In a World Short Of Oil, Provisions Must Be Made

[valuesystem]

In a World Short Of Oil, Provisions Must Be Made
Mr. Wissner of Middleville Stocks Up on Rice, Gold; No Faith in a 'Techno Fix'

Wall Street Journal; Page A1
January 26, 2008
By NEIL KING JR.

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. -- It was around midnight one evening in November when Aaron Wissner shot up in bed, jolted awake by a fear: He wasn't fully ready for the

Comments

[valuesystem]

First off, I haven't given all that many talks, probably around a half-dozen. I was quite busy last year with the baby, and with other career obligations. This year is the big year for me, but I actually plan to do more film screenings than talking myself, although I'd much prefer (for my ego) to do the later

[ananke1]

I was very impressed with the article. I know that my husband and I should be more conscious of our use of fossil fuel, but we're lazy in that respect. It's too easy to let people like you worry about it for me. I'm probably going to be one of those people who will be scratching my head wondering what happened when the lights go out...

[valuesystem]

Thanks, Neil did all the writing, I just tried to share with him what I could.

The main thing for individuals to do is to try to work towards self-sufficiency in their at home lives. Of perhaps equal importance, is helping others in your neighborhood, or community, work together to increase their group self-sufficiency.

It probably is impossible for most to become totally self-sufficient, but almost all of us can take major steps in that direction.

[kymonesi]

But I did almost all the things Christopher did, just not Alaska. I had bad parents too, left when I was 20 after 1 year of college and left with no destination.

[anonymous]

With nuts like you teaching our kids, it is no wonder they are failing compared to other nations. I grieve for this nation's survival, if you are typical of the teachers they have now days.

[valuesystem]

All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted
as being self-evident.

Arthur Schopenhauer
German philosopher (1788 - 1860)

Truth only reveals itself
when one gives up
all preconceived ideas.

Shoseki

If a thousand old beliefs
were ruined
in our march to truth
we must still march on.

Stopford Brooke

All great truths begin
as blasphemies.

George Bernard Shaw
Annajanska, 1919

In a time of universal deceit
telling the truth
is a revolutionary act.

George Orwell

The trouble about man
is twofold.
He cannot learn truths
which are too complicated;
he forgets truths
which are too simple.

Rebecca West

[valybopu]

I wonder if they have ever asked themselves that if they should have the kind of government they apparently seek, no one would ever be able to do what they're doing again.

[donaldhaukins]

  They're our kids.  Yeah, you have an interest in them.  But not a large enough one to cross the line into committing acts which, for the purpose of "discipline" and maintaining order, would be considered assault and battery in any other social context.

Thanks for clarifications

[anonymous]

I think electric cars get a bad rap. I have an electric tractor (made by GE in the '70's) called an Electrak. One of the things that electric cars do is teach the people who use them a lot more about energy than they would otherwise concern themselves with. Windmills on rooftops, solar panels, etc. won't replace the power grid, but they would become much more popular if people had electric cars and could get a 'free' ride to work every day. A lot of the changes we need to make are more about the psychology than the actual technologies. There are lots of technologies that sit on the shelves at GM and other car companies because people aren't willing to pay for them (composite driveshafts, ceramic engines, liquid-cooled electric wheelmotors, flexwheels) until the price of gasoline gets high enough to justify the cost. The high cost of an efficient vehicle also puts more pressure on governments to provide mass transportation. We could do a lot immediately by requiring all companies over 50 employees to provide employee transportation (

Re: Thanks for clarifications

[valuesystem]

I think the Story of Stuff video is probably well worth watching... unfortunatly, my dialup connect at home won't tolerate it.

I'm doubtful about the extreme long term use of electric vehicles.

In the short term, I suspect they will become increasingly popular. Using the home renewable energy electricity generating system is certainly something that some people will be able to do. I think it is extremely unlikely that we'd ever be able to replace all cars with electric cars and home power systems. Not only would it take decades, but we're going to want to spend most of our resources proping up the food distribution system.

I like the "advanced technologies" ideas. Again, probably short to mid term techno-fixes, but they would certainly be interesting to see. Someone told me of a very low cost car, planned to be sold in India, that will use compressed air as an energy storage device. I'll have to try to find the article on this sometime.

The Pantry

[anonymous]

Just a couple of things you may want to consider for your pantry