[Daniel] At A Loss...Of Energy

I've been doing a little surfing tonight, powered in part by a link I clicked in Craig's List while searching for a car. The link at the top was entitled "[ Peak Oil ]".



What has followed is a lot of disillusionment and perhaps even a bit of fear. I agree with much of what I have read, more than I would like. And the worst of it is that I can do precious little to change it.



To understand what I am saying, I would suggest reading/skimming the following articles with an open mind.

• Peak Oil: Life After the Oil Crash



• NYT Article: The End Of Oil

I do not ask that anyone believe every word that is said but that an open mind be kept because the topic is an important one, and even if we don't face it in our lives, our children or children's children will face it.



The concept behind these articles is that, as a civilization, humanity either has reached or will soon reach the maximum amount of oil available. Soon after, demand will outgrow the supply, as the supply follows a bell-shaped curve and demand is relatively straight-line growth. At this point, prices will skyrocket. What happens after that and when it will occur is a source of debate.



Some believe that human civilization will implode and that we will experience a depression greater than the depression experienced in the 1930's (for all countries, not just the US). Some think we will go to war and destroy ourselves that way. Some think that we will find an alternative and we will be able to supplement.



Moriah and I do not waste much, never have, likely never will. We bought the most oil-conservative car we could. We usually only run one light in the apartment at a time. We never heat or cool unless it gets too far out of our comfort zone and we reach the end of what more/less clothing can do. And despite Austin's best efforts to deny it of us, we recycle.



But what's frightening to me in this is two-fold. One, no matter what I do or how much I conserve, the average American will go on driving his/her SUV to work, school, etc., keeping running every light in the home at all hours, not recycling and in general wasting as much energy as possible. When we go down, they will be the ones pushing it faster and more out of control. And I can do next to nothing to stop or slow it. The days of $5.00 a gallon approach much faster than one would like.



What scares me worse is that we are now bringing a child into the world, a world which will get worse even if it's not nearly as bad as some may claim. They will feel the hurt of a growing energy crisis, even if it's "just" increased gas prices and possibly worse. It feels unfair to me that we're going to subject someone to this. I hope the child can forgive me.



I feel equally bad, in what should be a happy time that I only pump out happy messages in, that I pump out a post like this. But to ignore problems of this magnitude seems foolhardy.



Don't think that I'm off to buy a gun, a hoe and a cabin in the mountains just yet. But do count on me to continue what I've done so far: conserve as much as possible.