We cannot drill our way out of this oil crisis. Since 2000, oil companies working in the U.S. have doubled the number of wells drilled per year.
Although increased drilling has added new oil to the nation's supply, it has not done so fast enough to offset the terminal decline of existing fields.
We are going to have to import more of our oil. Period.
It's a lost battle. I just said "I'm not going against my beliefs" without any further explanation. Maybe I just announce peak Oil as my new religion, so he will respect my thoughts!
I am NOT discussing PO with my wife, out of priciple. She hates this site (simply because I spend continuous time on it). So, instead of trying to fight the beat of the drummer that your husband marches to (there was a thread where a poster-(who I forgot who it was) made the point that we all march to our own drum.
So give your husband the freedom to keep on marching. F--ck PO, let him do his thing...any form of trying to convince him otherwise is nothing more than the mere application of a band aid.
Joined: Aug 18, 2005 Posts: 503 Location: Belgium, Europe
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 1:41 am Post subject: Re: Educating others about Peak Oil
It certainly is not easy. So far I managed to convince one friend of me. But that wasn't to hard, he kind of levels with me on many different subjects so I gave him a few essential links and told him to do the reading. Practically, he convinced himself after I've given him a push in the right direction.
My mother is somewhat convinced, but she keeps refering to the subject as 'ow yes when the oil has ran out'
The most frustrating discussion was with another friend of me, an engineer who btw works in the oil, gas and chemicals departement of a really big company. He's a 'business developer' but is totally out of touch with this market and believes in the growth of this business (and the growth of his paycheck and lease car)
Also when I first learned about PO, I posted articles, interviews and links on my favorite studentforum (It's a rather big forum where many university student pass by) in my PO-topic. (first post: november 2003; last post: august 2005)
Practicly no responses whatsoever, really sad, these people are supposed to be intelligent, young and willing to make a change, but aside from some classical denial or minimizing arguments, no serious reactions...
They're not even listening
I do my best, but I'm afraid that in the end, not many people will get convinced
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:42 am Post subject: Re: Educating others about Peak Oil
I realy dont get the problem you folks are having... maybe its the crowd I hang with but we discuss this stuff, our imedieate families are online and our extended families are spotty, but overall are along with this. We do have some disagreement internaly on which level it will go to but overall we get along on this.
People I talk to about this get the idea and while they may not run right out and change their lifestyle at least dont call me a kook or ignore me.
I gotta ask do you start off with a "The END is NEAR, REPENT" kinda attitude or do oyu slowly lead people into the haunted house of DOoom and then show them the path out so they listen? Do you wrap it up in your own wishes for how things shoudl be or do you admit that it could be an unpredictable shitstorm that can have both positive and negative effects on us?
Methinks it is all in how you present it, and from what I read here many folks are doing a poor job of presenting it. They sound somewhere between conspiracy theorists and religious fanatics. Thats not a good recipie for conversion.
Joined: Sep 25, 2004 Posts: 4156 Location: Boston, MA
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 10:53 am Post subject: Re: Educating others about Peak Oil
whiteknight wrote:
I realy dont get the problem you folks are having... maybe its the crowd I hang with but we discuss this stuff, our imedieate families are online and our extended families are spotty, but overall are along with this. We do have some disagreement internaly on which level it will go to but overall we get along on this.
People I talk to about this get the idea and while they may not run right out and change their lifestyle at least dont call me a kook or ignore me.
I gotta ask do you start off with a "The END is NEAR, REPENT" kinda attitude or do oyu slowly lead people into the haunted house of DOoom and then show them the path out so they listen? Do you wrap it up in your own wishes for how things shoudl be or do you admit that it could be an unpredictable shitstorm that can have both positive and negative effects on us?
Methinks it is all in how you present it, and from what I read here many folks are doing a poor job of presenting it. They sound somewhere between conspiracy theorists and religious fanatics. Thats not a good recipie for conversion.
I'm going to assume that was directed at me...
I usually start off with, "how 'bout them gas prices?"
The response from that is how I bring up the issue.
I often get, "damn Iraq War!"
Or, "greedy oil companies!"
Sometimes, "Stupid Hummers!"
And maybe, "It's China's fault!"
But NEVER, "well...have you heard of peak oil?"
So it really depends on the response. My opening statements in response to the "damn Iraq War!" differs greatly from the "greedy oil companies!" response.
Generally I take the conversation back to Campbell and Hubbert. I mention that production follows a bell curve and that we are roughly at the peak of the bell curve right now. From now on production will begin to decline while demand continues to increase. This will lead to higher prices and economic recession. However, economic recovery means more oil consumption and even higher prices.
Then I pause for a response.
Depending on the response I follow a different train of thought.
It's difficult to map out every possible conversation because people react to this issue differently. After that first little paragraph I could get an "everything happens for a reason" or an "I guess I should get a hybrid car".
I try to avoid mentioning the Dieoff scenario unless the other person brings it up first. I try to include as many doctors and other respected individuals (Matt Simmons and National Geographic magazine) as possible.
But do whatever works for you. _________________ "www.peakoil.com is the Myspace of the Apocalypse."
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