gender and peak oil

I've been reading some blogs and some comments on blogs that refer to peak oil. As I have said before, I strongly believe pollution and other side-effects will get us way before we run out of oil. There is plenty of oil around. Sure we are pumping and consuming like mad dogs, and we may well have reached a peak in production, but we are by no means at the end of oil. Oil will be here for a while to stay. It is hard to see what, if anything, could replace it. Without oil we would have to forego our life-style, our economy, and all the other stuff we are so addicted to.

But onto gender. Apparently, the male response to peak oil is the Rambo-style, get your guns out and go build and live in a fortress on the land to prepare for the upcoming struggle. Maybe too many road-runner movies? The female response on the other hand is the calm, get ready, can the vegetables and make jam-type. One blogger compared it to expecting a child. Rosemary's baby?

Well, I am sorry to disappoint you. I am male and I am in no mood to go Rambo-style into the woods. I don't even own a gun, nor have I ever felt the need to own one. Nor do I think it would do me or anyone else much good. I am also not in the mood to start making preserves or can veggies. I have occasionally made jam and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially when it came to eating it, but I think making jam is not going to save us from what is about to happen.

Unfortunately it appears we are going to run into a concrete wall at 100 mph without ever putting on the brakes. I don't say that lightly and I feel bad thinking about it, but I fear it is all but unavoidable. History shows it has happened before and we humans tend to repeat history over and over.

Like other animals, we are opportunistic and opportunism is deeply ingrained in us. It is because it enables us to survive in an uncertain world. We grab what we can when we can. Male or female. With guns or with jam containers, we are out there to grab it and run with it. Because you never know what could happen tomorrow. Better be prepared.

Sadly, when we discover too many goodies it can be as bad as discovering none. And it appears that is what happened. We found an efficient way to harvest and release the energy that was stored in plants for over millions of years. And as any good opportunistic creature, we have been burning it as if there is no tomorrow. We have also multiplied like weeds. I guess when religious groups said, go out and multiply, they could not have foreseen the trouble they were asking for. Always remember to be careful what you wish for, lest you might one day get it.

So here we are, flush with wealth, and eager to consume it. Hey, if we don't do it, someone else will. There will be no stopping people. It would be like asking an addict to pass up the coke. It ain't going to happen. Not until it is way too late.

You can already see it. Rather than welcome high gas prices, people are crying foul left and right. Where are all those in favor of carbon-taxes? This, my friend is a carbon tax, and this is what we need. We need to make it expensive for people to consume. Very expensive. That is the only way to stop it. Unless items are expensive, nobody treats them with respect. It applies to gas, to water, to food, you name it.

And who can do this? Who has the power and the determination to enforce it? While staying away from it themselves! And who would be willing to submit? It is asking too much. Even if we found a group of leaders, what would stop the "followers" from overthrowing them forthwith? 

Environmentalists in their Volvo's are as eager to start offshore drilling as the most hardcore Texas oil man. Even if they realize it won't affect gas prices and will only further pollution and global warming. Sorry, got to drive the kids to school! Walk? Oh no, my kids cannot walk to school. Too far, too dangerous, too cold, too hot, too whatever.

Greed is not good. It cannot possibly end well if we keep going this way.