Introducing Children to Peak Oil

AnIowan

As a teacher who's recently found this web site and really started to dig into the subject, I've brought it up with my students, not as a doom and gloom subject, but more as a journaling type of activity (describe what live might be like for you without a car, that type of thing). We talk about how life might have been like 150 years ago in this area and relate it to the Amish community that is around (no electric power, no gas power vechicles, etc.) This will at least get some of the students thinking about it.

As for my own children, we've started having the discussions about how life will be different when they are grown up, we'll have them more actively involved with the "hands on" aspects of our little acreage (one daughter is planning a small garden plot for our farmers market, raising animals), and my wife is having them help more in the kitchen, so they'll be able to create things using more home grown, whole foods, along with being able to can and preserve as well.

All in all, as a country, we shoud be preparing the next generation to have to make the decisions we either didn't, couldn't, or won't make. Instead, we are turning a blind eye, making that transition even more painful for all involved, especially the children.

phaster · Heavy Crude Joined: Jul 15, 2007 Posts: 152

hopethreat

Pops

mystiek

Children learn by example-specifically parents and/or the other signficant adults in their life. My kids venture out to the amish with me and buy bulk butter, vegetables that we put up. We talk about how the amish live so they understand how people can thrive without a gasguzzler and electricity. We have a garden that they enjoy looking for the ripe tomatoes, etc. Another thing we do is go to the pick your own farms and they have a blast scurring around picking strawberries, etc. I try to teach them what is available in the wild that is edible. In the next couple of weeks we are going blackberry picking. The boys watch me make jam, can vegetables, etc. (the key word is watch right now since their ages are 12,10 and 4). They help stock the pantry and our storage area in the basement after going to Sams. They helped pick out my mother days gift which was 5 new kerosene lamps -now before you all laugh, the lamps are very nice looking in our antique bedroom and will be functional in a power outage.They hear about how we limit excess trips down the road, turning off unnecessary lights in the house. We try to minimize waste of food and resources. We are discussing a clothes line, especially for big things that are hard to dry like comforters, sheets, pillow shams, a load of jeans. I know this sounds like just little steps, but its a start in developing their thinking about conservation of our resources. They do not have cell phones or ipods. We used to have a tv in every bedroom, but stopped that not just for conservation purposes, but the kids need to be outside riding their bike, playing ball, climbing trees, etc. None of my kids have obesity issues. On the other hand, my 10 year old still dreams of being a famous nascar driver and my 4 year old is going to be a football player-do I try to dash their dreams-no, I just try to mold their world view around the reality of life while still letting them be kids.