Reactions to spreading the word of peak oil

martin0804 · Coal Joined: Mar 13, 2005 Posts: 8

I wanted to see how other people would react to the theory of peak oil. I introduced the idea to my family and friends.

Dad: It'll be a good thing, finally people will appreciate life for what is is, families will start sticking together again through the hard times, instead of splitting apart.

Girlfriend: *Didn't even care enough to read the website which i have tried to get her to read numerous times.

Friend A: Yeah I can see this coming. But f*ck I have other things to worry about. I have a daughter, a job, If something happens, it will happen, I can't change it, so why worry about it?

Friend B: I heard about this before, I just didn't think it was going to happen in my lifetime. I'm gona prepare myself for what is coming.

What are the reactions you have gotten from your family and friends when trying to discuss peak oil?

j_bumble · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:46 am Post subject:

"Stop reading conspiracy theory"
"Well, that's all good and proper, but I believe that we have plenty of time to make advances in the field to bring hydrogen online before this becomes a real issue"
"Wow, we're really f*cked. Meh."

My dad tells me I should make good grades in school (though he used to work for an oil company, Gearheart, so he is somewhat familiar with the subject--but part of the problem is now it's "old hat")
Mom listens politely and then tends to change the subject (not disbelieving but certainly not wanting to hear that things could get bad)

A few people have been very receptive (mostly my good friends) and have embarked on their own research tangents and are helping develop a peak oil library/knowledge base.
_________________
When there's no more oil, can I have your speakers?
No?
Alright, what about your baseball cards?

Don_Quichote · Tar Sands Joined: Mar 31, 2005 Posts: 22

okay : - YouÂ´re nuts...

- You know alot about oil but did you make any money with it ?

- We will all drive electric cars anyway...

- There are alternatives but they are not telling us...

- I donÂ´t want to hear bullshit....

And...Of course alot of people that donÂ´t want to hear it.....

Such · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:50 am Post subject:

The basic problem is that it takes longer than 5 minutes to explain the peaking phenomenon. So you end up getting alot of eyes glazing over.

j_bumble · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:02 am Post subject:

RonMN · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:16 am Post subject:

I think the biggest problem (already posted) is that you can't explain PO in 3 minutes. Other than that i get the "you're nuts" and everything else along those lines. I've switched to saying "try doing a google on PEAK OIL some time" and i leave it go at that...either they will or they wont. There was a really good article called THE MORALITY OF SURVIVAL that i think everybody should read...try googeling it & see whatchya-all think.

martin0804 · Coal Joined: Mar 13, 2005 Posts: 8

what i would like to do is write a letter to the editor at my local newspaper, to spread the word in my community, but considering where i live we are so dependand on oil and gas for revenue I doubt many people would bother paying attention.

What are some points you guys would recommend mentioning to initiate people into further research of the subject?

mjpete · Tar Sands Joined: Feb 25, 2005 Posts: 43

What would really help would be if hollywood wood make a good PO disaster movie. Kevin Coster seems always ready for "good" disaster/post-apocolypse movie.

FoxV · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:08 pm Post subject:

I'm finding the explanation time the real killer, especially when talking with psuedo technically informed people that are preaching "Cars running on water" to their children (I think this is some kind concoction of Hydrogen fuel cells or maybe cold fussion, I'm not sure)

Most of my friends politely listen but for the most part they think I'm worrying about nothing and a solution will be found. If I try to tell them how imminent the crisis is, they no longer politely listen and begin the "you're nuts/chicken little" comments

I finally got my wife on aboard after mentioning little news bits of the day about PO to her over a period of a month (If I talk to her in larger intervals she starts to panick).

Sys1 · Intermediate Crude Joined: Feb 25, 2005 Posts: 678

I think it's possible to convince people as soon as the discussion is taking a direction where you can mention peak oil.

RiverRat · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 16, 2005 Posts: 210

You have to appear as knowledgeable and be able to refute ridiculous objections decisively. Speak in a calm, clear and direct tone. Discuss in a manner which is perceived as a â€˜matter of factâ€™. The sooner you start to â€˜rantâ€™ and â€˜raveâ€™ the sooner interest will be lost.

Cascadian1 · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 9:53 pm Post subject:

I've shared it with about a dozen close friends, and many of them, often the more conservative ones, get really scared and shocked. Yet they don't wind up doing more than prepare for it spiritually (which is a lot, come to think of it). Most of my friends live in a series of intentional community houses all adjacent to my backyard, which I've converted to about 225 sqft of vegetable garden space. In the meantime, I am hoping that many of these folks will become inspired to begin learning how to garden and grow their own food. (about 1/3rd of us in the intentional community are presently involved in the garden; hopefully more will follow.) Honestly the garden has been a remarkable context for explaining peak oil. "Why do you garden?" "peak oil"

Now for another share-response story, only this time I'm a bit confused as to how to deal with it...

I'm on the Board of Directors for my university's (U of Oregon) student union building, the EMU. The building is a state auxilliary with a $6M budget. This, of course, is an excellent venue to begin trying to establish some sort of awareness and response to PO. Luckily, I happen to be the chair of its Long-Range Planning Committee. So today I met up with a subcommittee on Sustainability, and talked to the two gals on there (both environmental studies majors) about peak oil, and how we might encourage the EMU to mitigate/alleviate the consequences.

Both of them seemed timid of presenting peak oil as a means of advancing some sustainability options in the building, even if they both now well understand and believe peak oil. (not surprisingly, most environmentalists, lite and radical, seem very not-surprised by peak oil). They seemed to be afraid of any one of us being ridiculed as a "chicken little"-type.

This sentiment is frustrating, but understandable. Although all geopolitical and corporate signs point to a peak within 3 years, the fact that timing is still unknown makes it rather understandable when people shrug it off as "but we don't know when, so relax."

So I'm trying to figure out what to do...
1) Just advance the same sustainability issues via there own merit, without any of the imminence of PO behind it, or
2) Make a presentation on Peak Oil Lite. Spare much of the doom n gloom, let the referrenced sites do that, heh. But make it clear that society will have to relocalize or bust, and we'd better downsize and start buying local food ASAP.

I have the strange, impish feeling that I'm gonna go ahead and make the presentation before my term on the Board ends in May. Wink

Any suggestions on how to deal with issues like this are welcome. How those of us with the power to be able to steer government and business entities present PO in a formal way that is not "chicken little"???

j_bumble · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 11:29 pm Post subject:

venky · Intermediate Crude Joined: Mar 13, 2005 Posts: 839

I dont think you can really blame people for not believing in Peak Oil. Although its getting more and more coverage, it is still not on the 6 '0 clock news and until that happens it will remain fringe. The only reason that Global warming gets so much attention is that it has been backed by several prominent world leaders. If Tony Blair were appear on BBC espousing 'Peak Oil' people will have to take it seriously, its as simple as that.

I have told my family and friends about it of course, but I tend to concentrate more on the technical aspects, trying to make them understand the concept at an intellectual level. I normally add a disclaimer, that it might not happen for 10-15 years, there are options in renewable energy etc. I find this approach better than say the 'doomsday approach' where you probably end up looking a nut ; although most will not read the stuff about it on their own, some might and probably see all possible implications themselves. Also when the initial effects of the oil crisis begin probably by the end of this decade, I hope that they will atleast then be able to see the reality for themselves before things begin to get really messy.

squidsoup · Posted: Fri Apr 01, 2005 4:59 am Post subject: My personal experience

I stumbled across dieoff.org many years ago, and have been familiar with the concept of peak oil, and the olduvai gorge theory for quite some time.

While I absorbed what was there, and recognised that there was probably some truth in it, the reality of peak oil has only hit me recently .i.e. in the last 2 months.

Peak oil, and the frightening possibilities that accompany it, die off and technological regression, are not easy to deal with psychologically. As I've described, it has taken quite a while for it to have a genuine emotional impact on me. There have been a number of current events that have acted to reinforce the reality of the situation recently, and that may well have something to do with it.

Has anyone else had the same experience?