Best Post Ever on Peak Oil: Sharon Astyk

A WWII-era poster...proof positive that our government

can foster responsible fuel use...if it decides it wants to do so.

Of course, in light of today's issues, this image has all kinds of 

new connotations, yes?

Image courtesy New Hampshire State Library

GREAT post to check out right now: Sleeping Beauty and Why You Should Think About Peak Oil (Even If It Seems Much Nicer Not To) by blogger Sharon Astyk. It's laudable because it aspires to meet most people where they are in a thoughtful, non-judgmental way. (She has two books coming out...this will make you want to read them both.)

I've been spinning my wheels for weeks on peak oil because it is germane to our need to cultivate life-skills (like gardening) NOW in case we need them later.

To tell the truth, I'm somewhere in the middle on the "are we at the edge of a peak oil crisis" hype. I think we are nearing the end of fossil fuels, but I also think that the extremes on either end are problematic and confusing.  Plus, I'm also concerned about our throwing ourselves headlong into alternative technologies without fully understanding the outcomes (wind energy's impact on bird migration being just one small example). 

Do we create more trouble for ourselves if we rush to judgment...and don't really puzzle things through now carefully?

And, again personally, I'm always a bit cautious about over-wrought apocalyptic visions (too much chat about millenialism in college!). 

At the same time, I do envision a world without oil becoming a reality soon. And I can foresee energy outages, too. And ensuing panic, which could bring some disastrous consequences worldwide. I just am still feeling a bit optimistic about our ability to overcome those challenges. (Pollyanna, maybe?)

What works for me with Sharon's most recent post is how she makes thoughtful connections to the disaster left after Hurricane Katrina and our crumbling infrastructure--these are things that are real and, compared to some visions painted online, more compellingly familiar to a good many of us...well, at least those of us willing to follow those things (or remember they happened) after the news media walks away from the scene.  And then she ties it all artfully to a classic children's fable...really great writing.

Frankly, I'd like to see more of those parallels (even the culturally appropriate storytelling!) drawn by more folks--especially in the MSM. CNN did something along those lines in a show earlier this spring...it is the BEST, most persuasive bit that I've seen in MSM yet on the oil crisis...I'll try to find a link and post it in Comments later today. 

P.S. While you're reading, check out this post from Crunchy Chicken, which seems to reflect some of my own notions and adds some interesting observations about gender-specific readings/predictions about Peak Oil.  She has a post from the previous day that merits reading as well. 

P.P.S. Here's the CNN show mentioned above: We Were Warned.

So...where are you on the peak oil continuum? How do you think we might best prepare? Any clever ideas for persuading others in an accessible way?