[ROCKMAN]

Well...thought so at first: Finally we were being acknowledged by the MSM. The show stated with flash cards of Homer's fears. And there it was it big bold letters: PEAK OIL. But, alas, it was just a mockery as Homer falls in with a bunch of local peppers/wacko survivalists. I won't go into the details...we've heard it all before. Except perhaps the lesson on how to drink your cat's blood. LOL.

Maybe this thread may have some life: folks can post similar observations seen on TV or at the movies. They might laugh at us now but just wait till they come crawling on their knees begging for a cup of my cat's blood.

[Plantagenet]

"Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand."
-- Homer Simpson

[pwallmann]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_reaction_to_24

I believe was it was president logan saying this to Jack (could be mistaken, it was along time ago):

"This country needs energy more than you or anyone in this gridlocked government cares to admit. We'll see how you judge me when the cost of oil goes up over $100 a barrel and the people who put me in office can't afford to heat their homes or run their cars."

Sort of peak oilish... I throw this one out there for the doomsdayers. This episode aired in 2006. oil would have been in the $60s, the episode was probably written in the early 2000s, but still $100 didn't warrant a re-write.

[John_A]

Well...thought so at first: Finally we were being acknowledged by the MSM. The show stated with flash cards of Homer's fears. And there it was it big bold letters: PEAK OIL. But, alas, it was just a mockery as Homer falls in with a bunch of local peppers/wacko survivalists.

You sure you want to characterize this as mockery? There is a reason why fast crashers keep their heads down or have disappeared altogether.

Maybe this thread may have some life: folks can post similar observations seen on TV or at the movies. They might laugh at us now but just wait till they come crawling on their knees begging for a cup of my cat's blood.

Movies? Sure...The End of Suburbia.Natural gas supplies in decline...from Matt Simmons. 19 minutes in. Talk about a joke...and YOU Rockman, helped make it so!

[ROCKMAN]

"...and YOU Rockman, helped make it so!". I do what I can but I'm only one geologist. LOL. I'm surprised no one has thrown out the classic "Three Days of the Condor"

[John_A]

"...and YOU Rockman, helped make it so!". I do what I can but I'm only one geologist. LOL. I'm surprised no one has thrown out the classic "Three Days of the Condor"

Too many youngsters populate these kinds of forums. Read "The Prize" sometime, Yergin certainly enumerates more than enough real shenanigans going around in the oilfield to worry about Hollywood's half assed versions.

End of Surburbia is a good one, they kept going on and on about peak gas in the US coming in right behind global peak oil. They should have talked to you as a technical consultant before they decided to skip the experts and go right for the grandstanding social commentators without a clue.

[Oneaboveall]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_reaction_to_24

I believe was it was president logan saying this to Jack (could be mistaken, it was along time ago):

"This country needs energy more than you or anyone in this gridlocked government cares to admit. We'll see how you judge me when the cost of oil goes up over $100 a barrel and the people who put me in office can't afford to heat their homes or run their cars."

Sort of peak oilish... I throw this one out there for the doomsdayers. This episode aired in 2006. oil would have been in the $60s, the episode was probably written in the early 2000s, but still $100 didn't warrant a re-write.

There was also a plot in Season Two (2002-3) to start a war in the Middle East in an effort to jack up oil prices.

The controversial United States invasion of Iraq began on March 20, 2003. The invasion was based on faulty intelligence that suggested Saddam Hussein and his government were in possession of weapons of mass destruction. Five days later on March 25, 2003 a major story arc in the second season of 24 began, in which the United States was put on a war footing after a recording (referred to in the show almost exclusively as "The Cyprus Recording") surfaced that implicated three unnamed Middle Eastern countries in the detonation of a nuclear bomb in the United States. Though the evidence was verified by every intelligence agency in the 24 world, characters Michelle Dessler, Jack Bauer, and later Tony Almeida and David Palmer believed it to be false. Nevertheless, the government and political characters in the 24 world ignored the series protagonists and pushed forward with a planned 8:00A.M. bombing campaign. David Palmer delivered a speech to his cabinet that exemplifies the irony of the storyline and the real-life situation:
“ Make no mistake, if we unleash our military power on nations that later prove innocent. It will rank as one of the most despicable sneak attacks in history. Any chance for peace in the Middle East will vanish forever. Even if it costs American lives in the future, we must delay the attack until we are certain of our ground.

[Oneaboveall]

Forgot to mention this from 2006:

I[url]n Season 2 (which aired in the 2002–2003 television season), a group of American businessmen is seen organizing a terrorist plot in order to force the United States into a war with three unnamed middle eastern countries. This war would make the price of oil in the Caspian Sea to skyrocket. This group of businessmen (who would have invested in oil before the crisis began) would then sell oil at astronomic prices and run huge profits.
In Season 5 (which aired in 2006), another group of businessmen and other entities (including a high-ranking member of the US government) conspire to release a Weapon of mass destruction in Central Asia. In the words of one of the members of this group, this would "finally give us [the US government] a pretext to increase our military presence in the region, guaranteeing the flow of oil for the next generation." In another scene, the high-ranking member of the US government conspiring with the group says: "This country needs energy more than you or anyone in this gridlocked government cares to admit. We'll see how you judge me when the cost of oil goes up over $100 a barrel and the people who put me in office can't afford to heat their homes or run their cars."
This doomsday scenario was fulfilled in with the 2008 Oil crisis where the price of oil reached almost 150 dollars a barrel.[/url]

[Loki]

Not sure if this helps or hurts, but I just watched a segment in Doomsday Preppers about a guy in the burbs of Salt Lake City allegedly preparing for peak oil (episode #8).

The initial reasoning was basically sound, worries about the demand for oil outstripping the supply, price increasing past the point where people can afford to buy it, oil exporting nations stopping exports and possible shortages.

Unfortunately the episode devolved into a pretend “bug out” in a giant truck as a response to a permanent “grid down” scenario. Silly.

Getting poorer slowly is boring. Doesn't make for good TV.

[John_A]

Just watched an episode of preppers worried about the robot takeover of the world. Apparently a scenario inflicted on those who watch Terminator one to many times. He built a nice windmill for power, using power tools, and had plans to dash to the woods and build a shelter should be need to wait out their passing through his area. Lots of ammo as well, him and wife had a nice closet full of it. Bug out bags...he was ready. Not sure who was supplying the robots to do this with, they were a bit vague on that one, but it was on Nat Geo I believe.

No mention of peak oil, but perhaps he didn't want to be mocked for really crazy viewpoints, choosing something more mainstream instead. He carried his Glock while showing how he built his little windmill, it was all quite testosterone filled programming.

Another guy on the same show kept a dirt bike in his LA Basin apartment. Top of the line it was (he claimed) and there was footage of him weaving his way through various parking lots to escape the consequences of where he lived. He didn't seem to worry about the robots as much, being more interested in a cave he had equipped somewhere in the mountains nearby.

[SeaGypsy]

...we've heard it all before. Except perhaps the lesson on how to drink your cat's blood. LOL.

Maybe this thread may have some life: folks can post similar observations seen on TV or at the movies. They might laugh at us now but just wait till they come crawling on their knees begging for a cup of my cat's blood.

I was doing something very ordinary today in Australia, playing with my kids at the beach, a bunch of plump seagulls squawking around hoping for a feed- flashing back to doing the same thing in the Philippines- no seagulls- why? Because they have all been eaten. It is rare in most of the Philippines to see or hear any bird bigger than a sparrow- even these are hunted by slingshot and BB gun- to add a little protein to the rice. The fishing nets are spaced about 1/4 inch. Everything caught is eaten. Explosive fishing is still common. The only scavenger animals around commonly are dogs and a few cats. In the typhoon season, when there are no tourists around and it's too rough to get the boats into the water- the dog population plummets- they are eaten. Every evening throughout the year- people graze along the roadsides collecting common herbaceous weeds. There are recipes for every kind of unripe fruit- ripe fruit only happens when it is guarded.

This among people who have mostly never heard of peak oil, or robot takeover- in one of the fastest growing economies in the world- why?- Simply population to resource base imbalance.

How long before we are eating seagulls in Australia? Who knows?

I don't think there is going to be anything much uniform about collapse- it is already happening simultaneous to wealth expansion in the same places. Disparity in the extreme with nature suffering the most.

My first thread start here in 2009 was 'Dog Farming' based on my experience in the Philippines of people effectively using dogs as an urban grazing animal- nothing to do with puppy farming. Geez some people got mighty upset at the idea- but it's a simple fact in many overcrowded parts of the world already, has been for years. Another thread I started a few years ago was about modern day cannibalism- it was immediately pulled for being too extreme- (understandably- and the only thread I've ever had pulled here)- but yes it is happening.

We in the first world can still make light of these most dark aspects of what is already upon other parts of the world. Meanwhile the Philippines are just managing to get contraceptives widely available for the first time in decades and introducing laws against animal cruelty, aged pension systems, very rudimentary social security.
Meanwhile there is effectively a resource war going on between the Muslim south and Catholic north.

Head spinning complexity; all jokes aside.

[efarmer]

And to think all of this discourse was triggered by Homer Simpson getting a little nuts from sipping on Doomer Kool Aid, probably blue stuff, like Marge's hair...

[ROCKMAN]

efarmer - the sad reality is that some silly media TV show or movie could have a greater impact (good or bad) on the public's attitude about the energy situation then anything they might gleam from a site like this. For instance in the last hour I watched a less than serious TV crime drama "Castle". A 'time traveler' is trying to prevent the killing of scientist who, in the future, saves mankind from future fascists trying to control resources during the 2031 "Energy War". They didn't mention PO or give any details on how the war came about. But I find it all the more interesting that they didn't feel the need to set up the premise.

[efarmer]

Your point is well made and taken, Rock.

Consumption of unpalatable stuff is driven by suffering sufficient consequence
to make one swallow unless:

You can be entertained while you eat it in small bites.

Paging Mr. Vogelzang, we have a clean up in thread 2...

[SeaGypsy]

There are right now millions of children who have rarely tasted anything not collected in a garbage heap and boiled into 'junk broth'. Soon there will be millions who will dream of the days of plentiful rotten whatever soup.

[ROCKMAN]

efarmer – All of the folks here are really smart…right guys? We would never be duped by silly unrealistic depictions in any of the media sources…right? But as has been said before if the human mind is subjected to enough stimuli it will be affected.

A small but funny example: who doesn’t think killer whales aren’t cute? OK…all you cretins that raised their hands…get out! Free Willie…free Willie! Years ago a friend’s wife had a bunch of kids at her house to watch a documentary about killer whales. After all kids all around the world prayed for Willie’s rescue. She was in the kitchen getting snacks when the show started and then heard the kids screaming and crying. Ran into the TV in time to see videos of killer whales rolling up in the surf and snapping seals in two. A shame the kids had to be exposed to reality is such a blunt manner. But there is a good reason they are called KILLER whales. LOL.

But now a more serious situation: frac’ng. There have been a number of cases of environmental problems. That can’t be denied. Mostly from the improper disposal of produced frac fluids and not from the actual frac’ng process itself. And there have been documented cases (including non-frac’ng activities) of oil/NG drilling that have damaged water wells. In fact the problems I’ve witnessed first-hand over the last 38 years didn’t involve frac’ng operations at all. But consider the tens of thousands of frac jobs done in the last several years, the very close monitoring by the regulators, public and MSM of all this activity and then add up all the proven problems that have been identified. Many thousands of reports concerning the fears of land owners but how many cases of documented problems (not speculation) of frac induced damages? Very few, But that isn’t the perception of the public.

No oil/NG drilling activity, including frac’ng, is risk free. The Macondo blow out was a pretty good indication of just how bad it can get when it gets really bad. No other industrial activities are risk free. Air and train travel aren’t risk free. It boils down to what level of risk society is willing to accept in return for the benefit of any activity. Naturally there can be no consensus with the public. Not one citizen of Saudi Arabia benefits from the development of the Canadian oil sands…just the opposite, in fact. But the citizens of Alberta benefit greatly. So who’s right/wrong? Macondo was a true world class nightmare…far greater than all the concerns X100 heaped upon frac’ng. Yet where is the MSM hyped fear because since Macondo the administration has put over 20 million acres in the GOM up for lease, issued over 400 drill permits out there and has approved over 14 major oil production facilities in the GOM?

So despite Macondo the public no longer perceives a great risk to offshore drilling? A recent poll showed that most Americans, including a majority of registered democrats, favor offshore drilling. Or is it more that the MSM isn’t pushing stories about such concerns weekly as they have been about frac’ng? For a while the MSM was pushing concerns about new oil pipelines but that buzz has died down and the now the focus is on the dangers of transporting oil via rail which wasn’t even on the radar until the terrible accident in that small Canadian town.

We can’t escape the public’s molding of attitudes by the MSM. Consider how relative little press is given today to the frac’ng issue compared to a couple of years ago. Some stories still floating but just a small fraction of what used to be out there. And yet nothing has changed with the technology and more and more frac fluids are being pumped every month.

Again, this isn’t an argument for or against frac’ng or any other activity. It’s about the correct/incorrect perceptions of the public which are often driven by MSM reports that may or may not represent the reality of such situations. BTW do you think many of the folks buying lottery tickets and fantasizing about getting rich think much about getting hit by lightning? After all, the odds of that happening are 50X greater than winning the lottery.

Perceptions.

[John_A]

No oil/NG drilling activity, including frac’ng, is risk free.

Life isn't risk free Rock. You can be gone tomorrow from a stroke as fast as a cosmic collision can bring civilization to a halt this Friday afternoon. The perceptions people have are far more important than this reality, lives and cultures are built around this self deception, and it isn't going to stop in any of our lifetimes.

There is something about this basic fear of the unknown which drives the likes of those waiting for, wishing for, planning for, some small, specific and thought about as "being able to be handled" event. It gives them some small feeling of security, they've got it (whatever their favorite it, is) covered, this one thing, if it happens, they are good to go.

It is just one more delusion of certainty however, but humans do so crave it.