[chris89]

Hi all,

I hope it's OK to post this request here.

I'm a writing student in my second year and I'm planning on writing a feature article on peak oil. I'm looking to put some questions to people interested in peak oil; ideally people who have started to adapt to the changes happening around them. An ideal example might be someone who's involved in alternative energy, local sustainability, growing their own food, or permaculture. But I'm also interested in people who may have simply witnessed local changes related to peak oil, transition or collapse/decline (depending how you see it) and not necessarily reacted yet.

If there are any takers, my plan would be to inbox you a few questions which you could answer as many of as you like at your convenience. The questions would mainly be about the personal and local issues, sort of like a profile of you or your project (e.g. When did you first become aware of peak oil? When/why did you start doing what you're doing?) However, if you've got academic or professional experience relating to peak oil and want to talk global, that's equally brilliant.

If there's two or three people with different experiences I can use, that would be even better.

If you take pity on me and agree to this, or can point me in the direction of someone who might, please let me know.

Just to reassure, I've been interested in peak oil for a while and the tone of this article wouldn't be skeptical or sarcastic.

Many thanks,
Chris

[chris89]

I want to clarify, I'd be using quotes from your answers in a wider article I'm writing. Don't feel you'd be committing to writing an article yourself. You could answer however briefly or randomly you wanted and I'd select usable quotes.

Also, anyone who's doing stuff to increase awareness of peak oil, I'd really like to hear from you if you're interested.

Thanks,
Chris

[Lumpy]

Hi,

I'd be glad to help. As a matter of fact, I was once interviewed for national (AP) article, as a result of my participation in PO boards.

I'm an ordinary person, making preparations. Not an expert on the ins and outs of peak oil -- but knowledgeable enough to be doing what needs doing.

Private message me so we can make arrangements for how this would be handled if you are interested in interviewing me, asking e-mail questions, whatever.

Best of luck to you in this undertaking!

Lumpy

[chris89]

Thanks a lot Lumpy. I've sent a PM.

To everyone else,

If I'm being greedy, a couple more people would give me a nice range.

Thanks,
Chris

[steam_cannon]

I might talk with you a little, I'm usually kind of busy.

About myself:
IMO I take a moderate perspective on peak-oil and follow key trends. Some of my experience is as an analyst, so studying systems interests me. I got into studying Peak Oil having realized energy and oil to be fundamental to our way of life.

My perspective:
I acknowledge the deep implications of what can happen to the stability of life in a country when it faces an energy crisis. Cuba and the Soviet Union being two poignant examples of an oil supply crash (Cuba) and the collapse of a superpower triggered by supply driven price volatility (Soviet Union). I see the events now in the United States unfolding as I expected. I appreciate the advancements in technology that we continue making. But also look deep enough to see mining constraints for new technologies and I believe if we continue on the market/energy trends we are currently on then we will see changes to our country that are quite serious.

What I do:
I do what I can. I make reasonable preparations and do what I can do to make my life more stable and think about what I can do for others. One thing I do for other people is writing how-to guides for solving problems commonly faced in countries with less resources. For example, tonight I was working on a guide for simple shoe repairs using melted rubber corks. Tubes of shoe glue can be too expensive for people in poor and crashed economies. Even if you have shoe glue, it difficult to use it for a lot of things like re-leveling a heal and melted cork is easier. So I write about a very wide array of practical artisan crafts, I contribute with my own perspective on this website and I do many other things.

[Carlhole]

HA! Hardly anyone is preparing. Very short thread!

[chris89]

snip

Hi steam_cannon,

Thanks for the reply.

I'm really interested in the analyst point-of-view and the varied practical crafts and the how-to guides. This is some of the kind of work I was hoping to talk about in my article.

Would it be OK if I sent a PM with a few general questions and some based around what I've just read you do? You wouldn't have to commit to answering all or any of them. Whatever time/boredom permits. Either way, I'd quite like to use some of what you've mentioned above if that's okay?

Thanks,
Chris

Carlhole,

That's probably my fault for titling the thread "Interesting people". That put's a lot of pressure on. What I'm really interested in is ordinary people wise to peak oil. I'm very pleased with the responses I've had so far.

Tbh, I've done no preparing myself. Apart from writing this article I'm hoping to learn some useful stuff.

Actually, I might have enough people to be getting on with (I've had one through PM).

Thanks everyone.

[Cloud9]

I’m an old history teacher. As such, I have a healthy respect for stuff that can happen. I converted one of my generators to burn propane. I am now going through the blue prints of a wood gas generator. This device was designed by the guys over at Mother Earth News and is built out of old water heaters. It is a rather complicated contraption they designed to fit in the back of a pickup truck. I remember reading articles on it back in the seventies.

My intent is to build one as a stationary unit to run my welders and machine tools. My theory is that work could be organized in such a way to take advantage of firing the system up one or two times a week.

[chris89]

I’m an old history teacher. As such, I have a healthy respect for stuff that can happen.

This quote has to be in my article. Would you be OK with me using your post?

This is all the kind of stuff I was fishing for - like the generator etc.

Also, would you be interested in answering some general questions if I sent them via PM? You could take or leave as many as you like.

Thanks,
Chris

[Cloud9]

Sure. Send me an email.

[chris89]

Great cloud9, thank you. PM sent.

[bratticus]

chris89, do you really think that people who are preparing sit around in front of a computer?

It would be better just to ask where to find people who are preparing here instead of expecting to engage them.

Besides, how do you prepare for the unknown?

[chris89]

Point taken bratticus.

I'm kind of counting on my belief that even busy preppers give themseleves downtime in front of the computer. The responses so far look promising.

Besides, how do you prepare for the unknown?

I'm half-tempted to stick that line in the article somewhere.

[Ferretlover]

Hi Chris89, and welcome to PeakOil.com.
Answers to all the questions you've posed (funny, you sound more like a reporter than a student) and more can be found in the different forums. Just use the search/advanced search function and a keyword.
And, remember: Everything that is printed on the boards is the property of PeakOil.com and cannot be used in any publication without the express written permission of the site's owner.

Members are reminded that PeakOil.com is Not responsible for any problems that arise if/when a member willingly gives out private information.

[chris89]

Hi Chris89, and welcome to PeakOil.com.
Answers to all the questions you've posed (funny, you sound more like a reporter than a student) and more can be found in the different forums. Just use the search/advanced search function and a keyword.
And, remember: Everything that is printed on the boards is the property of PeakOil.com and cannot be used in any publication without the express written permission of the site's owner.

Members are reminded that PeakOil.com is Not responsible for any problems that arise if/when a member willingly gives out private information.

Ferretlover,

Can I ask, is it OK for me to use this stuff in an unpublished academic assignment? It's in the form of a news feature article, using quotes from (these) interviews of people adapting to peak oil. There won't be any publishing of anything.

The reason for requesting volunteers is because it's a profile of individuals and what they're personally doing, and I need their direct comments to me. It's not primarily an article about the technicalities of peak oil I'm writing, it's about the people and their views.

My interest is more peak oil than becoming a journalist. Peak oil is just one of few topics I can bear to write about. News and Feature Writing is actually one module of many in my Writing BA -which I'm mainly doing for the creative stuff (screenwriting, short fiction etc.) I'm honestly not trying to be mysterious either. I probably am trying to be journalistic and "professional" in how I approach this assignment, but ordinarily I'll be less formal and be butting in with more opinions of my own. Hope that's OK with everyone.

Chris

[Ferretlover]

Can I ask, is it OK for me to use this stuff in an unpublished academic assignment? It's in the form of a news feature article, using quotes from (these) interviews of people adapting to peak oil. There won't be any publishing of anything.

I will check on that for you.
As far as using quotes from contributors, granted to you privately and not appearing in public on these boards, there is no problem (for PO.com).

[chris89]

I will check on that for you.
As far as using quotes from contributors, granted to you privately and not appearing in public on these boards, there is no problem (for PO.com).

OK great.

(If it's hazy on the comments that do appear publicly, don't worry. I can stick to the private message stuff to be on the safe side.)

Thanks.