Ash
Warming-Up
- Apr 23, 2006
- 686
- 1
Here is a tale about how the US Government has come to the shocking conclusion that we are running out of oil
http://www.alternet.org/story/66625/?page=1
The following quote is from the concluding paragraph:
"As this brief assessment suggests, the passing of peak oil will have profound and lasting consequences for this country, with no easy solutions. In facing this future, we must, above all, disavow any simple answers, such as energy "independence" based on the pillage of America's remaining wilderness areas or the false promise of corn-based ethanol (which can supply only a tiny fraction of our transportation requirements). It is clear, moreover, that many of the fuel alternatives proposed by the Bush Administration pose significant dangers of their own and so should be examined carefully before vast public sums are committed to their development. The safest and most morally defensible course is to repudiate any "consensus" calling for the use of force to protect overseas petroleum supplies and to strive to conserve what remains of the world's oil by using less of it."
Well folks , the point being that one of the most practical solutions for the short term at least until technology provides us with workable alternatives is simply to use less oil. Where though do we find the biggest user or rather waster of oil? Yep, it's the CAR.
Therefore before we fry the planet or go off to war in search of more oil again, will we have the courage to institute the type of radical change to our methods of transport that such a crisis necessitates? Personally, I doubt it. But I do believe individuals make a difference and it is our individual actions such as commuting by bike (see Ash's blog for other rants on this subject!) that lead to change.
Comments (especially on bike commuting) welcome!
http://www.alternet.org/story/66625/?page=1
The following quote is from the concluding paragraph:
"As this brief assessment suggests, the passing of peak oil will have profound and lasting consequences for this country, with no easy solutions. In facing this future, we must, above all, disavow any simple answers, such as energy "independence" based on the pillage of America's remaining wilderness areas or the false promise of corn-based ethanol (which can supply only a tiny fraction of our transportation requirements). It is clear, moreover, that many of the fuel alternatives proposed by the Bush Administration pose significant dangers of their own and so should be examined carefully before vast public sums are committed to their development. The safest and most morally defensible course is to repudiate any "consensus" calling for the use of force to protect overseas petroleum supplies and to strive to conserve what remains of the world's oil by using less of it."
Well folks , the point being that one of the most practical solutions for the short term at least until technology provides us with workable alternatives is simply to use less oil. Where though do we find the biggest user or rather waster of oil? Yep, it's the CAR.
Therefore before we fry the planet or go off to war in search of more oil again, will we have the courage to institute the type of radical change to our methods of transport that such a crisis necessitates? Personally, I doubt it. But I do believe individuals make a difference and it is our individual actions such as commuting by bike (see Ash's blog for other rants on this subject!) that lead to change.
Comments (especially on bike commuting) welcome!