of Eden "voids the warranty?" That
is, we really can't succeed outside of an Eden anyway. Maybe St.
Francis, Clare, Thoreau, Gandhi, John the Baptist, all the other
rewilded hermits sort of felt this, but didn't spell it out so black
and white.
...ironic, all this as we're on the verge of being dumped by the
Serpent, i.e., all the brainiac-isms of the last 10k years, all the
tricks we thought would obviate absolute prostration to and
dependence on God are about to fail on us. It's oil that turns out to
be our weak point. We're all but totally weaned off God, totally
outside of Eden and just now the oil window is swinging shut. The
Serpent has tricked us into all but totally destroying Eden in a search
for these castles and gardens he spun into our minds, and tricked us
into believing our minds when bent to science and logic could make us
His equals.
No, don't worry. I'm still a pagan tree-hugger. But I can't help but
be amazed at the power of the Abrahamic religions' mythology.
Olwe"
And back towards Eden is just where I think we as a society should be moving towards. Here's an exerpt from the website:
"We provide a current listing of upcoming permaculture design courses and a valuable global networking directory linking students to teachers and information, homeowners to designers and consultants, homeseekers to community, and hope and help for all who desire a healthy happy planet that cares for it's people. You can help us make a difference, have fun, find new friends, propagate love and justice, help the earth heal, and earn the praise of your descendants."
technorati peak oil
Saudi Oil Infrastructure Rigged For Catastrophic Self-Destruction
The Huffington Post | The News Wire
This is some new insight I hadn't thought of before. Very good move on their part if it's true. I'd probably do the same.
This is some new insight I hadn't thought of before. Very good move on their part if it's true. I'd probably do the same.
Mitch Daniels, You've Met Your Match
Bill Maher blogged a good one on Arianna Huffington's new celebrity blog (added to links section at right).
While Gov. Daniels (IN) is rolling around Indiana in his "donated" RV and "donated" biodiesel fuel gifts (nevermind his opposition to state workers receiving a liter of Sprite from the Coca-Cola vendor while on his route), it looks like the prez is trying to upstage him by talking the talk. I'm going to sit back and watch to see if he walks the walk when this energy bill lands on his desk for a signature.
Once more, are we going to eat or drive, for God's sake? An increase of half million to 44 million barrels of biodiesel production in 5 years? I say the upscaled better move into town to allow more room for agriculture in suburbia for this one!
I get mad at you sometimes, Mr. Maher, but this was a good blog spot!
While Gov. Daniels (IN) is rolling around Indiana in his "donated" RV and "donated" biodiesel fuel gifts (nevermind his opposition to state workers receiving a liter of Sprite from the Coca-Cola vendor while on his route), it looks like the prez is trying to upstage him by talking the talk. I'm going to sit back and watch to see if he walks the walk when this energy bill lands on his desk for a signature.
Once more, are we going to eat or drive, for God's sake? An increase of half million to 44 million barrels of biodiesel production in 5 years? I say the upscaled better move into town to allow more room for agriculture in suburbia for this one!
I get mad at you sometimes, Mr. Maher, but this was a good blog spot!
Monday, May 09, 2005
You Do the Math
"Let me take you to another situation quickly. 84 million barrels a day times 365 days is 30 billion barrels of oil a year that we're depleting. All of the world's (oil) industry doesn't even come close to replacing 30 billion barrels of oil. We don't spend enough money to even give ourselves a chance to replace 30 billion barrels. It may be because the prospects are not there. I rather imagine that's what the answer is to that. ".....
T. Boone Pickens
Are we finding and replacing 30 billion barrels of oil a year? No. Eighty-four million barrels of oil a DAY is what the world consumes. The U.S. consumes 25% of that. Again, we import 60% of that. China and India are growing in consumption and China will match our numbers soon with India not far behind.
T. Boone Pickens
Are we finding and replacing 30 billion barrels of oil a year? No. Eighty-four million barrels of oil a DAY is what the world consumes. The U.S. consumes 25% of that. Again, we import 60% of that. China and India are growing in consumption and China will match our numbers soon with India not far behind.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
The Austin Chronicle: Columns: Letters at 3AM
Well, gas is not yet $4 a gallon but to contemplate what a $4/gallon society in today's standards would not be a good thing. I thought Letters at 3AM was an interesting article.
Here's a snippet:
......"Gas prices can only go up. Oil production is at or near peak capacity. The U.S. must compete for oil with China, the fastest-growing colossus in history. But the U.S. also must borrow $2 billion a day to remain solvent, nearly half of that from China and her neighbors, while they supply most of our manufacturing ("Benson's Economic and Market Trends," quoted in Asia Times Online) – so we have no cards to play with China, even militarily. (You can't war with the bankers who finance your army and the factories that supply your stores.) China now determines oil demand, and the U.S. has no long-term way to influence prices. That means $4 a gallon by next spring, and rising – $5, then $6, probably $10 by 2010 or thereabouts. Their economy can afford it; ours can't. We may hobble along with more or less the same way of life for the next dollar or so of hikes, but at around $4 America changes. Drastically.".......
Let's hope it doesn't get that badly.
Here's a snippet:
......"Gas prices can only go up. Oil production is at or near peak capacity. The U.S. must compete for oil with China, the fastest-growing colossus in history. But the U.S. also must borrow $2 billion a day to remain solvent, nearly half of that from China and her neighbors, while they supply most of our manufacturing ("Benson's Economic and Market Trends," quoted in Asia Times Online) – so we have no cards to play with China, even militarily. (You can't war with the bankers who finance your army and the factories that supply your stores.) China now determines oil demand, and the U.S. has no long-term way to influence prices. That means $4 a gallon by next spring, and rising – $5, then $6, probably $10 by 2010 or thereabouts. Their economy can afford it; ours can't. We may hobble along with more or less the same way of life for the next dollar or so of hikes, but at around $4 America changes. Drastically.".......
Let's hope it doesn't get that badly.
For Those of the Investor Class
If you are an investor, this might be of interest to you. Even investment companies are beginning to see the writing on the wall. Largely, economists believe that everything can be solved by the market. Many of these economists don't have any background in the sciences. Remember the theory of "energy returned on energy invested" or ERoEI. In other words, there may very well be a billion barrels of oil discovered in Utah but you have to remember that not all oil is recoverable from a cost effective standpoint. The first half of collectible oil is relatively easy to extract, most of the time, but as you get into the second half of recoverable oil, it becomes much harder to extract physically and so it's more expensive and not cost effective. From what I've learned, this billion barrels of oil found in Utah may not be fully extractable and the total amount is only about 12 days worth of wordwide oil at our present demand rates...and that is rising. If only half of it is easily extractable and cost effective, this would only equal 6 days of worldwide demand and about 23 days worth of U.S. consumption. Evidently, some investors realize this as well. I'm not a big investor, but if I was, I would probably invest in more renewable energy companies and businesses that are researching and developing alternatives.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Virtual Tours
Take a look at these green rooftops in Canada. Pretty cool, huh?
Friday, May 06, 2005
Green Roofs
I'd like to see gardens on these rooftops!
I had an article published recently on energy policy in our local newspaper about what we could do in our community to become more sustainable. One of my suggestions was that I would like to see more rooftop gardens which could save businesses on energy costs as these costs continue to rise in the future. Now I'm not sure these buildings here at Eastgate Plaza would be able to hold tons of dirt but I'm sure that adding some type of greenery on the top would help. They just look so ugly everytime I drive down this hill from my home everyday, and having more greenery up there always crosses my mind eveytime I go by. They did such a good job of decorating the front that they forgot about what I had to look at every day I come down this hill! Check out this picture of a green rooftop.
Rising call: Cut US oil imports | csmonitor.com
I'm all for drilling in ANWR. Go for it. The only thing I want to see for this 2-1/2 year supply is that we change over to renewables while we're doing it. Do you think we'll do it? Probably not. This article says we would only cut imports by 5 percentage points. Wow. I think that means we'd go from 60% to 55% foreign oil dependency.
There's also been some talk of a huge find in Utah. The barrels of oil per day they are claiming they could get is equal to about 45 days worth of our consumption.
If we could be the next Saudi Arabia, I think we'd already be doing it. I'm dead sure there are lots of resources untapped or on hold but we won't see it until the prices are so high that it won't be affordable to the average citizen anyway.
Which brings me to another thought. Someone posted on ROE3 today that the government has rights to any minerals (including oil) found on any private property. That's kind of scary. It wouldn't be like the Beverly Hillbillies now would it?!? Black gold....Texas tea....only in the movies, huh?
It also bothers me that the prez wants oil refineries to be built on government property (closed-down military bases). If oil ever became scarce and that were the case, the government would have some control over that now wouldn't it?
Read the link I gave above (if it works!). It's pretty good.
There's also been some talk of a huge find in Utah. The barrels of oil per day they are claiming they could get is equal to about 45 days worth of our consumption.
If we could be the next Saudi Arabia, I think we'd already be doing it. I'm dead sure there are lots of resources untapped or on hold but we won't see it until the prices are so high that it won't be affordable to the average citizen anyway.
Which brings me to another thought. Someone posted on ROE3 today that the government has rights to any minerals (including oil) found on any private property. That's kind of scary. It wouldn't be like the Beverly Hillbillies now would it?!? Black gold....Texas tea....only in the movies, huh?
It also bothers me that the prez wants oil refineries to be built on government property (closed-down military bases). If oil ever became scarce and that were the case, the government would have some control over that now wouldn't it?
Read the link I gave above (if it works!). It's pretty good.
Jobs? What Jobs?
Okay. I have to get this one off my chest. Today, the news is reporting >200,000 jobs created in April. Yippee. We must be on the road to recovery then!
I would like to know what kind of jobs they are and where? They're definitely not in Logansport, and if they are, they are either minimum wage/part-time/temporary ones or ones that require a specialized degree and experience. And do these jobs include a nice benefit package with good health insurance?? Well, not if they're temporary and not if they're part-time, that's for sure.
Anything to make the stock markets go up, I guess......
I would like to know what kind of jobs they are and where? They're definitely not in Logansport, and if they are, they are either minimum wage/part-time/temporary ones or ones that require a specialized degree and experience. And do these jobs include a nice benefit package with good health insurance?? Well, not if they're temporary and not if they're part-time, that's for sure.
Anything to make the stock markets go up, I guess......
Less is More, Sojourners Magazine/May 2005
Less is More, Sojourners Magazine/May 2005
Here are some energy saving tips I thought were useful. I have a long way to go!
Here are some energy saving tips I thought were useful. I have a long way to go!
MSN Money - Fill your tank with vegetable oil
MSN Money - Fill your tank with vegetable oil
Either people are becoming more conservation-aware or MSN is tracking where I'm going on the internet and tailors it's headlines to my interests! Everyday, MSN provides a new article for me to click about gas or energy.
The sad thing about biodiesel being a viable source of energy is that it ultimately won't replace all energy consumption. It may be one of the things that helps. If everybody used vegetable oil to run their cars, just think about how much land, fossil fuels, and energy would be needed to produce the product! You would have to grow the crops which rely on fossil fuels for fertilizers, pesticides, and the farm machinery, let alone think about the amount of land that would be taken away from food production. It'll be eat or drive! In a nutshell, it would still take more energy to produce than to use. I have to say it's a start in the right direction, though. At least people are thinking about ways to reduce our dependence on oil.
Either people are becoming more conservation-aware or MSN is tracking where I'm going on the internet and tailors it's headlines to my interests! Everyday, MSN provides a new article for me to click about gas or energy.
The sad thing about biodiesel being a viable source of energy is that it ultimately won't replace all energy consumption. It may be one of the things that helps. If everybody used vegetable oil to run their cars, just think about how much land, fossil fuels, and energy would be needed to produce the product! You would have to grow the crops which rely on fossil fuels for fertilizers, pesticides, and the farm machinery, let alone think about the amount of land that would be taken away from food production. It'll be eat or drive! In a nutshell, it would still take more energy to produce than to use. I have to say it's a start in the right direction, though. At least people are thinking about ways to reduce our dependence on oil.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
Introduction
I guess an introduction from the blog is in order. Welcome! I really don't have anything to link to yet. I'll find out how to do that when the time comes. This blog is probably going to end up being a mixture of all kinds of things. Mostly, this will be about peak oil related subjects. I'll probably include gardening, sustainability, politics, and some things about faith as well. They're all interconnected anyway!
I need to get a roll of film developed, and when I do, I'll post some of my gardening progress pictures, too. This is my first year with a garden and I'm learning as I go, basically. Today was beautiful. I planted out my tomatoes, some orange, red, green and hot wax peppers, celery, and broccoli! I also direct-seeded my corn, carrots, radishes, and lettuce. Tomorrow I'm going to have to finish direct seeding the rest. It's supposed to be really nice.....
I need to get a roll of film developed, and when I do, I'll post some of my gardening progress pictures, too. This is my first year with a garden and I'm learning as I go, basically. Today was beautiful. I planted out my tomatoes, some orange, red, green and hot wax peppers, celery, and broccoli! I also direct-seeded my corn, carrots, radishes, and lettuce. Tomorrow I'm going to have to finish direct seeding the rest. It's supposed to be really nice.....
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
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