Comments | valuesystem: How Peak Oil Changed My Life

valuesystem

How Peak Oil Changed My Life

Jan 11, 2008 01:00

How Peak Oil Changed My Life
Peak oil changed my life by altering my expectations and hopes for the future ( Read more... )

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Comments 12

anonymous December 21 2007, 08:59:40 UTC

Thanxx for sharing your journey.

I came across your article because I subscribe to google alerts

xxancroft

valuesystem December 21 2007, 10:59:56 UTC

My pleasure, of course.

dtbrookes December 21 2007, 17:49:01 UTC

Yeah, thanks for that. Your story is eerily familiar except the great unraveling really got going for me after I moved from a third world country to the U.S. and saw that the difference between the vision of the dream and the reality of the same. Funny how only in coming to the U.S., I was able to put the pieces together and connect the dots. There is something to be said for this amazing country!

valuesystem December 21 2007, 20:01:03 UTC

Yeah, I suspect quite a few have similar stories. I can imagine that living in a different country, that isn't so obsessed and dependant upon technology, and then coming here, and seeing what the USA is really like, could be quite a shock. In fact, I think that is probably very common amongst those who come to "America".

good post ballhit December 24 2007, 12:18:54 UTC

Good internet value, peak oil kills.

Might I recommend ranprieur.com for those looking for advice on how to make an immediate shift away from the chains society with limited means.

Re: good post valuesystem December 24 2007, 13:00:08 UTC

Thanks, I may do that.

I recall that Ran was interviewed for the film "What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire". I'm hosting a public screening of that event on the 12th! :-)

nice writing anonymous January 11 2008, 14:09:52 UTC

As fate would have it, I found you through a link to another website.

I've commented before here, and I'll comment again: good going.

Mike

Re: nice writing valuesystem January 12 2008, 12:48:10 UTC

My pleasure.

peak oil anonymous January 12 2008, 14:24:58 UTC

Yo Aaron:

I have enjoyed reading several of your ruminations; keep up the good work. Here are a couple of specific issues:

1) You assume that it is not possible to replace fossil fuels with renewables. I have never seen any evidence for that, or even a plausible argument that it is true. Can you refer me to one? I think that the total energy incident on the Earth from the sun, and thus available in the form of sunlight, wind, tides, etc. is vastly greater than the current energy consumption of mankind.

2) I think your apple tree analysis of the stock market is defective because you ignore the income earned by the owner of the tree. No one would by the tree in the first place unless he expected that he would end up with the income from the tree and the value of the tree being greater than his original cost. While it is true that there are winners and losers in the stock market, I do not think it is a zero sum game. LairdTowle@aol.com

Re: peak oil valuesystem January 12 2008, 14:51:22 UTC

Hi There ( ... )

Re: peak oil hazelnutsource January 13 2008, 03:25:53 UTC

Regarding renewables and the delusion that we will just plug into renewables and all will be well, take a look at the piece in the 1/07 Electrical Engineering Journal: Joules, BTUs, Quads-Let's Call the Whole Thing Off [Oil vs renewables comparison]
http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/jan07/4820

And keep in mind that the liquid fuels problem is underimagined by most folks. A 42 gallon barrel of crude oil - now at just over $90 USD per barrel - has the energy equivalent of a human working 40 hour weeks for over 12 years. Is energy cheap or expensive? $3 worth of gas will move you, a carful of friends and the vehicle down the down ~25 miles in 25 minutes. What do you get for $3 in the labor market?
We are going to miss it when it goes away!! Norm in MN

Re: peak oil valuesystem January 14 2008, 07:58:04 UTC

I think the most important point here is that the energy value of oil is extremely undervalued. One gallon of oil contains something like 40,000 Calories of energy, but only costs $3-$4 even in its refined gasoline form.

This is like selling a brand new 42" Sony HDTV for $10. In other words, oil is horribly undervalued at present.

Imagine you had to push that car with your two friends inside it that same 25 miles. How long would it take? How much energy would that expend? How much money would it be worth to you to get out of that job?