World Without Oil: The Texts

This is Brazil signing off...

2007-06-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

My apologies for not writing anything new sooner. As you know from my last entry my wife is pregnant and thus this week she’s commandeered an army of builders and painters to come into the house and change the spare room into a nursery. There’s no shortage of people who can do the job thanks to the almost daily boats of immigrants arriving here in Rio. Mostly Brazilians who have been sent home but there are an increasingly large number of Europeans and Americans eager to escape their own countries. The irony isn’t lost on anybody and the papers are even calling for stricter immigration controls!

Well anyway the house is a mess with banging’s, drillings and sawings going on all through the day. My wife however is all a glow but she’s a little dictator in these matters making sure everything is perfect for our future son or daughter. Me, I’ve just agreed with everything she said and handed her my credit card. She seems to know what she’s doing and she’s taking great pleasure in doing it. And showing off to all her friends. She’s already kick started a photo album with the first ultrasound images!

So the house is full with the sounds of construction and the clucking of hens. On the business side of things alls well. Orders have reached a steady plateau and everybody is being kept busy. The only worrying thing is that the government has passed a law that invades our privacy. Strictly speaking it only applies to those in the petro-chemicals industry at the moment, namely the government are checking to make sure no one is giving away Brazil's top technological secrets on bio fuels, though im sure they will exercise it on other areas soon enough. Thus it means that this will be the last blog I will be publishing as it is getting too risky to carry on and I now have a fully fledged family to take care off.

The little world news that is still filtering through is that of greater crisis in the USA and Europe with more riots for food and the governments steady loss of control. Though a lot of this is rumour and hear say. The one thing I have noticed is that it seems that consumer goods are starting to climb alarmingly in price. This was rammed home to me when I saw my wife’s receipt for a baby monitor, nearly 200 Reais (which is a lot these days since inflation has been reigned in)!! It amuses me that since plastic is becoming a luxury it is advertised as such on the products. In this case our monitor boasted ‘A tough rugged plastic casing using the latest polymerisation techniques to ensured unbeatable durability during your babies early years!’. We truly live in a world gone mad.

Well I must say that even though this hasn’t been the most eventful of my entries its has been probably the most enjoyable to write. And now I think I will go back to my wife and dream of our childs future. If it’s a boy will he be the next Ronaldinho? If it’s a girl, what will her first boyfriend be like! Good luck to everyone out there in the world, stay safe and I wish you all the best. Tchau! - David_Mattock

fond and sad goodbye

2007-06-01T22:19:00.000-07:00

From: intwoworlds
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 8:23 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: fond and sad goodbye

Dear everyone;

This experience has been just incredible for me. I've learned so much and started to think about even small things in my daily life in new ways. Sometimes as I travel through suburbs or the downtown, I see the coming ghost towns. When I see the homeless, the exhausted, the hungry, the sick, I see many, many of us in the near future.

Lately I'm thinking when I retire, I should look for the edge of a small town to the north of here, where there's more rain, a town on a bus line or maybe a railroad.. I really never considered that before. I hope I have time. I would hope to do that before things get too bad, and hope for time and money to re-fit it with solar collection, windmill or turbine, composting toilet, and a well-planned garden. Even to the north of here, if I can't sink a well, I'd want to be able to collect and store rainwater. We may live without food for weeks; without water,only a few days. I should probably seek to gather people to live there with me; in times to come; we'll all need others to share the work and to brainstorm the problems.

There were stories I wanted to send in and didn't have time to write, like the rebirth of the latino corridor and how much they helped the rest of us, the adopt-an-elder (and save precious knowledge) program, the recall and replacement of easily half the elected politicians, how nice it would be to have a milk-goat in the back garden, and giant shifts in California agriculture and irrigation practices.

I want so much to hear about how people in the cold-weather regions will survive the looming winter and what new plans people have to make the following year better. I'd like to explore the possibility of more shipping by sail and barge.

Sometimes I've wondered if my imagined scenarios of deathly water shortage, famines, and epidemics of formerly preventable diseases (that most of us have never seen, and many don't know are even around anymore) were way too dark. I no longer think so. Most population centers are entirely beyond any possible carrying capacity of the land that's close enough to feed them. Stuff that keeps us healthy (clean drinking water, mosquito control, sewer treatment, vaccinations, good nutrition) will almost certainly decline, break down or become very hard to obtain. Those things are much more important to the overall health of populations than medicines, medical devices and most medical specialists.

I can't imagine not having a terrible population crash, unless the downward curve is much more gentle and gradual than seems possible. I guess the future may lie in a few cities (small by 2000 standards) centers of trade, artisans, small manufacture, and hopefully, education - located at crossroads of the remaining transport and trade routes. Most of the population in would likely be out in the farming areas surrounding scattered towns - mostly small towns. . That could bring an improvement in quality of life for the surviving population, but generations of gruesome stuff may go on before that time is reached.

Your stories and suggestions give me hope, that good ideas are emerging, that people are reaching out to help each other through these times, that necessary skills and knowledge are being saved and treasured for times when we will need them desperately. You show me that many really great people are out there, when governments large and medium are inept or collapsing, you'll lead the way through.

I send you my deep admiration, and fond wishes for success and happiness.

intwoworlds

p.s. I know it's too late to post this, but I wanted you guys that made this all possible to know how much it meant and will continue to mean to me. [not too late yet! -GT]

RE: World Without Oil - Last Day

2007-06-01T17:34:00.000-07:00

From: Sight gauge man
Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 2:49 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: RE: World Without Oil - Last Day

Hello,

I have added WWO to my favorites and I have been following peak oil for about two years now on the many peak oil web sites.

WWO has aimed its focus on the people out there which will report the ride as it happens which I think is great. I read a saying that we are all on a ship and we are burning the life boats.

This could be the horrible truth. I have tried e mailing a local radio presenter who seemed to have an interest in energy and I never even had a reply after giving informative web sites about the world oil situation. Are people just burring their heads in the sand and why does the general public not seem to be aware of any problem?

Any clues?

Well I shall be looking out for stories in my area for WWO.

Regards,

Sight gauge man.

Paying for oil addiction in the Great North Woods, northern NH

2007-06-01T06:37:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 3:34 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject:Paying for oil addiction in the Great North Woods, northern NH

Who Pays for Oil Addiction? View from Grand Bois du Nord - GBN, USA

Ezekiel 18:1 "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."

In other words, our kids, grand kids, and those after them pay for our addiction.

"Grand Bois du Nord" -abbreviated GBN in this story-- is a mythical rural town in northern NH. (In fact, there are signs in northern NH with the sign, "Entering the Grand Bois du Nord" - entering the Great North Woods.)

GBN Today

Actually GBN today isn't a whole lot different from GBN yesterday, a year ago, or several decades ago. The pace is slow; people generally are at the bottom of the economic ladder yet manage to scratch out a living. GBN residents' houses are modest, and built on lots of land, and have shallow or artesian wells for water. Distance between houses makes good neighbors. Distance also provides a place to hunt (in season and out of season), and large lots mean a good supply of trees for cutting and heating your homes. Everyone has a garden. Nobody has cable, broadband or even cell phone signals in much of GBN. Many residents do have satellite television, but that is often their only concession to modern-day luxuries. Everyone has to leave GBN to go shopping, even for basic foodstuffs. Living sustainably? These folks hang onto life from day to day, week to week, and that is the way they sustain their lives. Here is Dan, describing how $6 oil affects him.

"Prices like this hurt, but we manage. Isn't like we'll go out to the movie theatre less. They shut that down year's ago anyway. We'll just have to drive to Walmart once a month instead of every week, and buy our groceries there and in Shaw's next door. I'm guessing that I'd better stock up on some things though like shotgun shells in case there's a run on them. You never know."

GBN, 2027

I decided to make one last trip from DC to GBN, for one last visit the place of my childhood and see Dan and his family again. Getting to GBN from Washington was not easy. The trains still run from Union Station to Boston, provided you can afford the $1000 round-trip ticket. Getting from Boston to GBN was the hard part. I couldn't reserve a ticket on the new hybrid bus in North Station - it's first come first serve-so I stood in line and waited my turn. Luckily I caught the evening bus, along with about 20 other people. Buses are smaller these days and more efficient, , but because they're smaller and are really the main intercity transportation, they are always jam packed. And nobody has to enforce a 55 mile per hour speed limit. They drive at 40 mph max to save fuel.

I made it to GBN late in the evening, and made it to Dan's about 4 hours later after walking from the drop-off down a very dark country road for several miles. It was peacefully dark and quiet. Although it was mid-May, it was much warmer than I remembered GBN even in the summer nights of my youth. My main worry, besides whether I could walk the whole way with my suitcase, was whether I'd run into a bear. The Milky Way shone brightly just as I remembered it, but I didn't remember the haze. Yes, it was probably caused by global warming, with invasive trees and plant growing fast and what I was seeing was pollen.

When I got to Dan's house it was probably 2 in the morning. I was tired and thirsty, and the house was dark, but then it seemed like all GBN was dark and Dan's house never had street lights even before the oil shock. After a few knocks on the front door, I heard Dan call from inside. I told him "Yes, it's Bob." Dan opened the door and let me in.

First thing I wanted was a glass of water and Dan and his wife Mary gave me one and turned on the LCD lantern so we could see each other and talk. "Don't know what we'd do without these things," Dan said. "At least we have plenty of sunshine in GBN, and that means we can recharge the lantern and run the artesian well pump every day, except when it is really overcast. And with global warming, we don't need to chop as much wood to heat the house in winter. You'd never believe how late in the season I was picking tomatoes last year: It must been October, and we watched the last green tomato turn green just before Thanksgiving."

Dan and the folks of GBN were managing surprisingly well, living off the land more than they used to, but there was plenty of land, they never had much anyway, and their sustainable ways sustained them. Dan joked about how much work it was to do the little things. "You know, we're all getting older, but you wouldn't believe how much work it is to work the compost tumbler and keep up with the worm bed. We don't have many table scraps for the tumbler anymore, but the garden weeds grow like crazy since the weather warmed up. And the worms grow like crazy. You can't buy fertilizer anymore, but the worm castings make up for that just fine."

I must have fallen asleep as I heard Dan and Mary chatter just like old times, and next thing I knew it was noon. They nudged me and offered me a bowl of strawberries with milk fresh from their cow. It was really nice to be back in GBN. I wonder if I'll ever go back to Washington.

World Without Oil - Last Day

2007-06-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 3:31 AM
To: "'WORLD WITHOUT OIL'" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: World Without Oil - Last Day

Oh NO! I'm getting to like this.

Guess I'll have to keep up my blog by myself (and I'll bet others will do the same).

Please keep in touch.

--
Bob

World Oil Supply and Demand Projections

2007-05-31T00:04:00.001-07:00

This chart shows the projected world demand for oil and a projected supply shortfall. The oil crisis of 2007 was just the beginning of this scenario, where oil supply first began to undershoot demand by about 5%. From Gail The Actuary's analysis of the potential of corn-based ethanol to address the supply shortfall.

Who Pays for Oil Addiction? View from Sub Urbium, USA

2007-05-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

From: Green Hornet
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 6:50 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Who Pays for Oil Addiction? View from Sub Urbium, USA

Ezekiel 18:1 "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."

In other words, our kids, grand kids, and those after them pay for our addiction.

Sub Urbium today

And here's the view from the prototypical suburb, Sub Urbium.

Hey, what's this $6/gallon crap? You know how much I had to spend for a fill-up today? $120. My Chevy Avalanche will burn that up in just a few days with my 70 mile round trip daily commute and errands, especially now that it's hot and I have to run the AC and always get stuck in traffic 5 miles out of Boston.

And don't forget: I have to heat my 4200 square foot home with oil 8 months of the year, and I have to keep it cool for most of the other 4 months. This is getting ridiculous. At the rate things are going, I may have to forget about towing my camper to the mountains for vacation in July. How's a person supposed to live these days?

Those $%$##@ oil companies really have us over a barrel. I think I'll ask my congressman to vote for that bill outlawing "unconscionable price increases."

Sub Urbium 2027

Damn, it was 20 years ago when I complained about the price of living and the price of gas. Who was to know that things were going to get worse? Ten bucks a gallon for gasoline if you can get it at all. The cost of living was so high even 20 years ago that I couldn't just walk away from my Chevy Avalanche lease. Then when the lease expired, well I'd invested so much in it already I couldn't turn down the low price they offered me to buy it outright. Then gasoline prices kept climbing, and can you believe nobody wanted to buy it from me? So I kept it - I figured gas prices would come down eventually, and I really needed the power and safety of that truck. And today, there it sits, rusty around the fenders, but it still runs. Meantime I had to get one of those stupid plug-in hybrids for my commute, but the thing only goes 40 miles between charges, and I have to pay $10 a day to recharge it at work. You'd think they'd do something about these things, to help out those of us who are still trying to do good for the environment.

On top of it all, I've just gotten over another bad case of pneumonia. Can't keep the house warm and pay for food too. And you'd think somebody would like to buy it - 5 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2 acres, plenty of trees, not far from the Interstate. I'm finally paying off my mortgage and the house isn't worth any more than I paid for it over 20 years ago. Some of my neighbors are just walking away from theirs - maybe after the "fire" they thought it was best to just take the insurance money and leave.

I'm beginning to worry though. I'm not getting any younger, and it is really getting hard to keep this place in shape. Also, it's still 10 miles to the nearest grocery store. That's too far to walk, and you can't carry much on a bicycle -not that you can be sure what you'll find at the SuperMart when you get there. Lucky I've still got cable and my broadband connection. Maybe I'll just cocoon for a while.

Light Rail Vehicle 2

2007-05-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 6:35 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Light Rail Vehicle 2

From Netizen kevikens: this is also another kind of light rail vehicle that is running on a line in New Jersey. It just opened two years ago and has been a great success drawing thousands of motorists out of their cars. It was built on an existing freight line so it did not require a new right of way to be built.

Light Rail Vehicle 1

2007-05-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2007 6:30 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Light Rail Vehicle 1

From Netizen kevikens: this is the kind of light rail vehicle that thr Urban Transportation League recommends that cities adopt, electrically powered non polluting and oil free.

Who Pays for Oil Addictin? View from Washington DC

2007-05-29T18:25:00.000-07:00

(dispatch from the Green Hornet)
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 6:09 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Who Pays for Oil Addictin? View from Washington DC

Ezekiel 18:1 "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge."

We could discuss this question for years, by which time we'd know the answer.

We could analyze this question from a million different perspectives, such as - where we live: rural, suburban, city; transportation: commuters, travelers, commerce. And by the time we were done analyzing, it wouldn't matter.

And of course there are the very different perspectives today and 20 years from now.

So in the interests of time and space, here is the first of three stories, based on where we live, today and 20 years hence. The locations are Washington DC, Sub Urbium (anybody's suburb), and Great North Woods (a rural NH area). I have some experience with each. First, the Washington DC story today and 2027.

Washington DC, today

DC is the Prius center of the US, or at least that is true of the affluent quadrants in the city. There are so many, and they come in so few colors, I've bought a vanity license plate so I can figure out which is mine. And most of avoid driving in the city anyway; we take public transportation - and that is true of all quadrants in the city. Still, the price of over $6/gallon is making everybody nervous, and you can only manage a couple of shopping bags on the bus or metro. And metro prices have been raised to cover the cost of running the system, so once again it is the poor who are affected most, but not as much as you might think. Oh yes, to save costs the system is also running fewer trains and buses so the system is jam-packed. And they've raised the thermostats in the cooling season and lowered them in the heating season. In fact, it isn't uncommon to ride in buses with no AC and the windows are sealed shut. So in summer we've taken off the ties and everybody wears short sleeves, sweating like pigs on the very warm days. We complain, but we complain together. And when we are squeezed together in a hot metro train, we watch our wallets. Riding in such close quarters has become a pickpocket's paradise.

I've started gardening in earnest, and nobody laughs at my $64 tomatoes now. At least I have tomatoes, corn, and fruit, even if only a little of each. My grandsons think it is interesting to harvest food from dirt. They especially like digging up potatoes.

I've also started using a compost tumbler and I feed the partially composted materials to my worms, in my little 3-tier worm farm. The grandkids think the worms are gross but fun. They see me transfer the finished compost and worms to the garden and guess that it is OK, since the garden is growing nicely. Besides, they know worms grow in the ground anyway. I look at worms and see free organic fertilizer.

Washington DC, 2027

I don't have many more years to live, but I am still living where I was 20 years ago, and my garden is still intact. To expand my harvest and develop items and services to trade with my neighbors, I've quadrupled my composting and have a mini-worm farm in my basement. Still, all these things get to be lots of work, and at 80 I find I can't lift and move as much as I used to. I've also found out which items I can grow best on my little plot, and I have set up informal networks to trade worms and compost, berries, etc. with those who have goods or services to offer me. I was surprised how long it took to learn urban gardening and how much time it takes to do it successfully. Many neighbors never learned at all. Roaming bands of hoodlums have eliminated the problem we used to have with deer and other scavengers (by eating them), and now these bands menace the neighborhoods looking for meals to steal.

I'm also surprised how solar power and solar water heating both became so popular in the neighborhood. Many of those grand slate roofs have been torn down and replaced with shiny solar panels. Solar power generation turned out to be the best bet for rooftop use, so most people simply have had passive heating tanks in their backyards. Global climate changes mean that hot water is essentially free 9 months of the year. And nobody complains about the aesthetic of silicon on the roofs or tanks in the backyards. The city's commercial buildings all sport silicon and hot water tanks on their roofs. This doesn't make us self-sufficient by a long shot, but DC's "net power" usage is only about 25% of what we consume, and we aim to be totally self-sufficient in another 10 years.

My grand kids are now in their early twenties. Two of them have set up a business installing and repairing solar energy and heating systems. One lives with me and after hours helps tend the garden and helps guard the house. They all thought of civil service jobs, and may still apply, but the federal government's de facto power has dropped as its ability to influence events has waned. Young people are less interested in civil service employment and are more interested in practical work with down-to-earth results.

It's hard to remember the good old days of $10/gallon gasoline. At least you could buy it if you could afford it; now supplies are spotty at best. The metro system, like the Energizer Bunny, keeps on moving but it is increasingly moving in slow-motion. The bunny is getting very old, and metro officials never did (and maybe never could) invest in the amount of maintenance needed for the thousands of buses and metro cars.

If you don't take public transportation, you ride a bike or walk. Luckily most people don't have to walk far to get to a store. Unfortunately you never know what you will find for sale in the store, since deliveries are sporadic and the prices are astronomical. Converting most of our corn to ethanol keeps the system going, more or less, but makes the price and availability of groceries a carefully considered luxury for most people. Forget frozen foods - the energy to transport and store frozen goods eliminated them long ago. Now you buy the staples: flour, sugar, salt, yeast, and eggs. As with residents of Cuba during the long US embargo, people now are thinner - they exercise more and eat less.

When you buy your groceries and walk home, you'd better do it during daylight hours and bring your cell phone in case you need to call for help. You won't get any help from 911, but at least you can call your network of neighbors along the way to help you if trouble strikes.

High School classes from Netizen Kevikens

2007-05-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:48 AM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: High School classes from Netizen Kevikens

This past week my paper asked me to do a story on the local public high schools and see what they were doing with their students about the looming oil crisis. I chose a suburban high school in New Jersey as I thought it might be indicative of what other schools might be doing. After going to this school I hope it is not. Apparently there was some interest on the part of several teachers to use the World Without Oil website and game to get the students involved in how to prepare for the coming fuel shortages . Several teachers used the lesson plans from the website and the students were just getting into the activities when the school district literally pulled the plug and closed the server to that website. It seems the school district did not want the students blogging on the net. When I questioned the school administration about this since the program came from PBS I was told it did not matter who produced it or what the content matter was, no interactive websites would be allowed. The school's "net nanny" killed it. Somewhat surprised by this intransigence I contacted the county superintendant of schools who informed me that this applied to all the schools in the county and probably the whole state as well. Time on this assignment does not permit this reporter to contact other regions of the US, let alone other countries, to see if this is also the case but how sad it is that a school system would not have the common sense to understand that in the present energy crisis students should be permitted to contact and communicate with others ideas and proposals for solutions to the problems. Considering just how much energy the schools themselves use this is neither wise or just. They too are part of the problem. They need to be part of the solution.

ManicHalo's Blogspot- It's ON.

2007-05-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 28, 2007 2:24 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: ManicHalo's Blogspot- It's ON.

Life Change, nothing. Yesterday changes EVERYTHING.
It's ON, for Kerry.
You can read what happened at:
http://manichalo.livejournal.com/
This will not stand.

To Kerry's wife Alicia: I will put this right. The dirtbag will pay, and so will the company. My word to you, Alicia. Kerry did his job, and I have the real tape isolated. Don't believe what they tell you. Listen:

"...Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity..."

W.B. Yeats, The 2nd Coming

I have the conviction, and I have the intensity. You've got the best of the worst behind you, babe. Hang in for Kerry.

ManicHalo

Life Change

2007-05-27T11:15:00.000-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 2:19 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Life Change

Crud. Just like a lot of other things, I saw this coming. Decided to change my life last year so that we could continue to afford our fabulous standard of living before it hit us too hard. I'm manic depressive, an artist. My mania fueled my obsessions, made a lot of money that way. I was a shining example of the Paper Street Soap Company, selling people's fat asses back to them. I'd sell the townies a handful of the numerous "weeds" we grow here for a ridiculous price. I convinced them they were getting something rare and wonderful, and they were so happy to fork up the cash.

We bought this place 15 years ago, out in the country, no one bothers us. Problem was, I had to travel to sell this fabulous homegrown crud, was gone a lot. My husband is schizophrenic, but super-intelligent, the kind of person that is too busy building a solar incinerator to remember that trash doesn't go in the microwave. Doesn't do so well when he's alone. Daughter in college, living on campus. I needed to be home more, needed to quit spending so much time and money traveling to sell my stuff. So.

They were building a BP station on the highway, 3 miles from home. I thought, "Cool, I'll get me a job there and be management in less than a year, save some gas, stay home, take care of business, wait until the wind changes, maybe it easy for a while." Right.

Our daughter graduated college, headed to Chicago, got a sweet job. I'm in management, like I predicted. I owe a bit of money, helping her pay for her last semesters. Husband had a freak-out fit, went into the hospital, dog got sick, expensive treatment - love her, so I'll pay. Dad in the nursing home, dying. I got sudden onset of rheumatoid arthritis, can hardly walk, much less do the crazy stuff I used to do to make a living. Have to pay for meds. Not like we get insurance or anything.

I hate the job, can't afford to quit now. Still manic-depressive, still an artist, but no time, no outlet, my body turned on me. I'm only 42.
I'm a slave to freakin BP. Gas spiked another 31 cents one day last week. People hate us, but they keep sucking up the fuel. I hate people who can't say no. We get threats. They scream at us. They drive off with the gas, they think we owe them, some of them think it's fun, a game. The big guys think that should come out of our paychecks. Sometimes I feel like we should have a body guard when we go to work. Sometimes I think of sabotage, but what happens when I bite the hand that feeds me? Sometimes I think of suicide, but who will feed the ones I leave? Who will put fuel into Zabu, my intergalactic Jeep with 270k miles on it? Guess I'm stuck here.

I have bad knees, a foul disposition, and a medicated smile. Didn't see that coming. I'm good at planning. I'm giving serious thought to some serious shit. I feel like that chick at the end of that Terminator movie, watching the storm clouds with her dog. I won't sit idle.

ManicHalo

Good news/bad news

2007-05-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 1:01 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Good news/bad news

I've been working on local projects for the past few weeks as we have inventoried what we have available in our local region and how we can most efficiently utilize all of our skills. At least locally, we are fairly sustainable in the absence of affordable fuels. We have a range of fruit and the area of harvestable grain looks sufficient, although it also has to feed the livestock that pull our wagons and the chickens and pigs that provide our meat, etc. We have a nearby small river that we can use to power a mill for making flour if we can get the materials to build it, and my son's development of a small engine powered by scrap wood can produce a small amount of energy, enough for essential energy-efficient lights for an individual home, but if everybody does this, a sustainable wood supply will be challenged. Heating may be a big problem this winter, because we don't have enough local forest to sustainably produce firewood for our community. If we can find the materials to make panels, we can use solar power to heat water in our roof panels and store that heat for house-warming purposes, but the problem is finding the supplies now that the regional transportation network is barely working. Some essentials we can't produce locally, like salt and sugar, or sufficient cloth, so we'll have to establish some kind of regional wagon trade to obtain these goods. Manufacturing centers with hydro-power are in good shape, but transport is a major concern. We can get some energy assistance from wind, but it's not too reliable here. Clearly, a smaller population would reduce demand, but this takes time if we want to do this humanely.

One possible bright side to all of this, as it affects us in the big picture, is that the absence of serious fuel may prevent outside invaders from reaching our North American sanctuary in sufficient numbers to cause any problems. It has to be much worse in Eurasia where there are likely to be serious conflicts as some large countries work to assure themselves of sufficient resources for their people. Land armies can still move on foot, but getting across oceans is a significant barrier.

It looks like we are going to make it, at least locally.

Trilobyte

NPR.org - Green Roofs Sprout Up All Over

2007-05-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 11:00 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: NPR.org - Green Roofs Sprout Up All Over

intwoworlds thought you would be interested in this story:
NPR : Green Roofs Sprout Up All Over

*Listen to this story*
Please click on the headline to the story using a RealAudio or WindowsMedia player.

BBC Springwatch: Concrete gardens

2007-05-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 10:11 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: BBC E-mail: BBC Springwatch: Concrete gardens

intwoworlds saw this story on the BBC News website and thought you should see it.

** Message **
This sounds like a useful idea; I heard that Chicago has been doing something on big office buildings too

** BBC Springwatch: Concrete gardens **
As part of his BBC Springwatch series on changing habitats in the UK, Nick Higham reports on attempts to bring wildlife back into urban areas.

bike tires

2007-05-26T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 9:59 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: bike tires

I need to replace one of my bike tires and can't afford a new one. Over the summer and fall they got harder and harder to find, and gradually more expensive. I wish I'd seen this coming and gotten a couple of spares when I could.

I guess it figures, they can be made out of two kinds of rubber, both of which are impacted by the current situation. The first is traditional latex rubber which comes from South America and Southeast Asia. As we all know the shipping costs are now prohibitive. The second kind is butyl rubber; I guess that's some kind of petroleum product, because it was developed by the company that eventually became Exxon. I see all these abandoned cars everywhere I go and keep wondering if there's any way to melt the melt down or re-work the rubber in their tires to make bike tires. Does anybody know?

By the way, I've been wanting to send you some news about the re-birth of the Latino corridor, but don't have time right now; I have to go out and try to find a tire.

intwoworlds

Tell your story

2007-05-26T21:46:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 26, 2007 7:28 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Tell your story

Americans have always had fuel prices that were below the world market. But even then, in the 70's when the first oil crunch came, it took us all by surprise. We had alternate days that we could fill up, and those who recently purchased the larger automobiles were beginning to have second thoughts. European and Japanese cars were there for us.

I was a student and my VW Beetle served me well. I really didn't have that far to travel and by the time I had graduated, all was back to normal.

In the early 90's, my wife and I moved to Switzerland. At that time, the cost per liter of fuel was about the cost of one gallon in America. I calculated the cost was about $3.60 per gallon, about what it is in parts of America today. In the mid-90's, I had work in France. Paris was over $6.00 per gallon and the price outside of the Paris was about $4 to $5 per gallon.

I have always been thankful for not having the same expense in America. However, Europe and most other countries have developed their mass transit system that is safe, convenient, runs precisely on schedule, and accommodating. America is the least prepared to implement an efficient mass transit system, and maybe the inexpensive fuels have been partly to blame.

Today, I telecommute as much as possible, and drive a hybrid. I am looking forward to a fuel cell technology that will greatly improve our environment, pocketbook, and reduce our overall dependence on global oil.

Best regards,

LarryO

The great American road trip part 2

2007-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 10:53 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: The great American road trip part 2

On the 213 bus to Highland Park now. Guess what they are STILL building condos here. Count em - three projects? The North Shore area is SHANGRI-LA. Seriously. All the McMansions, townhomes and the other reminders of the late great housing bubble. All the gorgeous looking stores. The century old train stations that look intact. The Murkan flags waving for the Memorial Day holiday. The greenery. Anyway gasoline prices are this week (drum roll) between $3.71 and $3.79. The average is $3.75. That is up 16 cents from last week. Netizen Wolfy

Every revolution could have been - indeed almost certainly was - described as "unrealistic" just a few years before it happened.
- George Monbiot

____________________________________________________________________________________

The Great American Road Trip

2007-05-25T19:46:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 8:22 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: The Great American Road Trip

I sense the so called Great American Road Trip is becoming an endangered species. But not this year. Nope. 6 out of 10 drivers polled said they didnt care how costly gas was they were taking advantage of a long weekend. Sigh. That speaks volumes. Today is Getaway Day as they typically say. Ugh. The bus may be more empty than usual. Maybe. I havent indulged in this great American ritual in (gasp) a good 35 years. Then gas was cheap at (gasp again) 25 cents a gallon. And cars got tops 10 miles a gallon. Did anyone care? Nope. Netizen Wolfy

Every revolution could have been-indeed almost certainly was-described as "unrealistic" just a few years before it happened.
- George Monbiot

____________________________________________________________________________________

World Without Oil 2

2007-05-25T19:42:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 6:30 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: World Without Oil 2

It is a historic day around here. In the emergency town meeting, the mayor got 75% votes necessary to began what is known as “executive control” of the town. With this newly formed power, he’s allowed to cut through all the checks and balances and has the ability to pass direct law with out any referendums. This “privilege” is only going to last for 6 months or as long as the “emergency dictates”. This new overwhelming power scares the hell out of me and unfortunately I was part of the 23% of the people who voted against this. This is the first step down a slippery slop which leads to a dictator. We’re not even allowed to appeal this decision because the state appeals court is so backed up that they won’t be able to even look at the case until some time next year.

On the brighter side, the community is starting to bond together. People seem to be happy around here for the first time since I can remember. Everyone I’ve talked to say they feel say they are pleased with the changes. My parents even said they were considering moving back. Our community has been setting and accomplishing many goals. One such goal is to keep public use of gas down. Our gasoline usage is the lowest in the state in proportion to our population, which is a major accomplishment. My friend and I were joking the other day about how they should open a moped shop around here because it seems almost vital now, and sure enough King/Johnson Discount Mopeds had its grand opening yesterday. The acts of extreme violence rarely occurring anymore or at least if they are occurring they are not getting as much media exposure as in the past.

The police have been doing local raids on buildings and house they suspect are housing “terrorist organizations” aimed at extending the anarchy and chaos in our town. Some raids have included an old warehouse down by the pier, the basement of our college, and even a church. These reports about the raids were leaked to the press sometime last week and seem to be all they are talking about now. I was appalled at these reports but the media acts as though they were necessary; I guess it’s just business as usual for the media. A couple of key local activists against the mayor’s “executive control clause” where arrested and brought into custody in these raids. One of them was our local pastor. I’ve known the pastor my whole life and never in a million years would I suspect him to be a terrorist. I still can’t believe these accusations, to be true. Despite my uproar, most people in town think that I’m exaggerating and that I just too caught up in conspiracy theories.

The mayor is wasting no time in putting some of his new policies into action. Besides enlisting a larger police force to enforce earlier curfew (9:30 P.M.), the mayor has also put up check points on the entrances/exits of our town. The mayor explained that this is to monitor the traffic in and out of town to look for unusual suspects whom might mean harm to our community. Also, the government is now in complete control of the local farms. There isn’t very much variety around here but at least there are no food scares any more. The government stepped in and told the farmers exactly what to grow and not grow. They are now directly in charge of paying the farmers as well. The mayor set up an artificial price on the agricultural products making importing externally grown foods nearly impossible or at least not cost effective to do. I guess some of the big wigs in the capitol are taking notice to our fine little community because our governor and senators are make a special visit some time this week. I guess they are going to propose some of the mayor’s ideas in Washington to help out the nation. I can’t help but feel a little nervous on the amount of power the mayor around here has been getting and the fact he has no problem using it. I have this bad feeling that we as citizens have given up too much in order for safety. Is safety worth freedom?

-FatHead-Americano

Gas is expensive?

2007-05-25T19:41:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 25, 2007 5:44 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Gas is expensive?

Hello,

I am an American living in France. I just did some quick math, and it seems to me that the problem in America is not high gas prices. Here in France I paid the equivalent of $6.40 per gallon the last time I filled my Ford Fiesta (note the size of the car). Yes, that's more than it used to cost me - but we have alternatives here: reliable, frequent public transportation, both in the city and between cities, employer subsidies for people who use them, and of course denser cities in the first place (so you can walk places).

Maybe the real problem is fuel efficiency, urban design and the belief in one's constitutional right to drive cars?

Good luck with your project. -Fr Am


=======================================================

employment and income opportunities in a world without oil

2007-05-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:43 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject:employment and income opportunities in a world without oil

The 'disposable goods' economy has ended, and so there will be lots of demand for those with skills in repair, alteration and conversion of existing goods.

much springs to mind:

shoe repair, huarache-making, umbrella repair, bicycle repair and conversions, clothing repair and alterations, quilt-making, furniture repair.

dis-assembly of small machines (eg:power mowers) and appliances (eg:clothes dryers) as well as big stuff (especially all those abandoned cars) for scrap metal, small motors, machine parts, lubricant, belts and hoses,batteries and whatever else might be usable.

conversion of useful small machines to treadle and peddle power.

Also, production and installation of things to make people less dependent on oil and the large-system services that are breaking down such as :

windmills and wind turbines, solar systems, rainwater collection and storage systems, composting toilets, chimneys, root cellars, tankless waterheaters, wood and coal stoves with cooking surfaces, residential or neighborhood sized mills for grinding grain, small water-powered mills and turbines for places with year round streams and rivers,- small stuff too, like candles.

there will be increased need for certain skills such as:

veterinarian, cheesemaker, potter, horticulturist,-and beekeeper, I hope

we've seen an increased need for workers in public transport like bus drivers, and a few new jobs like subway pushers.

of course anyone who can also teach the newly needed skills will be immensely valuable to whole communities.

I hope all you other guys out there will post your suggestions, so that our unemployed friends and neighbors can move into new lives, and stay out of the camps.

intwoworlds

Weird Fight - Story by street_dave

2007-05-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 8:23 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Weird Fight - Story by street_dave

Hi, I'm street_dave

This is my story for today....

Today on the news, some guy got killed, I don't know, you can YouTube if you want to. I'm writing this from Calgary. I'm scared. I'm not sure if you have heard what it's like up here... it's not like everyone in the oil industry here thinks that the shortage is a bad idea. If you were lucky enough to work for some of the more upwardly-mobile oil companies when it started, suddenly you can afford a huge house in like the most expensive housing market in all of Canada. I heard a statistic that Husky Oil is going to be a better investment than Google soon.

But if you don't work in the patch, then things are incredibly hard. Anyone who matters is richer than heck, so anyone who is normal, like my sister (who is a librarian) or my kid brother (who is a field guide for the National Park) suddenly can't afford anything. Rent went up for my brother by over 250%. His savings are gone, I think he's gonna have to live with me on the street next month.

And Calgary is a city based on Cars and cheap gas. The transit system is basically shut down, cause mostly the people who can't afford cars don't have much of a voice. It's not like everywhere else, cause even though Gas is so expensive, it's not like the people who get all the profits can't afford to fill the tank, so no one cares... the Mayor was on TV last Monday, and he said something like "This way, Buses and the C-Train won't impede the flow of traffic."

Anyways, the guy who got killed (sorry for ranting!) was some oil engineer guy who went into this Trucker bar... you can imagine the conversation that went on there. But I'm writing about it because I was outside the bar when it happened and I heard from other folks what they were yelling about... who the huck kills someone over the price of oil? I mean, that's whet they were arguing about. It sounds so weird and cheesy that if it didn't happen for real I wouldn't believe it.

Well, that's about it. Just a thought or two from Calgary
-street_dave

Transportation Conference from Netizen kevikens

2007-05-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

From: kevikens
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 12:46 PM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: Transportation Conference from Netizen kevikens

This week my paper had me covering the UTL, the Urban Transportation League which has been meeting this week in Boston. They chose one of the buildings of Boston University on Commonwealth Ave. which is served by the "T's" Green Line light rail so that way the attendees can use public transit when coming and going. Two years ago when the UTL last met the topic of the conversation and workshops was the desirability of using public transit. This year the only topic was the NECESSITY of public transit and not for the lofty goal of reducing air pollution but the essential goal of moving people who can no longer afford to drive a car and at the rate the price of petroleum based fuels is rising that soon is going to be all of us. Two years ago the UTl spoke of using all forms of public transit but this year the emphasis is on electrically powered light rail, or trolleys, as they used to be called. Apparently the costs of petroleum fuels has risen to the point where transit agencies can no longer afford to operate diesel powered buses and every city is clamoring for the light rail systems which generally use electricity as the power source. What this writer found fascinating is that apparently some sixty or so years ago virtually major city had just such a network of light rail lines but in the 1950's most cities tore out the rails and replaced them with buses which burned diesel fuel. A few places like Boston, Newark, Philadelphia and San francisco kept at least some of these lines and are they glad they did as the ever increasing costs, and increasing scarcity, of petroleum make these lines the only ones cost effective to operate. Every speaker at the UTL conference stated that the only way to assure that people can travel in, and to and from, our cities is to rebuild those electric trolley lines and quickly. Unfortunately several delegates told this reporter that this is going to be very difficult to do. There are no factories in the US that can build these cars. The last company to build these vehicles, Boeing Vertol ceased production over twenty years ago. They are made now only in Asia and Europe and countries there are also screaming for vehicles for their own transportation needs. It would take years to retool some of out plants to build them. But what this reporter found very, very disturbing, and this was told to me in confidence and is not for attribution, is that there is actually an active effort by interests in this country to prevent any new electrically powerd light rail lines from being built. It seems that in some cities where this light rail technology has been ressurected recently- Baltimore, San Jose, Los Angeles to name a few- they have become so effective at pulling cars and busses off the road that two vested interests, the auto industry and Big Oil are doing everything thay can to derail these proposed projects, from lobbying Congress to actually placing obstacles in the way of building any new lines. One UTL officer quietly told me that a representative of Big Oil actually told him, "every time you try to build a line we will find a tree frog or snail darter or spotted owl on the proposed right of way. We can tie you people up in the courts for decades to come".I don't know if this is true. In this present emergency I cannot image that any American industry would actually try to oppose a technology, electrically power light rail lines, that can save so much energy. I do know that the Urban Transportation League intends to try to get transportation agencies to expand existing light rail or rebuild the abandoned ones but unless the public strongly pressures local, state and federal government to subsidize this infrastructure I do not know if it can be done.

Sustainable living in DC, page 2

2007-05-24T09:48:00.000-07:00

From: GreenHornet
Sent: Thursday, May 24, 2007 2:45 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Sustainable living in DC, page 2

As though we didn't have enough to worry about with the stresses of oil depletion, it seems like crises are brewing and converging from all sides. Now it's the bees. Where are they anyway? Peach blossoms dropped off my two dwarf trees as usual, but no peaches began forming. Then I remembered: I haven't seen a single honeybee so far this year. Yeah, I read on the Drudge Report that somebody else noticed and blamed cell phone towers. There was a short piece in the Washington Post about that too. Then I noticed an article about missing bees in -of all places-this month's Smithsonian Magazine. That magazine article said that many things could be killing the bees, from cell phone towers to global climate change to pesticides. But another possibility the magazine cites is that the die-off is a "multiple stress disorder." I've heard that if the bees die off, many of major fruit and nut crops will too, and we'll be next.

Also, where are the backyard birds? I still have a few wrens, and the robins show up quickly when I empty the worm culture bin into my garden. But even the robins look a little frazzled, like they need some sleep. Is West Nile virus killing them off? Is something else stressing them?

And they say this hurricane season will be a doozy. Just what we need: The oil refinery and distribution system is fragile enough, and if we have another big one like Katrina, maybe we'll move from $6/gallon gas to spotty supplies at best.

At least some things in my garden don't need bees. In fact, I'm not sure what doesn't need bees since I've always taken them for granted. Now if only we can find a way to make a complete meal out of leaf lettuce. Until the summer comes, it gets really hot, and the lettuce is gone.

Our just-in-time grocery distribution system depends mainly on trucks whose transportation fuels, will also become unreliable. I can see it now, the fresh vegetable racks empty; quotas on fresh milk.

It feels like a multiple-stress disorder.

OliBased City

2007-05-24T00:53:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 12:47 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: OliBased City

Hello! Here is my something-like-story:

I live in Plock (Poland). Plock is located in central part of Poland. It's a not to big city - but very importand in Poland, for Polish economy and market. It's an OilBased City. It haven't got its own beds of petroleum, but it's got bigest in Poland rafinery. Majority of Plocks population is employed in this petrochemical workshop. A lot of other firms is only working for the biggest oil factory in all country. It is a City like lot other all over the world.

What will happened with those city when supplies of oil will stop?

What will do milions of people employd in OliBussiness?

Best regards

danio

contribution

2007-05-24T00:50:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 11:52 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: contribution

23 May 2007

(This isn't actually a story about how my life changes in a future world. It is an expository description of my life now, but it would be equally true in the future scenario proposed by your web site.)

Expensive gasoline? Who cares. The last time I bought gas was in March and I still have half a tank. The last time I drove was mid April to pay my property taxes (I like to get a receipt in person) and do a few errands.

I ride my bike to work - a part time job. I walk to the grocery. I use the great privilege of property ownership to grow as much of my own food as possible - currently about half of my needs. A vegetarian diet is vital to the success of this lifestyle. It has taken me a decade to teach myself how to do this, such is the inane state of public education that these vital survival skills are rarely taught.

From a monetary perspective I live in "poverty", yet my life is far richer intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally than most people I meet.

My advice: spend a little more time off line; cancel your cell phone service; talk to the people nearby (love the one your with); learn to value a breath of fresh air more than the latest gadget; learn to savor the exuberance of a hard day's work whose reward is not a pay check, but a good workout without the health club fee, and the promise of provisions in the coming winter; and most important, learn to forgo all the unnecessary "needs" which strangle your life and keep you running like a pathetic rat.

- Cy Ocybin

P.S. obviously my email address is a pseudonym and a temporary account: I value my privacy. If you can not respect my anonymity for this one time flirt with fools, then the souls following your pied pipe will be deprived of the benefit of my experience - obviously that decision is your choice, as are the six degrees of consequences that flow therefrom.

The only real question is: do you really care about others with the hope of teaching them useful skills, or are you just another noisemaker looking for a way to profit from the hysteria of other people?

Story - epistle from a Quaker gathering

2007-05-23T18:54:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 11:12 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Epistle from a Quaker gathering

Alarmed by the social unrest and political paralysis with which the people and the power elites have responded to the recent oil shocks, 2,410 members of the various branches of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) have met in a national Called Meeting for Worship with a concern for the current energy crisis. We joyfully testify that we were gathered into the unity of the Holy Spirit. We offer to our fellow citizens and, especially, to all religious people and spiritual seekers after peace and truth, this Epistle of Exercise as a testimony to the truth we were given and as an expression of our love and compassion for all of us in these hard times, and especially for all who have suffered, from violence, economic hardship and despair.

First, we confess that we have ourselves contributed to the current crisis with out own lifestyles and we confess our reluctance to make the sacrifices that seem now advisable, if not inevitable, now that we have seen the future firsthand. After deep searching, we have all pledged ourselves to change our lives as much as possible in the coming year and to work to bring our Quaker communities toward more faithful adherence to our ancient testimonies of simplicity and peace.

Second, we pray that, as the crisis deepens, we will all answer that of God in ourselves and in each other. We hope that you have experienced, as we have, a divine Light shining into eveyr human heart, to light a way toward right relations with each other and with our mother the Earth. We pray that all wills eek and find this Light and answer it with acts of generosity toward others and nonviolent mutual protection. We hope that all our brothers and sisters in faith in all religious traditions will search their hearts and their sacred scriptures and traditions for guidance toward peace, and for the wisdom and strength to change in ways that will relieve the economic and social burdens created by the current crisis, and for the inspiration and courage to build a sustainable alternative to the lifestyle which these events have revealed as economically dangerous and ethically wrong.

Third, we appeal to all those in political power to heed the warnings of the present danger and be faithful to your vows of public service. Restrain your natural impulses to enforce social order with the violence of the state. Protect the Constitution and the rights and liberties that it guarantees us all as citizens. Stand down an mobilization for war over oil. Act decisively to mitigate the hardships that the crisis has imposed on both business and the people. Do all that can be done to support research and economic reconstruction that leaves us less vulnerable to oil shocks in the future. Finally, for the first time, begin to draft a sane national energy policy.

More importantly, we appeal to those in economic power, to the leaders of corporations, to business associations and economic think tanks, to economic regulators and policy makers, to researchers and teachers in universities and business schools—please, for the love of God and in the interest of our common weal and wealth, re-examine your commitment to perpetual economic growth and seek new economic models that can be sustained through the coming century, through the coming constrictions of oil supply and into a world without oil. In you we must trust. You have betrayed our trust over and over again with your greed and your shortsightedness. But surely you now see the writing on the wall, which today, as it did in the day of Daniel the prophet, told the leaders of Babylon, “ “.

These are strong words, we know. But the crisis is severe. And you are our only hope. And the same Light shines into your hearts as into ours. The same Spirit of Love and Truth speaks to your consciences, reminding you that your own grandchildren and great-grandchildren must live in that world without oil. Will you leave them nothing? Will they curse you for your selfishness or give thanks for your brilliance, courage and lovingkindness?

Finally, we urge all of us to redefine the good life and the American dream. To rediscover the intangibles that make life whole and joyful. To have hope, to find courage, to let go. We are being forced to change. If we embrace the change, we can shape it—within limits.

It’s all about limits. As Quakers, we believe that everyone has a direct channel to the divine and that divine compassion and new revelation is allways flowing toward us along that channel, though different people experience this different ways. Let us open ourselves to new sources of creativity, inner strength, and positive collective action, and move with renewed confidence toward a world that is undiminished without oil.

oneQuaker

Ongoing notes on peak oil prep

2007-05-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 23, 2007 7:30 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Ongoing notes on peak oil prep

Today I went to the grocery store as I do every other Wednesday. As usual I used two cloth bags and was glad to get the bus home. Each time I buy bread I save the bags and turn them inside out. And I got tapioca pudding for the containers. Some containers from 20 years ago I still use. I mean the yellow ones which once had chicken livers in them. A 12 pack of small water bottles that I will reuse before throwing out. Hard to find the 8 ounce size now. But its easy to carry. Stocking up on pasta and refried beans each time I go there. Also butter on sale. No shortages spotted yet. I forget to see if WHOLE FOODS ever got the regular oats in stock. Milk is plentiful from what I see. Thats all for now.
-- Netizen Wolfy

Every revolution could have been - indeed almost certainly was - described as "unrealistic" just a few years before it happened.
-- George Monbiot

.

Chapter 2, page 1: Sustainable living in DC

2007-05-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 5:41 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Chapter 2, page 1: Sustainable living in DC

In her 17 May piece for MarketWatch, Carolyn Pritchard said:

"Tens of thousands of Mexicans took to the streets in January to protest tortilla prices as they soared to their highest levels in a decade as demand for corn... Such fervor is unlikely to sweep the streets of American cities anytime soon," Prichard also quoted Ken Cassman, a professor of agronomy and horticulture at the University of Nebraska. Cassman said: "We're probably going to be abruptly going into a period where supply is much more balanced with demand so that small perturbations can cause a significant impact on food supply."

Hold that thought.

In 1915, the US horse population (for travel and farming) peaked at 25 million horses. 20% of the land was used to feed horses (think ethanol for horses). The US population was 100 million. Roads were muddy and stunk, but we got around and generally we had full bellies. Now there are 300 million residents in the US, many fewer (and larger) farms. Forget about how we'll get around, how will we eat.

This chapter is about attempts in DC to live sustainably, particularly growing food as the perfect storm of climate change, ethanol production's impact on food supply, inflation, and other issues force people to think about food security.

The story begins---

I grew up on a farm, and there has always been a little bit of farmer in me no matter where I lived. Moving to DC, I picked a place where I could cut down a few trees (before the city laws forbade it), get some sun (not as much as I really need), and begin planting. I decided to try to try moving towards a path of sustainable gardening - composting, vermiculture, no pesticides, etc. This took me several years to perfect, so I know the other DC residents -if they have enough sunlight-will not catch onto this sustainable methodology in less time than I did.

And here we are. Our attempt to boost ethanol production is sending food prices through the roof. Shoplifting is up, not for jewelry or property, but for food. People are hungry and angry. Forget the street people shaking cups outside Starbucks, they're eyeing you and asking for a piece of fruit as you leave Safeway.

Compared to others, I have a nice supply of organically grown fruits, vegetables, and berries, but no where near enough for all our needs, and certainly not enough to last through the winter. My kids - formerly pretty picky eaters - now give me no grief about eating their vegetables. They're helping me cultivate and harvest. And believe it or not, the perennial thieves are still here and even in greater numbers, in DC no less: the deer, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels (rats) and birds. Nobody is thinking seriously of killing any of these critters to eat them, but I do remember the nice taste of venison back on the farm...

by Netizen Hero GreenHornet

hard times in S. D., almost no news from Mexico

2007-05-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

From: intwoworlds
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 6:34 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Fwd: hard times in S. D., almost no news from Mexico

I worry about my cousins in San Diego, and don't hear much very often. At least they are all still alive.The water problem is really really bad, and looks to get worse. Figures, I guess, big city in what's basically a near-desert, now suffering constant water interruptions from power outages and pump breakdowns. In the summer heat waves, homeless and poor folks were getting sick and even dying; first from heatstroke and dehydration, later from sickness caused by the free-lance tanker trucks selling water around town. Turns out it was non-potable irrigation water, and to make things worse, some of the tanker trucks had been carrying chemicals, and never got properly cleaned out.

Most people can't wash clothes but once a week, if that, and a shower is a luxury. Sponge baths are positively patriotic now, and the use of umbrellas while walking in the sun is the new fashion statement.

People are planning winter gardens and praying for winter rain, but right now everything is brown, dead and dusty, except for the occasional backyard lemon or avocado tree which gets lovingly tended. Fresh produce is pretty expensive, cause it mostly has to be brought in, (the big growers in the valley north and east still get all the water and deisel they need of course), so the diet is pretty starchy, but at least nobody has to worry about needing heat in the coming winter.

The big push has been to put in residential rainwater collection and storage systems and try to get priority freight approved to bring in composting toilets. Standard toilets and sewer systems use a LOT of water and San Diego just can't plan on being able do it that way anymore.I guess some of the local politicians and citizen's groups are trying to woo one of the composting toilet companies to put a manufacturing plant in one of the abandoned port facility warehouses, so there's a local supply without all the shipping. They already placed a huge order so they can put them in the green shelters.

Solar energy is such a natural there that there are already a number of outlets around and of course they're going like gangbusters now, and expanding. Pete had a friend in the business and was lucky enough to get a job with him when the real estate market tanked.

Except for during the heat waves and when the smoke was really bad from the wildfires, there's been a steady stream of low-skill latinos heading through to the border. The INS buses showed at the border every few hours day and night in July and August to drop off passengers to walk over the border too, but lately the exodus has slowed. Of course there's precious little food and water in Tijuana, but at least Mexico has a good network of long-haul bus lines, and rumor has it that Pemex (the Mexican national oil company) provided free diesel to all the routes taking folks south from the border town til two weeks ago and forced the companies to lower their fares accordingly on those lines.

intwoworlds

World With Out Oil Story

2007-05-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

From: Fathead-Americano
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 4:30 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: World With Out Oil Story

I can't even believe how lucky I've been through out this whole thing. A friend of mine lost everything: his home, his business, even his family. My friend wasn't the only one to lose everything. I don't know how accurate this is but I heard nearly a third of the town lost their job and, or moved away. As unemployment soared people began to become desperate. Many, like my immediate family, left the city and moved to more rural areas. My family explained to me that they just couldn't handle the "new stresses" of the city. Many people in their desperation directed their efforts toward more violent ambitions. Throughout the city there have been reports of random acts of violence, theft, and vandalism.

The government has been doing its best to combat and suppress some of these crimes. I am a little uneasy with some of the new laws that have been getting passed but my worries have been vetoed by the other citizen's votes. The city has been under martial law with a strict 10:00 P.M. curfew. Also it seems as though warrants are a thing of the past around here. Guns are now illegal to possess in this area, and all of the previously registered firearms were rounded up some time ago. The police raided my neighbor's home and found and illegal shotgun on his premises. I haven't heard from him for months. With the new extreme crimes occurring daily, I don't blame the police for their new policies. I do, however, feel as though I am sacrificing most of my civil liberties for security. Despite the government's attempts, I still don't really feel completely safe. I mean all these new regulations haven't really slowed down the random acts of violence and vandalism. The criminals have been making improvised bombs and weapons to use against the newly unarmed people. I actually heard a squad car was bombed the other day, and the criminal had the guts to attempt to steal the officer's firearm from the burning wreck. The government has been enforcing a strict rationing on all of the gas. They seem to be hording it for police and local military vehicles. Another problem is the food scares we have. The local government has been working on that problem; unfortunately sometime all we get is the local corn or the "veggie of the day." I've heard 5 servings a day but this is ridicules. I guess it's better than starving. One can't but feel sorry for the local farmers. I've been told by many people that the police will just take their crops with little or no compensation.

I will admit though this new world isn't all bad though. The voter turnout last month was the highest it's ever been for a local election (nearly 80 %.) The politicians are finally talking about the real issues that concern us and working through party lines to fix the community's problems. We have now doubled the amount of public transit vehicles. I was forced to sell my car and ride the public bus. Unfortunately, I had to leave an hour and a half early just to make it on time to for work. Now with this new transportation it only takes 35 minutes. I've also noticed there is a lot less over weight people around too; I think this is attributed to all the walking and biking that is required to survive. Even though there are a lot negative aspects to our community I think we are making a difference and moving forward towards a common goal.

*Fathead-Americano

Riding the DC Metro

2007-05-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

From GreenHornet
Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 3:00 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Green Hornet - Chapter 1, page 3: Riding the DC Metro

Public Transit in DC seems to have traded places with the Hummers and monster trucks. Riding the bus and metro has gone from something only students, nannies, retired and low-skilled help rode in northern DC to wildly popular. Even with a recent doubling of fares -- $2.50 for a bus ride to the metro, $.75 to transfer from the subway to a bus - it is still an incredible bargain. It also beats the alternative of waiting in gas lines or paying $7/gallon for gasoline, even if there are noticeably fewer commuters on the road. The only problem with metro is that its entire infrastructure has rotted from within; in the past, maintenance money was skimped on everything from the bus line and metro cars to the escalators and elevators. Moreover, to save operating costs, buses do not run the air conditioner yet many have windows that you cannot open. Metro stations --some over a hundred feet underground-have become oppressively hot, and human smells made them a difficult place to be in.

Mix heat with bad smells and you get nausea. In fact, it isn't uncommon for someone to pass out or become ill, right there in the station or in the train itself. And usually when that happens there is a chain-reaction of sympathy sickness, and that prompts the trains to stop running until someone from Homeland Security can verify that those ill aren't carrying a contagious disease.

The best strategy is really to stick with above-ground transportation, large buses whose windows you can open, or to travel early in the morning before the crowds commute or leave a little after peak in the evening. That is also a good strategy to avoid what we all fear are the inevitable suicide bombers. They probably wouldn't bother with a single bus, and for some reason they like peak-hours to do their killing.

new blog entry from David_Mattock

2007-05-21T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 3:35 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: new blog entry from David_Mattock

Brazil awoke today to more extraordinary scenes. As I looked across the Rio bay this morning from my apartment I saw what the entire city is now gathering on the beaches to gawp at. It boarders on the unbelievable. Today 3 cruise liners rolled into the bay carrying thousands of refugees, not all Brazilians either.

We had heard some pieces on the news about how other countries have been rounding up their immigrant population and shipping them off back to their respective countries. These three ships have supposedly come from Europe. We don't know which. What we do know is that crews of the ships after docking quickly flew out of the country on one of the few remaining airlines, all paid for by their respective countries, leaving us to sort out this mess.

The conditions on the ships border on the inhumane. The press and people are outraged, since the majority of our people where brought here in similar conditions as slaves. The refugees who are Brazilians are being sent back to their respective families or put up in temporary housing. The others, nearly all of them Latin Americans, though it seems that there are a few Africans and Arabians thrown into the mix, will be slowly sent back home. However those that aren't Latin Americans aren't so keen to go back to their home countries anyway and given Brazils more than welcoming nature towards immigrants I suppose space will be found for them.

Its not lost on us than in the last few weeks the number of people who are flying into the country applying for permanent visa have shot up. The irony is that these are the rich and the powerful of their own countries now fleeing for better times in our little backwater country, ha!

The amusing aspect is that our immigration control, in this area, has become the tightest most difficult to get through. Namely its costing them thousands of reais to get through. I'm told the lawyers are earning huge amounts. The big news took place when a couple of Hollywood stars tried to move in and where denied visas. An appeal later and a lot of publicity (some negative) meant that our countries foreign minister, in a pr coup for the current administration publicly stated that they would be able to stay.

It seems that everybody now wants to come live in fair Brazil, for years people have been trying to escape to seek a better life, now it's the reverse. It's quite an odd feeling to realize you know live in one of the worlds most powerful nations..

On the fuel front everything proceeding as normal, no hiccups or anything of note really. Where just making the stuff as fast as we can. The price has inched its way up slightly but the government is making sure we hold back enough to keep our country running. It helps that some orders we cancelled after the ships to take away the petrol didn't turn up.

In other news the Volkswagen Brazil division claim that they will have a viable bio fuel plane engine in a few months and brazil airlines will get a discount of some kind in order for them to get back up and running as fast as possible. This is namely for the benefit of the budge airlines, a whole bunch of them that have gone bust. Only TAM is doing regular service but that is at a much reduced number of flights per day and they are exclusively for the rich. Needless to say the orders have been flying in. Oh and happiest of news my wife's pregnant, so tonight we are going to celebrate in style!

Netizen David_Mattock

story from Guy Smiley

2007-05-21T19:39:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 1:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: story from Guy Smiley

Spring

The long tragic winter conceives a face of mangled hate, where there is life there is blood; and with all that remains, the contentious gather in place. At the bar, folding the newspaper in half, sitting alone with my thoughts, I'm interrupted, "One of the cousins?" His smile is sharp as stitch. The last time I said any kind words to this jackass was day I left for college, it has been ten years since.

"Thirty-Three confirm deaths.", he recites. "You were saying something about the end of the world?"

"No, this wasn't what I was talking about.", I say with a short breath.

"Fish..Right.something about.." He nods, "You never make any sense with your talk."

"You never listened with what I had to say.you did all the talking!", I turn away.

"Well..you never told me to shut the hell up. When are you going to get some balls?!", he laughs. It was that stupid laugh. I'm bigger than him now. All it takes is one shot to his kidneys, and all that satirical strife will have been vanquished. I'm a humanitarian, I say to myself. I forgive and I let things mend.

"Look, I'm going to need you to do a couple of favors.", He sits comfortably and puts his hand on my shoulder. I shrug and turn to look at him with a cold stare. "Remember that story I told?", he says. "The soap story.I remember telling that story to your girlfriend in high school", he extends his hand. "Come on. We were little kids bathing together.I would drop a piece of soap off into the water. It was a game; who would find the soap first?", he says smiling. "The look on your girlfriend's face, hilarious!" Opening his mouth wide, "We all had a good time.She thought it was cute!"

This made me uncomfortable. I was not having a good time. "Yeah.I bet you told that story in prison!", I snap. I wanted to cut him down, but I was cutting into a cadaver that bled dry.

He stands up. Folding his arms across his chest. "Whatever.I was just asking for a favor." He picks up the bag he had set on the floor, "I'm going out."

Girard was a neighborhood of rust and roaches. Across the vacant lot you can diet on a bucket of chicken. Within a few yards, St. Helens Clinic. Steps away, the Vincetti Funeral home. A casket assembly line; dine, illness, and death. We are both standing at the corner of 3rd and Fairmont. It was 3.30 a gallon of gas at the Citgo station. I wonder what the price was in Virginia. A patrol car pulls forward and stops. He hangs from the car window. The radio blares, "Two males. Sunoco Robbery. Identified leaving premises on bikes. Five minute dispatch from scene." The officer holds the radio, his eyes were staring down a barrel of a gun. Looking straight at me, I could feel the cool spring air evaporating the sweat from my palms.

response to gerben Wulf from Netizen kevikens

2007-05-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 1:09 PM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: response to gerben Wulf from Netizen kevikens

Actually the question of building brand new coal fired steam locomotives did come up at the conference. Steam turbine technology apparently is very efficient and if run using coal would supposedly be able to replace diesel on most lines. The problem appears to be with American industry. There no longer exist any factories capable of making such locomotives. China was the last country to make coal fired steam locomotives and they stopped about ten years ago. To make such locomotives the US would have to retool what few steel mills still operate to fabricate the parts and then build erection shops to put them together. There may be a few abandoned erection shops on presently existing railroads but we may not have any trained personnel who know what to do with steam technology. Our dependence on petroleum fuels may have killed the knowledge of how to produce energy using other technologies. The ATC pretty much dismissed the proposal as impractical in the short term and questioned whether either industry or the federal government had the will to commit to a long term solution. Perhaps if the bottom drops out of the economy with soaring oil costs this will necessitate a domestic Marshall Plan that would mobilize the resources required to adapt to other fuel sources and energy producing technologies.

Netizen kevikens

needed, someone clever

2007-05-21T19:31:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 12:27 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: needed, someone clever

Our household needs someone clever for the following project:

Figure out how to make an open-tub agitator washer like great- grandma had on the back porch- mom still has the family photos - I'll show you.( I wish I could post the photo here, but Mom and I aren't that good at computer stuff). Maybe you can use parts from our electric-powered washing machine, we can't afford to use it anymore. It needs a valve and drain at the bottom so we can take the gray water to the garden, but no other plumbing necessary - we can fill it by bucket. It also needs a hand-cranked wringer on top like the one in the photo. We found a stationary excercise bike we want hooked up to work the agitator. We'll pay you in laundry services or other barter, and you can take the rest of the washer and dryer for parts and scrap. metal. I bet whoever figures this out could open a business.

intwoworlds

The local news

2007-05-21T19:30:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 21, 2007 10:49 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: The local news

In the latest issue of the EVANSTON Roundtable-1. A poll of condo owners reveals some things are most pleasant and others annoying. Such as not enough clothing stores for people out of college, no department stores, not enough food stores, too many condos and highrises and too many beggars and homeless people on the streets. Now that is a good list. In the post peak oil era EVANSTON is better prepared than most places because there are groups advocating relocalisation and organic food AND good public transit. I do agree the Northwestern students are not a model for city planning. I think their generation is mostly too tech oriented and not grounded in the old ways of doing things. Some seem very aware of peak oil whilst the rest enjoy their ipods. Some Chicago burbs have zero public transportation except for commuters. Many have SOME buses running but not covering the whole town. A few have really good transit services. I do consider myself lucky to be here and not drive because if gas became very scarce or costly enough to make a commute nightmarish, I would be SCREWED.

Netizen Wolfy

News from Boston

2007-05-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 11:40 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: forward: news from Boston

My neighbors finally heard a bit more from their son. He didn't have time to say anything but "I'm all right" til yesterday. Since his summer research job was cancelled and he couldn't afford to come home, he had to get really busy as soon as finals were over at the end of May. Now that his medical school classes have resumed, he's actually less exhausted than he was all summer.

He put big baskets on his bike and uses it for a couple of part-time jobs. Until they shut down, he delivered for Boston Organics in exchange for food, which was a real break. He's also doing deliveries for the Bike Collective which has been building a network to move parcels around within the city limits. Since UPS and Fed Ex collapsed (excuse me, merger and cutbacks) the new service has been doing pretty well serving a few of the green zones, they also employ "stranded" students to hand-carry smaller packages on the T subways between the green zones. Over the summer he also worked part-time for a pedi-cab company, and has learned an unbelievable amount about bicycle maintenance and conversion.

He and his girlfriend have moved in with her parents, who live a short way out of town, but in bike distance of a commuter rail station; which he says now employs "pushers". I remember seeing that in a National Geographic article about public transit in Japan: "pushers" shove overflowing passengers inside the train doors so they can be closed when it's time for the train to leave the station. He's trying to get a part-time pusher job on the subway this winter, but they're hard to get since pay is partly in transit passes, and the work is all inside the stations, out of the snow, sleet and wind.

His girlfriend's parents live in a really old house, so it was built in the time of 'natural' climate control, with a small garden, a working fireplace, and a basement. They actually found an antique coal stove which they are working to hook up to the chimney. They say it will burn BBQ charcoal as well as coal, and has a flat surface on top which works for one-pot cooking. I guess coal will become more available next year since the feds relaxed all the EPA rules. They put in double windows a long time ago, and put a lot of solar on the roof in the last three years, but there are a lot of stretches in the year back there when solar doesn't do much. Shelves have been added to the basement for canned goods, and the potatoes, onions, carrots, rutabagas and turnips are being packed away into the root cellar area, as well as the last of the apples. Good thing he already had a down quilt and jacket, because the prices for those have gone through the roof. His girlfriend has been doing pretty well selling the wool hats and gloves she knits, as well as the knitting class she just started. Her brother who lost his woodworking job just finished rigging up planters for all the south-facing windowsills inside the house, and a few facing west, too. He worked out a deal with a plant nursery that formerly did ornamental landscape stuff, all the plastic windowsill planters are long gone, and customers keep asking for them...

Word is that the large Liquified Natural Gas terminal accessed from Boston Harbor has a heavy military guard now, and instead of Coast Guard, the Navy brings the LNG ships in and out.

As for news from elsewhere:

I see online at BBC World news that Zimbabwe is running out of food and flour, and starving refugees are pouring over the border int South Africa, Reuters and Voice of America say China is saying little about the epidemic of a lethal disease in pigs

Good news from elsewhere:

www.insideINdianabusiness.com article on solar powered dentist office

And finally good news from Houston: a Bike Shop program in a city neighborhood that teaches kids to work on bikes and allows them to earn bikes by working on them.

My beekeeper friend didn't hire his hives to the growers in the central valley this year, figured that if the bee disease is something contagious, how better to spread it than put bees in the almond orchards from all over the country, then send them all back to their home states after the 'season', and his bees are still fine.

intwoworlds

Bad news from John Snow

2007-05-21T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 11:39 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Fwd: bad news from John Snow

I just got some unhappy news from my friend at John Snow For President. Our district, and most others, feels it can no longer pay for mosquito control. In fact, mosquito control was actually suspended back in July, which explains why I got a few bites this summer. Tomorrow I've got to try to try to find bednets and stock up on mosquito repellant for our household, while one of my roommates tightens and repairs the screens on all our windows. Oh yes, and I've got to find a roll of screen to keep at home for emergency repairs. God knows how I'll get that home on a bike. But I've got to; I'm afraid next spring it will be even harder to get anything. Now Miriam has to find someone who can add mosquito valves to the rainwater collection and storage systems we're building.

(see http://www.ccmved.dst.ca.us/ and google other sites re mosquitos and mosquito borne disease)

Netizens in the Southeast USA please take heed: we're mostly worried here in the Sacramento Delta about West Western Equine Encephalitis, but you have the Asian Tiger Mosquito, which carries dengue and a few other things too. And both the East and the West have mosquitos which can, and have in the past, spread malaria. I was worried enough about the periodic breakdowns of the water purification systems because of power problems and difficulty obtaining purification chemicals. And of course, almost nobody can afford to boil their water. We've been seeing way, way too much infant diarrhea at the clinic.

intwoworlds

GreenHornet: Chapter 1, page 2

2007-05-20T15:32:00.002-07:00

From:GreenHornet
Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 12:58 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: GreenHornet: Chapter 1, page 2

Do you remember gas lines in the 70s? That first-of-a-kind event was a comparatively gentle, short dress rehearsal for what is happening now. Then, we imported only about a third of our oil and although we didn't realize it, our domestic oil production was peaking but supplied the other two thirds of our needs. Now the percentages have reversed; we import two thirds and produce one third. And we lived not like kings, but like Gods.

In the petroleum embargos of the 70s and early 80s we could still drive anywhere, provided we filled up at the odd or even day. Fuel costs increased the cost of food and anything else delivered by truck, air or train. Yet fuel supply constraints were more an inconvenience than a crisis - we complained about driving 55 miles per hour, we queued up at stations and honked our horns. However, even that inconvenience pushed up inflation and hurt those at the bottom of the economic ladder. We worried about street parking and someone siphoning gas from our gas tanks. Trucks delivering beef and pork were hijacked - yes, that happened in the 70s and early 80s, but it made little news. And soon it was over and everything was back to normal. These were two brief, rude interludes in our paradise of fossil fuel luxury.

Now things feel different. We know that inflation makes numbers seem higher than they really are, but $7/gallon is still a shock. And there is a general uneasy sense that things are different in fundamental ways. Those who bought the big 10 mpg pickup trucks with their menacing grills now cost $100 to fill up, and the hint of rationing in the news makes those drivers wonder what they'll do if they can't even find the fuel for a full tank. How will they commute from West Virginia or northern Maryland to their jobs in the metro DC area? More and more people are taking the commuter trains. And national government in DC, long told to prepare for flexible work arrangements but never quite pulling it off, is beginning to wonder how it will get its basic daily work done. Parking spaces in the commuter lots never were sized for big trucks, and now with so many people commuting by rail you have to get the lots early even to find an open space.

That leaves street parking for the Hummers and menacing pick up trucks. Well, not to worry about anyone stealing them; nobody wants them, and you can't even trade them in for a smaller car without a huge loss. There is still that worry though about someone stealing your gasoline. Even locking gas caps are easily broken. Instead, the big pickups advertise: Lots of gasoline in my big tank. In 6 months, they have gone from menacing to menaced.

It's enough for a good ole boy to get really mad and want to run a few Priuses off the road. Matter of fact, that new kind of road rage has begun to make the headlines. And those who had the foresight to buy small hybrids now have their own worries. It is hard to start a Prius without the bluetooth device, but it isn't hard to simply tow one away, remove the old device and replace it with a black market knock off. All those DC folks who converted their small garages into living space and now have to use street parking are worried about their cars being stolen at night. It is weird seeing the new blinking lights on webcams, swiveling back and forth from ledges and rooftops. This fourth-generation video camera's software is designed to ignore motion caused by the wind, passing cars or people walking their dogs, and focuses instead on the owner's car. If it moves, the device wakes the owner, sounds audible alarms, and calls a preset security service offering to respond faster than the police to stop the robbery. Some even wonder if the sedurity services are playing both sides of the street so to speak: Protecting and doing some stealing to demonstrate the need for their service and their skill in recovering vehicles.

Everyone is getting edgy. Basic societal trust is fraying.

Touched by the violence

2007-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 2:10 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Touched by the violence

From the New Maine Farmer

We'd been fairly lucky to avoid the violence other people have reported. That ended this week.

Six days ago we heard gunshots from the house down the road from us. By the time we got there, a black Mercedes SUV was fishtailing out of the driveway. In a past life I was a Marine. Finding the bodies of the Millers, a gentle elderly couple, in the remains of their kitchen brought back unpleasant memories. Their place was stripped, so the raiders had been there for a while. Shooting the Millers must have been the last thing they did. The Mercedes was found, abandoned and burned, the next day near the Interstate.

Word got around fast, especially combined with the raids on those two farms in southern Maine. At the farmers market yesterday, I wasn't the only one wearing a .45 on my hip. In fact, it's starting to look like the Wild West around here, pistols and shotguns and the occasional AK-47. I even saw a guy with a machete strapped to his leg, gunslinger style.

There's a sound we hear regularly now that once was rare: a train whistle. Amtrak service had ended in Portland before the crisis, but now there are regular passenger trains running through Augusta to Bangor and through Bath to Rockland. The trains here are getting first priority after the military for diesel fuel.

A tourist train outfit was operating on the line to Rockland. The company is now offering regular commuter service along the coast that's popular with workers at Bath Iron Works, which specializes in building destroyers for the Navy. Anyone who's been keeping up with events in the Middle East and the new defense budget knows that's a growth industry right now.

The other growth industry is renovating abandoned rail lines. The work crews are absorbing some of the newly unemployed, although it's a real culture shock for a former financial analyst to be shoveling gravel all day. At least he's keeping his family fed.

My brother in law runs an auto repair shop and gas station. I was there last week getting the gas tank on my daughter's car repaired after someone drilled a hole in it to steal the gas. His pump jockey came in while we were talking and said to put Mrs. X on "the list" - the names of people who must pay in advance. She had just filled up her Yukon with $170 worth of premium, and her first three credit cards were denied, maxed out. The fourth one finally cleared. She and her husband own a large contracting business. Business is bad. At least her husband already knows how to use a shovel.

scant news, ample rumors

2007-05-20T10:09:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 19, 2007 10:42 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: scant news, ample rumors

I used to be a visiting nurse for the local Public Health Department. That means I went to see patients at their homes. Since I live in "bike distance" of one of the community clinics, I still have a part-time job, replacing two full time clinic nurses who are too far away to get to work anymore. The only patients we see are those who can come in by foot, bike, or bus, so a lot of clinic hours got cut. Our department has a meager gas ration, but because I have a Prius, I'm still allowed the rare home visit to a high risk patients. A bodyguard comes with me for visits in the red zones-one of our former outreach workers who happens to be ex-military. No money/no gas for outreach workers anymore, so he's the only one we have left. We make visits after the clinic closes at noon.

The clinic site in the latino neighborhood is closed; the neighborhood is almost vacant. Work for the undocumented folks dried up in the first few weeks. Nobody came by for the day laborers who stood on the corners, there was no demand for construction work, or "landscape maintenance". Then all the fast food and carwash places disappeared, and no jobs cleaning houses, either. One woman who made it to the clinic from across town (three transfers) with her sick baby said her sister found a live-in job in a gated community in exchange for shelter in a modified garden shed, and slim ration of food.

They couldn't afford to go back to their home countries, of course, but one of the local churches managed to get a block of bus tickets to San Diego so women, children and elderly could get as far as the border.

It is rumored that drivers without Mexican citizenship, (or lots of cash) are no longer allowed to cross unless they carry proof of having close family in Mexico who will be "responsible" for them.

Netizen intwoworlds

Week 19: life in the DC area

2007-05-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 6:46 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Week 19: life in the DC area

Nitpicker here, with my little dialup, splurging on a Friday night (other than the lamp on in the other room, that is). Just about to ped on over to WSFA for First Friday. Who needs to throw their own party when one is just about at the doorstep?

I need it after we had to stay late after the boss showed up late to our worksite. After the big fuss about how the oil companies got to Congress so they could keep a good-for-them thing going with this highway robbery, the Powers That Be have been pushing people to use Metro more. Of course, this lead to overloading the system, more breakdowns of the built-for-obsolescence carriages and buses, etc. So the next thing was a renewed push for people to bike more and walk more. I've already been walking to work, finally back down within 10 pounds of "normal" (!). They instituted bike lanes on the bridges over the Potomac and some of the other bridges, as gasoline north of $5 put the ouch on many and lead some people to get their bosses to let them telework. But the bikers (especially the slow ones, not the racers who weave in and out of the cars still running) have the problem of the people spilling out from the bridge sidewalks into the bike lanes.

Thus today's big mess. Word has it that some foreigners (some say diplomats from an embassy, others say one of those foriegn-official visits- maybe an official was being driven in a vehicle with diplo plates, who knows) were speeding in a convoy south over the Potomac, like it was 1997 or 98 when gas shot down to nearly a tenth of what it is now, and a car dodging out of the way ran into some bikes, and the car and bikes then ran into more cars and bikes and people. No bodies were flung into the Potomac, so no one is missing, but at least five people were killed (probably will rise) and many more hurt. The radio stations have been appealing for people to show up to the local hospitals to donate, donate, donate. Now if they threw in a free meal instead of just some weak OJ... The closing down of the south-bound span of course threw even more people back onto the Metro so they could cross the Potomac. My boss had to ride east from the main office for a few stops so he could find a west-bound with enough room for him to squeeze on, and then there were delays as the train operators almost had to slam doors on people to get the throngs to quit trying to board.

One attempt to deal with the transport mess has been the government's decision to have more-flexible working hours. Like the 5:30 to 2 pm shift? No more problem. Same if people can't really deal with life before brunchtime. Another response has been to authorize most non-emergency white-collar civilian government employees to telework unless required to show up either by the nature of the job (such as health-care workers) or by their supervisors for good and sufficient reasons.

However, this has lead to a BIG fly in the ointment for many people. Access to YouTube and LiveJournal and all those other sites? People vicariously moaned when the troops overseas couldn't get pictures of their kids (at the same time the Department of Defense was launching recruiting videos on the same sites). Now, they are STEAMED because the government decreed that "because of the increased bandwidth needed to accomodate the telecommuting workforce, federal government computers will no longer be able to access the following sites from 6 AM EDT to 8 PM EDT Monday through Friday". There are rumors of further limitations to follow.

Oh, well, time to hike off to WSFA and dream of the future that was ((and if we all get through this still just might be)).

Note: This is a report from a Northern Virginia "green zone". We have a few red spots of our own, but it's still nowhere near as bad as in Anacostia and far Northeast.

Netizen Nitpicker

From Netizen Kevikens

2007-05-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 12:11 PM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: From Netizen Kevikens

This past week I attented a conference of the ATC, the American Transport Commission in Baltimore. Among the topics that came up was the run up in transportation costs for all movers of freight. None of the freight movers, either in trucking or railroads can any longer move any cargo without raising their rates. The necessity of doing this was bemoaned by all the conferencees as everyone knew that these costs would then be added to the costs of everything from the the delivery of raw materials to industry to finished goods to market. This will result in a reduction of buying power as consumers will be left with less cash for discretionary buying and this could propel the economy into a steep recesssion. Naturally the question of how the damage caused by the rising costs of transportation fuel could be mitigated came up and some interesting proposals were voiced. I'll mention a few of them.

Long distance trucking may have to be drastically curtailed as a mode of long distance transportation. The price of filling up a tractor trailer vehicle with diesel fuel has reached the point where the value of the fuel used excedes the value of the cargo being hauled.Representatives of the rail industry pointed out that locomotives can transport these heavy and bulky cargoes, grain, ores, coal and lumber for now and still cost effectively but not much longer if the costs of diesel fuel keep going up. In addition the railroads pointed out that over the past two decades or so so much excess trackage was torn up that even if fuel were to stabilize there is not enough rail capacity to take over what the trucking industry had been hauling. Some of the rail officials have seriously suggested that as we still have an abundance of coal that existing steam engines be returned to the rails. Apparently there are several hundred old steam engines on tourists lines and in museums that could be returned to service in this emergency until something more permanent could be constructed. The more permanent solution they mentioned was to electrify most rail lines to use electric locomotives to replace the oil burning diesels. The electric power could be generated by coal or perhaps hydro-electric. Either one would be preferable to burning oil. Here along the East Coast many of the rail lines are electified but at the moment they are moving only passengers, not freight and rail officials say that must change.

I did not have the opportunity to stay for the last day of the conference but I believe they were set to adopt a resolution calling upon the Federal Government to temporarialy ban long distance trucking moves and to nationalize the railroads, place them under federal jurisdiction and immediately start the construction of electric lines and phase oil burning diesel locomotives out of use. Before leaving Baltimore I did pick up a draft copy of the resolution and it requests that members write to their state legislators and congressman asking for these policies to be implemented. If so please mention to them that the ATC will formaly adopt this resolution as settled policy.

Netizen Kevikens

New Maine Farmer

2007-05-18T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 18, 2007 6:20 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: New Maine Farmer

Another report from Netizen New Maine Farmer

Had our first run-in with government attempts to "secure the public food supply" at the farmers market in Belfast yesterday. (I sell there three days a week now.) Two National Guard trucks drove up with a platoon of armed soldiers and a state official who said she was there to buy the entire stock of storage veggies and fruit - potatoes, carrots, apples, etc - for distribution to the needy. She also had "contracts" that all the growers were supposed to sign committing their crops to the state, all paid with chits that were redeemable in Augusta.

Trouble is, everyone knows state government is broke and the chits are worthless. There was a stand-off between the official and the growers, who were joined by a lot of the locals who depend on the market for food. When she tried to use the soldiers to take stuff by force, they refused, despite orders from the officer in charge. Interesting.

When I moved back here in 2002, I discovered that the most Peak Oil aware people in the state were in the organic agriculture community. Which is huge, BTW. Maine has the largest organic growers association in the country. So it was no surprise that, by the end of Week Two, the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association was advising its members to plant as much as they could of whatever they could. Other ag groups followed suit in the weeks that followed. Good thing, too, as it turns out.

Maine has always been at the end of the supply lines, and now we appear to be beyond them. Managers at both of the local chain supermarkets have been told that the Bos-Wash metroplex has first priority on food shipments. Maine gets the leftovers. Stores that were resupplied every night before the energy crisis are now lucky to see a truck every four or five days.

Early on, you could still get mangoes in Boston, if you knew the right people and had cash. By mid-June the only fresh lettuce and radishes available were locally grown. There are new farmers markets everywhere. I'm selling three days in Belfast and my farm apprentice two days in Liberty. We can't meet the demand.

Trends recently noticed: Several people have offered me pre-1965 silver dimes and quarters instead of official currency. Given the action in precious metals lately and the declining value of the dollar, I don't object. I sold five pounds of new potatoes for a dime yesterday and considered it a good deal.

The local food banks are begging for donations. We take in several sacks of whatever's in season every week, and my wife has left more than a few boxes of food on neighbors' front steps. Folks will starve this winter if this keeps up.

We're hearing of people who are consolidating households to save money and share resources. Usually it's in whatever house has a woodstove. We've already had a few cool nights.

One last tidbit, too serious to save for my next report: The organic grower e-mail network just carried a report that a "gang" of some sort raided two farms in southern Maine, then retreated into the northern Boston suburbs with trucks loaded with food and supplies. Apparently there's a thriving black market in the urban areas.

David_Mattock reporting in

2007-05-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 2:36 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: David_Mattock reporting in

Well I've just arrived back from the capital, Brasilia. Feeling a little worse for wear but it was a necessary. I was attending a conference on Brazils and other latin American countries role in this emerging new world. Everyday we seem to get reports of chaos from across the gobe, scarier still are those countires we here nothing from. I;ve heard rumours that some African nations have become an information balck hole, nothing coming in or out.

The main issue was the distribution of our alcohol fuel. We've reached the maximum number of orders we can take without pushing up our own fuel prices. The main point was whether to share our technology with our neighbours or not, since they are suffering much more that we are, however needless to say there where great cries of outrage that we should even think of giving up our new jewel. In the end it was decided to give out the barest of details, enough for our neighbouring countries to begin their own development of alcohol based fuel technology. However at this rate we are always going to be 30-40 years ahead of everything else on the market. I'm not sure if this is good or bad, could lead to a lot of resentment against us.

The news coming in from across the globe is just as bad with the reported power cuts and rioting. Our government has already begun withdrawing its ambassadors from the worst affected countries. China being the 1st since its colossal collapse has been far greater than anyone imagined and the last images of tanks rolling through shanghai firing indiscriminantly shocked everyone. That's way there was a large enough outcry over here when this years budget was announced showing a huge increase in the defense budget. Our government seems to be stockpiling weapons from anywhere it can get them before communications with countries get too poor. There have been rumours of even a nuclear device but that has been quashed by the government.

Everything has gotten so tense this week, it's unbelievable! On a slightly lighter yet stranger note our very own Mary Celeste turned up here in Rio! A large cargo ship has appeared off our coast. At first no one thought much of it, but when she didn't respond to any calls a patrol ship was sent out. They found not a soul on board. Nobody. Not even a trace. The papers claim that all the lifeboats are still accounted for. The coast guard have rifled through the ship finding only a few containers of food that had been opened with some of the goods missing. Apart from that there was nothing missing. The only thing of note where the fuel tanks which where completely empty. We are talking thousands of gallons and fuel here and nobody knows where it has gone! There are no hull breaches so the current theory is that they where drained! Are we seeing a new form of fuel piracy? At any rate the Brazilian navy is on the lookout for any suspicious vessels.

The up side is that the cargo is being documented and is then to be sold of at a public auction where anybody can bid for whatever is on board, from toys to cars and everything in between the papers claim. Knowing brazil though the best stuff will disappear. I had wondered how my boss had managed to get a few boxes of Havana's when we haven't received any in brazil in weeks! That's one other thing, certain goods from abroad aren't coming in anymore, not that we need anything, we provide for our own. But everyone is wondering when they'll start to arrive again, if they ever will.

Netizen David_Mattock

May 17th part 1

2007-05-17T15:25:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2007 6:49 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: May 17th part 1

Tomorrow is when I pass by the gas stations on the bus. Then I will post the prices. It is fascinating to read the blog feeds about peak oil. Where I live is downtown EVANSTON IL. Parking is usually scarce on my street. So far no real change seen here. The Whole Foods lot is full with several SUVs. Many customers have at least 2 kids. One complained to me yesterday about gas prices for her SUV. I said nothing. What to say? More customers and coworkers walk, ride the L or use bikes. A Hummer occasionally appears and looks out of place.

Wolfy

Report from Maine

2007-05-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

From: New Maine Farmer

Me: A former financial industry reporter and editor who saw the second plane burrow into the South Tower from the street below. After folllowing Peak Oil developments since the March 1997 Scientific American cover, "The End of Cheap Oil," that told me all I needed to know about the future. A year later I cashed out, sold the apartment, moved back home to a small farm in Maine, in a town west of Penobscot Bay where my brothers and sisters live.

Besides the unemployment and shortages reported elsewhere, we've also seen something else that hasn't been widely reported. For the past two, three months people who own summer places in Maine have moved up here "for the duration." Plus a lot of Mainers who worked out of state have moved back to live with friends and family. My brother has a cottage on a lake north of Bangor, and the people on both sides of him - one from Providence, the other from Baltimore -- have been winterizing their places. They truly expect the cities to burn this winter if this crisis continues.

More ominous, maybe, is the new military activity up here - and the reason I'm writing this report. Yesterday I talked with a market gardener up in Caribou, in northern Maine. Loring Air Force Base in nearby Limestone was a huge bomber base that closed in the early 1990s. Longest runway on the East Coast, closest base to Europe, its own underground command post, a brand new hospital mothballed but quickly usable, extensive machine shops. Parts of it have been leased to various businesses, including my friend's greenhouse operation, but the runways and hangers remained unused. Four weeks ago a plane landed with a team of technicians. They had the control tower and runway lights up and running within hours, and almost immediately flights of cargo planes started landing - BIG cargo planes filled with people, equipment, and supplies.

The military - a mixed bag of Air Force and Army - has evicted most of the leaseholders. My friend, Kevin, is the exception, but he now has just one customer for his greenhouse-grown produce, the base chow halls. Curiously, the base commander has offered him official help to expand his operation before winter.

Kevin has helped military buyers contract with local farmers for potatoes, oats, wheat, barley, beef, and pork, far more than the several thousand people there would need. Military crews have the old power plant up and running again, and it's been modified to burn wood chips. Engineering units have put up more than a dozen modular homes, and Kevin says they're talking about at least 100 before snow flies. The reinforced perimeter fence is constantly patrolled by guards on foot and in armored Humvees.

Officials have promised base personnel that their families will join them in another six weeks. "There are NO civilian contractors on base," Kevin says. "Everyone is wearing a uniform, and they're working 24/7 to get the base set up and secure." According to his source, the officer in charge of food supplies, "They're setting the base up as a fallback position when the Pentagon disperses operations away from D.C. A chunk of the military leadership will move to Loring." He said "when," not "if."

It makes sense. Northern Maine has 13 people per square mile, no major U.S. urban areas within a tank of gas, and plenty of food and fuel. It's the perfect spot for a military survival station. But it also tells us what the powers that be in Washington are expecting, and that makes me very uneasy.

Update from the Southeast - North Carolina

2007-05-16T20:38:00.000-07:00

From: Quadratrückseite
Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 11:38 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Update from the Southeast - North Carolina

An update from North Carolina, near Research Triangle Park. This is truly unbelievable - I cannot believe we have regressed this far in two weeks. Our gasoline supply to this area was completely shut off eleven days ago, yet amazingly, some have continued to try to
drive. Abandoned cars line the sides of the highway. Many of these are crushed, as the NC National Guard tanks not-so-gently push them out of the way if they have stalled in the road. My office has been closed for a week - my boss said to not come in until
gasoline supplies are resumed. There have been raids at night on homes in the area by armed bands of looters looking for food (there was a run at the grocery stores the day after the shock - none are open currently). We sleep in shifts - I've boarded the windows, and only venture out in daylight hours. We managed to park our vehicles in the garage before news of the car thefts got to us. I nailed some leftover 4x4 boards I had across the inside for further protection. (thieves are stealing any car on the street that looks operable, and siphoning the gas. We siphoned all of our gas, and buried it under our crawlspace during the night, in case of an extreme emergency where we would have to drive.) The one car that didn't fit in the garage was stolen a week and a half ago. Our days are spent waiting in line at the food kitchen at the local Methodist Church - without this we would have run out of food by May 7th. At night we hear the occasional gunshot, but recently they have increased. There's a rumor of an oil tanker with a huge supply of gas that's supposed to be docking in Wilmington, and gas may be restored soon, or at least given to us in rations. I personally think it's just a rumor.

Thanks for listening,
Quadratrückseite

GreenHornet - chapter 1

2007-05-16T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 7:11 PM

Well, I've been expecting this shock for sometime. In fact, after losing some bets with my friends about when gas would go over $5/gallon, this year I could get no takers. Nobody wants to think about -nobody I believe can even wrap their head around the idea that-oil is running out and even $7/gallon is a deal.

Living in DC, a block captain for Neighborhood Watch, I am doing my small bit to keep up a neighborhood infrastructure to protect from the waves of robberies, car jackings, and violence that are now increasing. Having a Prius makes it a little easier to keep my car safe from theft - can't rob it without the Bluetooth starter-but of course that only goes so far. And I get uneasy when I fill up once/month for only $75 when others, with their big honken pickups can only get about 100 miles for the same price at 10mpg. If they're commuting outside the metro bus and rail system, they're in trouble and are coming to see those monster trucks as a cruel joke, a betrayal.

Food has of course become far more expensive and scarce. Deliveries are intermittent due to spot fuel shortages, and the added cost to transport goods makes corn -if you can find it at all, since more and more is going to make ethanol-only $5/ear.

Believe it or not, having lived through the oil shocks of the 70s and read the "back to basics" books like "One Acre and Security," I started preparing long ago with my backyard garden, dwarf fruit trees, etc. These won't keep me or my family fed, but they will provide a nice supplement to whatever we can find at the local markets. On a quarter acre lot, half of which is house and front yard, you can't plant much, but I've made recycling a priority (even with a small worm farm in my basement), so this normally ivy-covered clay is really beginning to bear fruit, literally.

One nice side effect of the growing hunt for food, the deer who normally roam through yards eating everything from tomato plants to hosta, have suddenly disappeared. I'm betting some of them have ended up on dinner plates.

GreenHornet

living sustainably ~ ask me how

the scarcity of meat

2007-05-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

From: Cannibal Lector
Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2007 7:02 PM

Yesterday we found it necessary to take the CRV to visit my mother-in-law, who is dying. We think it is dengue fever, or malaria, or something like that. She has been sleeping on the porch because the heat and humidity down here in Southeast Louisiana makes unairconditioned bedrooms unbearable.

We had butchered a chicken and made some soup with it to feed her. Meat has become very scarce once the blackouts started. Things haven't been so lean since the MRE season after Katrina. Having always been something of a scavenger/dumpster diver, I picked up a couple of meats on the side of the highway last month. I checked the critters out well before pressure cooking the heck out of them and sealing into quart jars.

Here's the crazy thing about Peak Oil Misery. There were very few automobiles on the road, and hence, no roadkill. Times have become so very lean that I can't even feed my family from the side of the road anymore!

U.S.$6.50 per gal is real cheap

2007-05-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 9:03 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: U.S.$6.50 per gal is real cheap

HI I live in Australia and I am amazed at what Americans think expensive oil is, where I live (Katoomba just outside Sydney) I've been paying around $4.50U.S.D for unleaded Gasoline for many years now, but in say London or Paris it's around $8.00 per Gallon and they have been paying that for a very long time. A U.S.$6.58 price is not going to have a great effect on your economy just a short term hardship until you switch to vehicles of say 1.3litre in lieu of 3.5litre-5.0 litre SUV's. The Large Auto producers are already history and the Japs and Koreans will have G.M, Ford and Chrysler out of business unless they rapidly adjust to a smaller vehicle size. Americans are going to have to adjust to European vehicle sizes in a time frame of only 3-5 years.

Kevin

My first story contribution

2007-05-14T11:46:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 11:29 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject:My first story contribution

Our biggest supplier wants us to start paying for the grease. We knew the free ride would not last once they had to start paying more per gallon.

If you don't know us, we are Better World Fuels (I thought of the name, which is about my ONLY contribution.) In 2005, we need to get a larger vehicle. I started to look at hybrids, the only thing a true Greenie would consider. Then I brought home a copy of Mother Earth News. Each copy of MEN has cost me about $1200 in energy efficiency projects that my husband undertakes after reading about them. Anyway, I saw an ad for "make your own biodiesel" and asked my husband to consider it. After much research, we decided it was better to convert a diesel vehicle rather than convert the grease. Two years later, we have two cars that run on waste vegetable oil that we get for free from local restaurants. We average about 70 MPG of dino-diesel between the car and the truck.

We hoped this would help the earth, our own little contribution. We hoped it would shield us from the brunt of the oil crisis. And I have to admit that it has come upon us much later than it hit others. When food prices started to climb, we started feeling it ourselves. The restaurants started to charge more for their offerings when their costs increased. Then the biodiesel plants started to gobble up all of the soybean oil, so the prices shot up. You won't believe what the Chinese restaurant is paying per gallon for unhydrogenated! Nearly $7. The family restaurant next door to them is re-using their grease to the point that their fried foods cannot be considered 'crisp' any more. They are droopy and flavorless. They might as well be boiling them.

Our most reliable restaurants are just not meeting our demand. We have added three more on contract, but it is starting to take a lot of time just to collect the grease. What used to take an hour on the weekends is taking most of the morning on Saturday.

We did find out from one of the new restaurants that many of the renderers are canceling contracts. It costs way too much for them to run their trucks out to the suburbs, so they are just collecting from restaurants that are near to them. Hopefully, that will open up the market for us. We have gone Dumptser diving a few nights. That means we find a strip mall with several restaurants and just pull all the grease from their grease traps to take home for filtering. Most of the traps have been full lately, which makes sense now that we know no one is coming to pick it up any more.

Our biggest question is: how long can restaurants last? People can barely afford food at the store; eating out is such a luxury. A lot of the eateries around here are trying to buy locally, but there is just so little that people have until late summer. Our short growing season makes local purchases a small segment of available food stuffs. In addition, the demand is so great that local food is not much cheaper. I cannot imagine how lacking in produce February will be. If the restaurants fail, we will be in the same boat as everyone else.

Netizan GreaseWife

Architectural convention

2007-05-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 14, 2007 9:42 AM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: From netizen kevikens Architectural convention

This past weekend I attended the National Architectural and Designers Convention in San Jose and presented a proposal to the assembled members about how we might need to adjust how we design buildings to adapt to the looming petroleum crisis. I demonstrated to the the delegates that looking at older buildings, those constructed in the late 19th to the mid 20th Centuries, we can see that they were designed and constructed to minimize any need for artificial cooling. Heating these buildings was no problem as they burned coal, readily and cheaply available but as there was no means of cooling these buildings they were constructed to minimize the effects of high temperatures and humidity, that is, they were constructed with high ceilings and an abundance of windows to effect a cooling breeze ( warm air rises to the top of the ceiling). When air conditioning became available there was a noticeable change. Ceilings were dropped to maximize floor space and windows sealed to keep the air conditioning in the rooms. While this made sense when petroleum was three dollars a barrel in the 1950's ( it was that cheap at that time) and the costs of air conditioning were likewise low, that day is now long gone. Air conditioning requires an enormous expenditure of energy and by going back to the architectural designs of circa 1900 we could lessen the use of air conditioning and, therefore, energy. You would have thought I had asked them to reinvent the wheel. I was hooted off the speakers rostrum as a fool and an idiot. I was never so embarrassed. it is obvious to me that there is a vested economic interest on the part of architects and engineers to maximize energy consumption. We must redesign our buildings and that is why I am urging all good citizens to go to the next meeting of the National Architectural and Designers commission which is scheduled for a one day mini convention on June 31 in Springfield, right next to the Nuclear Power Station. Come with me and show these people hown necessary it is to change the way we construct buildings.

Netizen Kevikens

week 14

2007-05-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 7:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: week 14

No big deal fire up the wood gas generator on your tractor or pick up truck (any one can make it ) to find out how go here it's free http://www.ornl.gov/info/reports/1989/3445602994393.pdf till your garden bring out wood for winter as uaual !!have plenty of ele to run my frige and well pump with my wind generator and 7 solar panals heating and cooking with wood and pressure canning my produce. any one who dosen't know how to cold pack beef pork and any meat it is at 15# for 90 min . pre aranged mutual field of fire with neighbers for mutual defence. make sure and test weekly your inter neighberhood radio system !! this is all ben done and not what if but when it comes. so get ready in your town and not just on this web sight but in real life !!! and make sure your children under stand what will be coming in there life time if not in yours and hope it isin't as bad as it may be . Don't by hybrid veg. buy the ones that you can recover seed from for next years planting ect. know how to make and use a root suller . simple things will make all the difrence !!! all has ben tested here and more so at this time who need's oil as very soon we will have less and less beter get use to living and working with in a few miles of your home . and rember loose your job in the next 5 years and you will lose your home .

find some one that will share there home if you must famileys will have to look after each outher as in the 20's and 30's no more every one for them selves but all pulling together in smaler towns . and those that remain in the big cities will have to learn to live the farming life style and re locate . as all our big cities will become much smaller in there populations. As in ww2 we will all pull together and bring our country through this with victory gardens and scrap drives !!!!!! We may even have time to have coffee (or water LOL) with our friends a gain and make new ones in our towns !! wouldn't that be a kick having time to just visit with some one

ABH3

My story - the_chavi

2007-05-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

From: the_chavi
Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 5:57 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: My story - the_chavi

My future is not quite as bright as they told us in commencement this year. i can't afford to go home to my parents' house in Memphis, and they can't afford to help me move back, so i'm stuck in St. Louis with a lease that runs out in less than a week. i have to figure out how to get all of my furniture and possessions into a new home soon. i'm waiting on a job with the federal government (security clearance hold up, imagine that), but i'm afraid that the federal budget will get slashed and i won't be hired. The worst part is that i just got an MA studying Arabic, the Arab world, Islamist movements, and oil politics. i have exactly what the government needs, and they probably won't hire me.

My day job has slowed down, too. i've worked at a Starbucks in Clayton (small, rich suburb of St. Louis) for the past two years, and our traffic has slowed down a lot. If we have to cut down our hours and staff, i'd be among the least likely to be fired since i'm more competent than most of the people, but even working on our normal schedule all of the partners are feeling the hit. Our tips have gone way down, cutting my wages by about 20%. It's not like i can apply for unemployment benefits or anything, because none of us report the full amount of tips we receive! i guess that's karma. i've had to change my hours around, too... normally i work the opening shift, getting there at 4.45 AM, but since i live 20 blocks or more away from my store, i'm depending on mass transit to get in, which doesn't start until 5.15 or so. My neighborhood isn't in the ghetto, but we're not often patrolled by the cops, either, so i'm a little leery of riding a bike to work. i haven't touched a bike since i was 8, and anyway riding one at 4 AM sounds like a ripe opportunity to crack open my skull.

Maybe the rest of St. Louis is becoming more isolated, but my street has grown a little closer. We've been sitting outside most evenings to get a breeze, since we've essentially shut off our air conditioners. The last time we did this was after the big storm last summer, and the summer before that... but it's a little more serious now. We're planning some street potlucks to clean out our freezers and to share the food. Freezer-burned pork never looked so good...

i miss my parents. They couldn't make it to my graduation, even though i am the first person in my family to graduate. i can't afford to go see them on my budget, and they can't afford to come see me since my dad's income is commission-based in the agricultural equipment industry. That is to say, his income is greatly reduced. It looks like i'm stuck in St. Louis for a while.

Story: Consumptionitis.

2007-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Written by: periscope

Sent: Sunday, May 13, 2007 9:55 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Story: Consumptionitis.

I remember years ago when people died of tuberculosis it was called "consumption."

"He died of consumption," they would say. It always struck me as an odd term to apply to death by a bacteria, but in fact it was reasonably accurate, considering the wasting away of the individual that occurred due to the disease.

But now as I consider a world without oil, I realize how much of our food industry was based on the use of this commodity in the making of fertilizers and pesticides to gasoline being the fuel used to transport food to various markets all over the world.

I used to shop in my local super-market and bought fresh strawberries and blueberries, which I loved to put on my cereals in the morning. I also loaded up my shopping cart with milk, bread, vegetables, bananas, pasta, rice, steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts and tuna fish. Being retired and living on a fixed income the weekly bill added up. The food wasn't cheap but it was affordable, and my wife and I ate well.

Now in an age without oil this has all changed. The price of food has skyrocketed. Bananas that were once fifty cents a pound are now five dollars a pound. A whole chicken that was once a couple of dollars a pound is now twenty dollars a pound.

Food riots occur regularly. Restaurants have disappeared. The super-markets are now armed camps. Security police ring the grocery stores the way they would a besieged government palace. Entry to these food courts are dependent on your ability to pay and the starving masses are kept out.

What we once took so much for granted, the free and easy access to food is gone. The fears we had of becoming an obese society are no longer relevent as people scratch for every morsel of food they can find. People with yards plant gardens. The public parks are now filled with armies of families who stand guard over small plots of vegetables they are growing.

The worry about a world overpopulating itself is gone, because people are dying by the thousands every day of consumption or malnutrition due to a lack of food.

The government uses it's military might to keep the have-nots from the haves. Religious ideas about promoting human reproduction and denouncing abortion are disregarded as women miscarry from lack of food or simply refuse to bring chidren into a world where starving to death is their likely destiny.

Eventually the world adjusts. The very old and the very young die first from the lack of food, while those with enough assets to wait out the great starvation survive.

Eventually a new, despotic world order forms around the revised food production capabilities and life goes on with the world's population decimated and people living in constant fear of death by consumption.

more on Oahu's status

2007-05-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

From: elevendays
Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 5:36 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org

Food is still on the shelves, but the costs are outrageous. It's PB&J for the foreseeable future for folks like me. There have been talks of opening up corporate farm lands to public use. Dole said they were leaving before this hit anyway--we should take it back now! The military has started to distribute goods and get involved (an ambiguous development), but things are holding together so far. Luckily, we have a year-round growing season, but we'll need to get started asap if we are to feed all the residents of Oahu especially. Will send pictures as soon as I can. Thanks for the support.

elevendays.

privilege in Georgia takes a turn

2007-05-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 2:56 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org

Hi. This is jhericlitis. I'm not really a good writer; however, I'd like to tell everyone what has occurred recently.

A little background would probably help put things in perspective. I grew up a child of privilege, yet I think we all did. I was born in the '70's. I barely remember the gas shortages in the '70s; yet we never had to wait in line due to my father's relationship with a local gas station owner. Anyway, fast-forward. I always wanted to buy a business. After graduating from the University of Chicago with a MBA and a law degree at another school, I worked for a large bank. I accumulated a nest egg, and then relocated to California... to pursue equestrian polo. I warned everyone I was a child of privilege.

As I wrote above, I had always wanted to buy a business. After a year of polo, I bought a florist in Atlanta, GA. I cannot and do not want to make flower arrangements: at the time, florists had a stable cash flow. Also, and I have to laugh, gas was $1.30 per gallon.

When gas rose to $3.00 in 2005-06 (I think) and there was general outrage and fear of running out, which was partly brought on by a local radio host, I hoarded gasoline. I was genuinely afraid of running out of gas. I was an Eagle Scout, and "Be Prepared" was drilled into me for several years. I still have the memory of meeting with a former employee for lunch. He said "j, I am going to have to choose between food and gas." I laughed. "C-, come on. One doesn't choose between gasoline and food." I went on further to inform him that it was general economic theory that supply would increase and prices would decline to $2.00 very soon.

That leads me to today. I look out of my loft. The sweat slowly drips of my nose as I write this due to the fact that I have recently decided to cut off my a/c. Pre-shock, the monthly summer electric bill used to be about $600. It's almost doubled. Yes, I could afford it, but after a shower in the evening things cool off considerably (I have fans).

Business is terrible. I have had to let go 1/3 of my staff. When gas is this high, no one buys a luxury good. That and gas prices at $6.18 and jet fuel so high, I'm lucky to make anything. Oh, also the employees want a raise to compensate for the rise in everything. Philosophically, I can't blame them; however, from a business/survival standpoint, what am I supposed to do? I have the highest respect for everyone, and the problem is the jobs are blue-collar, thus low-paying. The comments of C.- haunt me daily. The people I let go, they lose their health insurance... can they afford food? And all the while Rome burns... and I have fois gras and Sauterne once a week. What the F- is going on? I understand from cold logic the government can't tap the strategic reserve. We're all pretty much on our on...

I feel like this is all some sort of nightmare that I'll wake up from soon. I had plans to return to school and study for an LL.M this fall. Do I put that off? It would allow me to go to London, but things can only be the same there. But I would be free of decisions affecting other's lives in such a dramatic way... maybe I am being melodramatic.

What really frightens me, to be honest, is a statement I heard from some official, pundit, or journalist somewhere. It was about the insurgency in Iraq. The person said basically that if America had unemployment of 40% for several months, like Iraq does, [America] would be in the same situation [as Iraq]. Now, I don't think it would be that bad, but we've never, as a nation, gone without (yes, WW II was the exception, but we were fighting an enemy). And it's easy to become satisfied- ya know? I've observed that when one is satisfied and it's all taken away people get pissed off. Civility deteriorates. I'm probably wrong.

Thanks for reading this and please let me know how things are going elsewhere.

contribution from RES

2007-05-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 12, 2007 10:52 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: contribution from RES

No problem getting around as I'm an avid cyclist. And on the plus side I worry much less about getting run over by idiot drivers...

Unanticipated complications

2007-05-11T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 9:03 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Unanticipated complications

I thought that going to a rural area was a good idea (I still think it's better than staying in a city), but yesterday I had a somewhat rude awakening. I was talking with the local community leaders about long-term carrying capacity when I was brought up short. I had totally forgotten that southern Kansas is deep in the Bible Belt, and these folks have had a strong dose of sermons about the "rapture". The chaos, still developing largely in other areas, is not a surprise -- they have been expecting Armageddon any time now. They are good folks and take care of each other pretty well, and maybe they're right, for the wrong reasons. There will be huge disappointment when, despite their righteousness, they are not taken up to Heaven.

Maybe it's a good thing that TV has just gone off the air, at least in our region. We've lost our easy access to the outside world. I think it may be because the folks who run the broadcasting system, and the studios, are all in big cities which are rapidly closing down because of inability to be supplied with even necessities, as a result of the diesel fuel crisis that has begun this week. We can probably rely on cell phones for a while yet to get word of what's going on elsewhere, if we have contacts, and at least some radio stations are still working because they are located in smaller communities. But smaller communities are really also disconnected from the larger scene. Some of us still have the internet, but most folks down here haven't the resources to own a computer, and have very few computer skills even if they do. As the information system shuts down, we will be left more and more to our own devices.

I'm beginning to wonder about what information from our education system is really relevant to our current problems. The social cohesion is more and more dependent on the churches. It's really hard for those of us who have been "enlightened" by education to stomach primitive theology, but the focus of churches on social concerns (caring for our neighbors, etc) is one of the bright spots in the current dark times. Once the dust settles, which it will do, however messily, we will need to devote serious thought to the development of a world-view that will incorporate our "enlightened" knowledge in constructive ways as the survivors regroup. Right now there are more immediate concerns.

If communications systems continue to break down, this may be my last opportunity to make contact from the depths of Kansas.

Netizen Trilobyte

Boastful from Brazil

2007-05-10T20:35:00.000-07:00

I've been staring out of my office window overlooking rio's copa cobana beach. Here we're not so worried about the escalating fuel prices, most people these days own a dual fuel car (one that can run on both bio fuels and petrol) and most of the public transport systems here switched over to alcohol fuel long ago when it became just too expensive to run the busses (with over 5000 of the things you'd be crazy not to switch).

I saw in the news today that the Germans announced new breakthroughs in Hydrogen technology. We discussed this in earnest at the board meeting but we cant see it as a great threat. We're producing twice as much 'fuel' per hour for a quarter of the price, we're struggling to meet orders in fact!

Britain is stilled pissed at us for getting rid of their spy but what can you do? They screwed us over before with the rubber trees. For those that don't know Rubber trees where exclusive to brazil back in the early 19^th Century. The Henry Ford came along and everybody was suddenly screaming for rubber. Brazils economy soared until the English stole some seeds and set up their own plantations in Malaysia. A couple of years later our economy once again collapsed leaving thousands penniless and starving.

So its fair. Brazil is finally being given a chance to show the world what a great nation Brazil is, and be known for something other than carnivals and the rainforest. Why would anybody go there? Seems the place is bloated with hippy celebrities who really wish to endure the heat, the mosquitoes, all that discomfort. No by the sea is where people should live.

But I'm rambling. The Kremlim have taken a more pragmatic approach and have decided to ignore the incident. They even increased their order, though were getting a little bit worried about the state of their currency when they asked if they could pay in kind with some of their best vodka. We naturally said yes, some of it will go to the staff, the rest we can process and sell it back to the Russian in the petrol formula.

Still cant get over that a year ago I was still driving around in a beat up Renault 5. Now I've got a gleaming new Lexus in the drive, with an engine in it designed by our finest. Well enough procrastination for now, I've got the Venezuelan committee coming. Our president has some respect for Chavez after he nationalised Venezuelan oil and annoyed the yanks back in 2006. Well anyway there getting a bump to the front of the line. Really shouldn't be written this but it's the internet, there's crap all over the place out there who's gonna read this!

How many is too many?

2007-05-10T20:04:00.000-07:00

From: Trilobyte
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 4:24 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: How many is too many?

I've gotten started on the inventory of community resources and talked to some of the local leadership to help them think through the idea of a sustainable community. There's one very difficult calculation, which will ultimately involve some difficult choices, that we need to face fairly quickly. What is the carrying capacity of our community? This is an ecological concept concerning how many organisms of a particular species can be supported by a particular territory. In the case of our community, which doesn't have sharply defined limits, how many more folks like me can be absorbed before our ability to feed and shelter immigrants from the cities becomes a problem? Given that the planet as a whole may have overshot its carrying capacity by 2 to 4 BILLION already (depending on whether you listen to the optimists or the pessimists), what is this going to mean for our local community?

Carrying capacity may have to be re-calculated every year or so into the future, because as we learn to live locally, we might find more efficient ways to produce foods, or more effective foods, so that the number of folks we can handle might go up. Food will be the limiting factor in most communities (although it could be potable water, but probably not here). We need to determine the ideal "footprint" for the most critical foods -- i.e. given known acreage and yields of key items, and what we know of dietary needs, how many folks could be supported? The U. S. Department of Agriculture has a good bit of potentially useful data hiding on its website and in its archives at Cornell. The creative farmer may become the most valuable member of the community.

We might also find it useful to educate people about the most efficient and healthy foods to eat. That could also have an effect on the carrying-capacity calculation. With winter coming only four months away, and things deteriorating all over the world, we need to have a first cut on our local carrying capacity by the end of next month. It's going to be a hairy time if folks start to pour out of the big cities, because the countryside may not be able to handle all of them.

Trilobyte

Howdy from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

2007-05-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 5:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Howdy from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Hello everyone, anyone, whoever.

I've got a lot on my mind and little ability to say it, so I'll try to take it one step at a time. How about an introduction first? I'm Mangoh. I'm a 17 year old, grade 11 student living in Calgary, Alberta. I know I'm in a fairly well off family- you see, I'm trying to allude to you the things I'm facing and feeling.

I attend (no cancelation of school for me) a little private school just outside of town. For some kids, especially those who live in North Calgary, a school bus ride is up to 2 hours long. I still go to school- and that's building a lot of resentment from my neighbours. Our school has asked us to wear formal uniform everyday starting today. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but I'm sick of getting disgusted looks from others while I walk to the bus stop and my white bus comes to pick me up. (White because my dumb school is just that elitist.)

We've taken a huge tuition hike to go to this school, most of it on the school bus fees. Another huge chunk is spent on maintenance of the building. The cafeteria has closed and we have to pack our own lunches. Uggh. I have to wake up an entire hour earlier. (Yes, it sucks. Yeah, I know I'm complaining about something stupid. But hey- it's my life. Let me complain. =])

My dad works in Edmonton. (It's another city, a 3 hour drive from Calgary.) And he used to drive down every weekend, starting Saturday night, he'd do some teleradiology over the internet, and then drive back up on Monday. Well, as you may or may not know, the QE2 Highway has been - (indefinitely, I think) - shut down.

It's weird, you hear on the news everyday about these Americans fighting Canadians or rebels, or whatever. Heh. I guess I haven't actually been paying attention to the radio. Maybe I should. Anyway what I meant to say was, as an oil-rich province, the richest province in Canada, some competition over our oil was bound to happen someday. I haven't personally seen it - there's no fighting in the streets or anything. I guess there has been some crime rate increases or something. The Mayors of Edmonton and Calgary - previously pretty unimportant offices to hold - have become somewhat equal in authority to that of a Prime Minister.

I remember, last year when I was on the Speech and Debate team, we once debated a mock resolution, "Be It Resolved That Alberta separate from Canada." I don't know. Maybe that might actually come true or something just as crazy as that?

I also remember, last year - I was on a trip to Scotland- to be part of an International Schools Conference hosted by an organization, "Round Square" (You can look it up if you want to, I guess.) I wonder how those 300+ students are doing now. I've logged into MSN every night, and haven't seen one of my Australian friends online.

I apologize for how random and tangent-y this reads. As I've said- I've got a lot on my mind and little ability to say it.

Hope you find my story somewhat interesting.

Mangoh

Wow, this reads depressingly. Here's a few smilie faces. :) :) :) Enjoy - -

WWO report

2007-05-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 3:22 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: WWO report

Hi, netizen Zorbits here, reporting from Norway.

As the price of fuel continued to climb, we finally got our act together and did our first gathering today. We're a kind of extended friends group counting 26 people, all whom agree that the times ahead will be tough and that we will have to stand together to better our situation.

We've pooled together most of our resources and spent most of the meeting dividing core responsibilities. These consist of:

1. Securing as much food as possible, canned, dry and otherwise keeping. We're aiming at gathering enough for a year for the lot of us.

2. Buying plenty of tools, hardware and general spare parts for machinery such as tubes, bolts and wires.

3. Stocking up on medicine and clothes. Second hand shops may prove a good place to start looking for cheap quality garments.

4. Acquiring a farm, preferably not too far from the sea and from a river. The farm needs a fair amount

5. Books, can't do without em :-)

6. An electrical generator.

So there it is. We've agreed to meet again in four days to assess the situation. Here's to hoping nobody just took the money and ran.

cheers from Oslo, Norway
Zorbits

posting from Seattle....

2007-05-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 8:41 AM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: posting from Seattle....

From just outside Seattle ..

So, its several weeks into the 'oil crisis' and although we are faring better than most due to our heavy investments in hydro power over the years . I do see BIG trouble coming shortly. Here in the NW we have always had a deep seeded independent streak and that is bubbling to the surface and building momentum. Confused? Well, for many years there have been groups trying to 'break-off' several NW states and Canadian provinces to form, as they say, a more perfect union, and for the first time these people aren't just the nuts on the fringes . they are getting an audience and its growing!

The idea around this has always been that due to our unique climate and volcanic soil we are able to grow all of our own food and export, power ourselves(and export power), we have developed international relationships with foreign governments for trade(in most cases our relationships are much better and less conflicting than the US Fed Gov't relationships), many large rich and influential companies and individuals(King county is the wealthiest in the world with the who's who of the richest men) and so the idea that we could be self-sufficient has bubbled in the background for many decades. So strong is this idea that our last Governor election was stolen from the ballot box to place a sympathetic ear in the Governor's Mansion to advance this idea more publically. The concern is that the limited supplies of oil coming from Alaska, major pipelines of natural gas coming from Canada and the busy seaport come thru here and I don't see any way of avoiding Federal troops from both Canada and the US coming in to ensure stability. With that combination of troops and angry people in close proximity . BIG TROUBLE is ahead! And I do fear that many deaths will be the outcome. I fear that PANIC is going to rule the day. I ask myself how did this happen? Did the government not realize this day would come? Did the oil companies not see it either? Why didn't they use those profits to develop other forms of energy? What about our automotive industry? Where have the billions in R&D gone too? Why has this happened? Mankind's greatest strength has always been to adapt, anticipate and marshal its strengths and build on to the future . what about that future now???

As for me and my neighbors, we are very worried about what the future will bring us and our families. Most of us in the local area are either retired or self-employed consultants, like myself, who make a living traveling. I have been a good American and worked hard, got educated, worked my way up the corp ladder and then finally left and offered my services as a consultant. It all seemed real good . and the promise of a great America, like the one that was so many years ago seemed to ensure that if you got educated, worked hard, saved your money, invested wisely and looked to the future, then the dream of a grand retirement was a reality. BUT, now all of my work means NOTHING at all! Although it is easier than ever to get a plane ticket . who can afford one? My investments are collapsing . and there is no way to get out of the free falling stock market. All of the past symbols of success are now simply a series of albatrosses around our necks because we can't power them. Ironic that all of the things we as Americans clung to for so long are now just monuments to our past glory . literally, monuments standing before us . almost motionless, like all of the statues we erected in our townsquares.

I don't know what the future will hold for us, but I am worried that in our panic we might just do what we didn't during the cold war . foolishly destroy ourselves over stuff, jealousy and envy. My hope is that we as humans can overcome this disaster, find new leadership to the future and rebuild a new and better society for our children and grand-children. If we can, the question then is .. Will we, if we survive, learn from this lesson? Or will it just be a temporary reprieve to the inevitable? Only the future will tell.. But I am hopeful . I have to be.

We'll keep you posted as long as we can.

Netizen Charliefree from just outside Seattle.

San Francisco........$4.53 for regular!!!!

2007-05-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 10:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: San Francisco........$4.53 for regular!!!!

I just found this site and quite don't get the whole picture but if this is the venue to !#@&% then I got stuck paying $4.53 for a gallon of regular gasoline in San Francisco and I'm pissed. End result.....i ended up buying a gas tank and filled five gallons up at $3.25 just to save a couple bucks when i need too. Honestly cant believe it, this is ridiculus!!! Go BART!!!!!!!!

thirdijeremy

What's out there?

2007-05-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

From: Trilobyte
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 4:29 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: What's out there?

It has occurred to me that the first thing I should have done after moving to rural southern Kansas was to make an inventory of what resources exist in my region before deciding what is necessary on my son's land. Fuel is not a problem, we have enough wood. But, within a 5-mile radius (reasonable walking or biking or horseback riding distance), who has an orchard? How many families can it provide for? What sort of cropland is there? Wheat is a basic necessity. How many folks might the grain production support? What's the water situation (surface? groundwater?) and how reliable is it, for how long, and what quality? Is there a potential for sewage contamination? In even a small town, what are the energy needs and where will it come from?

Is there pasture for raising meat animals? Need we pay attention to the ecological footprints of meat? Beef has a big one -- back before the oil crisis when I did a calculation on the per-capita American beef footprint, it came out to be 70% of our total food footprint? I know that chickens and pigs have relatively small food footprints. Is there any opportunity for fish farming to provide some variety in protein. If things really get tough, do we have access to salt? What might we have in surplus that could be used for trading? Who has the seed supply, and if commercial fertilizer becomes unavailable, how productive will the food-land be? Do we have accessible alternatives for fertilizer?

In the human inventory, what sort of medically trained folk? Any good mechanics? In the long run, how are we fixed for teachers and librarians? In the shorter run, if goods get hard to come by, are there skilled dressmakers and shoe repairers? What are the minimal human and other resources for a sustainable rural community in the absence of energy from affordable petroleum?

There are a lot of things we take for granted in urban and suburban living that may not be easily available in a rural setting. The lifestyle we have become addicted to may be a thing of the past. Rural America can't totally avoid the consequences of the oil crunch.

Nine weeks have gone by, we're already into July!! I need to get going on a priority list of things that need doing or finding so that I can make it through the coming winter. And that's just the short run!!

o no!

2007-05-08T17:28:00.001-07:00

From:SeeGreen
Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 4:49 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: o no!

i hope pics are allowed. well here is a funny one. haha

oil shock

2007-05-08T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2007 4:02 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: oil shock

i feel guilty even using gasoline. i feel like i am contributing to the decline of the health of our planet. it's either money for groceries, hygiene needs, utilities or being able to get somewhere using petroleum. i am planting a huge garden. i give away baby treelings to whoever wants them, they create habitat, oxygen and shade in hot weather. water everywhere around florida, where are the desalination plants. it's could be that simple.

From Domenica

Brazil exports and mayhem

2007-05-08T13:22:00.001-07:00

Netizen David_Mattock transcribed this BBC report:

Brazils economy continued to sky rocket today as orders for its sugarcane based fuel continue to fly in from across the globe from countries trying to plug their increasing fuel shortages. BNP (Brazil National Petroleum) announced that it would fill all orders on a first come first serve service. However shortly after the company was rocked by allegations of favouritism as accounts came to light revealing 'donations' from various countries trying to jump ahead in the queue. The worst offenders being China, the USA and interestingly Saudi Arabia, who's economy has rapidly begun to stagnate having relied on oil exports for so long.

Brazils finance minister along with the Brazilian justice department announced that it was also reinstating the death penalty for any foreign nationals attempting to export state property, namely Brazils sugar cane refinery technology in which it leads the world. This was promptly followed by the execution of a Russian and British citizen causing outrage across the globe. The British government and Kremlin have stayed resolutely silent over the identities of the victims creating massive demonstrations across the respective countries. Needles to say it was noted that the both countries have ordered the withdrawal of their embassies in brazil creating an ever growing fear of war. Sightseers in Rio have reported seeing large warships on the horizon but it is unsure as to whom they belong. The Brazilian government has issued a statement saying that the execution was a 'painful yet necessary measure to ensure the protection of Brazilian interests'.

Brazil has become a major player only recently in the world economy. Traditionally crippled by debt the ever increasing demands for bio fuels and its technological superiority has meant that Brazil has been able to negotiate ever more lucrative deals with foreign nationalities. As such the Brazilian real is currently on a 1 to 1 basis with the dollar and its national debt has been slashed from a staggering $86 billion dollars to a more manageable $20billion. The new wealth is reflected in the rapidly growing interior cities, traditionally poor areas, now full of farmers flushed with new found wealth.

In other news wildlife groups have expressed increasesed concern with the marked increase in the destruction of the rainforest in south America..

Afternoon rant-a good one

2007-05-07T18:35:00.001-07:00

Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 3:13 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Afternoon rant-a good one

Listening to radio I sense how so many people cannot avoid driving. Two jobs,not living or working by public transport, kids, etc. I know because I once worked where I had to drive and my car was CRAPPY. I was also worried I could not afford the gas. Around 1994 they reformulated it so cars started to do strange things...a sea change going on. Too slowly. All of up must adjust to the new reality. Its painful to watch. All the other costs rise too. Not just gasoline. Even small items. What to do besides rant and make ones own adjustments? Yep we are in a real recession. Only thing is the windbags cannot admit it. One must recall the crash of 1929 followed the longest streak of new Dow highs.

Enough for now.

Wolfy

That which hasn't killed me yet has only made me stronger.

Common sense and boycotts

2007-05-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 2:39 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Common sense and boycotts

Hey,

I was pointed in the direction of World Without Oil on about April 25th or so. I thought it was an ARG, so I left it alone. Part of me is still convinced it's an ARG. Either way, oil has been on my mind since, and so I payed attention when an appeal to not buy gas on May 15 came my way. I let some of my friends with cars know. But I didn't think it would do much good. Plans that contain the phrase: "if everyone in America simply did without..." fill in the blank, generally do not work. Then I came across this article at Urban Legends: http://www.snopes.com/politics/gasoline/nogas.asp It basically says the same thing.

Unfortunately America is not going to change any of its habits until it is profitable to do otherwise. This is why I propose a new X PRIZE. The Ansari family sponsored the X PRIZE to be given to the team that could achieve private spaceflight. The important point and what makes the prize different from a grant is that the money is only given to the first successful team. However, this caused competition and several of the "loosing" teams are also well on their way to developing commercially availible space flight (of course this takes fuel; no historic event occurs in a bubble). They are now sponsoring a prize in genomics to the first team to completely sequence 100 genomes in 10 days, and and automotive prize. The goal is to build cars that have high gas mileage and low emissions of pollution. Making oil reserves stretch out is good, but not enough. There needs to be a new energy source. The X PRIZE site has a "propose an X PRIZE" page. http://www.xprize.org/xprizes/propose/

If one person suggests a prize for innovations and development of new energy sources, they might care, but the more people suggest it, the more seriously the foundation might take it. But the new energy source cannot just be possible, it must be cost-effective enough to revolutionize industry, and to a certain extent, the world, if it is to compete with oil. So I suggest that if you propose this prize, make sure to state that it should require a plan to implement the technology into society in a cost-effective way, either with system dynamics or some other prediction tool.

From Netizen jalathewinged1, ZIP 01609

from Netizen kevikens

2007-05-07T17:24:00.001-07:00

We received this email reporting on a press conference given some weeks ago by Secretary of State Benjamin Hamilton. Shortly after the conference, the President fired Hamilton, as dessum9 reported in Week 6. -Rainey

Sent: Monday, May 07, 2007 11:22 AM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org"
Subject: from Netizen kevikens

Yesterday the new secretary of state, Benjamin Hamilton called a press conference to deal with the storm of protest that his call for an import embargo on petroleum. I was able to cover most of it so here are the main points the secretary was expounding on.

Good Morning ladies and gentlemen. I called this news conference to answer some questions you have raised about the import embargo. Let me first make a statement. Critics are assailing the embargo as some kind of suicide pact. Let me assure you this program was given much thought before the proclamation was issued. We considered many alternatives but the embargo is the fastest and most efficient means to bring home to the American people that out foreign policy is held hostage to the oil producers and we cannot in safety allow our foreign policy to be made in Riyahd or Caracas or Kuwait. We must act decisively and we must now act now. OK, I'll open it up to questions.

Q. Sir, did you get the permission of Congress for this embargo ?
A. No and no permission will be asked. The State Department is part of the executive branch of government. I report to the president, I serve at his pleasure and it his pleasure that the embargo will be our policy.

Q. Does that mean that Congress has no say in the matter ?
A. We will listen to congression critics- and God knows there's enough of them- but Congress has no role in this matter. There is nothing for Congress to veto or override as the embargo is an executive order not subject to congressional review. Should Congress legislate a provision limiting the embargo the president will veto it.

Q. Mr. Secretary how can you say Congress has no role in a policy that so constrains the public?
A. Young lady, the formation of foreign policy is the function of the executive branch under the Constitution. Our constantly yielding to the demands of foreign powers who provide us with oil is crippling the State department's ability to formulate and implement our foreign policy. You don't believe this ? Let me give you an example. We believe that women in the Middle East should be able to own property and participate in the governing process by voting. We encourage that policy and support it. We have recently been told by several Middle Eastern powers, powers that we get oil from, that we must desist from causing them problems at home, from stirring up trouble. or they will lessen their export of petroleum to us. We will not bend to such blackmail. We will no longer take either their oil or their insolence.

Q. Mr. Secretary, why not just embargo petroleum from the Middle Eastern countires ?
A. Because, Sir, the problem is not just one of the Middle East. We get much of our oil from Russia. Recently that country has come under the control of a president who sounds like a Cold Warrior. He has curtailed freedoms at home and is threatening Eastern European countries that used to be under Russian domination. When the state department tried to warn him to back off his reply was blunt. You want our oil? Then keep your advice for your own people. You make trouble for us, we decrease oil exports. This country cannot have an independent foreign policy if we have to kowtow to foreign powers for our energy supplies. I am sorry that I can not take any more questions now but I am about to meet with the president and the whole cabinet in a few moments but rest assured I will have much more to say on the embargo, especially how we will deal with the shortages a bit later this week. Thank You.

Brazil and the oil shortage.

2007-05-06T11:36:00.001-07:00

From: Lothiack.
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:51 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Brazil and the oil shortage.

Biofuels - Worlds Green Heart Death

We have seen this in the years before the oil shortage, and now it´s escalated in an unbelievable way. The world´s thirst for fuel and Brazil´s bad administration over the Amazon area has led to an unprecedented deforestation crisis that affects the global climate patterns and the social relations of Brazil´s population.

When our supplies of Oil were plentiful and our machines ran using them, this was already happening: the destruction of the forest and creation of massive Soy fields over the Amazon border. Up to 25.000Km were destroyed in 2004. Now that we are going towards the massive use of Biofuels, fuel made from soy and other oily plants, as the main way to power our vehicles and machines the area of destruction has increased in a way that's going to kill most of the forest in less than 10 years. Amazon being one of the Americas and world´s biggest producers of water vapor and rainfall, this kind of degradation will probably lead to a global farming crisis. Is that price worth it?

After years of attrition Civil War finally begun. Family farmers called arms to fight against the Multinational Soy Producers; they responded by hiring mercenaries and private security to protect their lands. Acting as guerrillas the families hide in the remaining forests and assault the farms whenever possible, in a movement that's gaining power all over the country, making a polarization of opinions and adepts who riot on every major city in Brazil.

Who knows what this could lead to?

Wish us luck,

Lothiack

Watch: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1967359008647386179&q=amazon+destruction+soy

Going Electric vs. "This Isn't Happening"

2007-05-06T11:29:00.001-07:00

Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2007 10:44 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: From Amanita Pavlova...

I've been through this before... twice, in fact... but this time, it might change everything. The price of gasoline hasn't been this high since the '74 oil shock; and, while I've been biding my time, waiting to see if supplies and prices reverse their trends, it doesn't look good.

We live in the woods, 11 miles over the Santa Lucia mountains from Big Sur, in California. A few years ago, we made some good choices. We leased an all electric RAV4EV from Toyota and we still have it; and, we put in a grid-tie solar system. So, we're not as oil dependent as many around us.

Thanks to the RAV, I don't see gas stations, except the need to refill gas powered tools, and even those can be substituted for with electrically driven units. But, the impact is being felt, none the less.

My employees can still get to work and so can I, but the cost of shipping product has gone wild. Notifications from UPS and FedEx of repeated "adjustments" for fuel costs are taking their toll on my profitability, in the form of fewer orders. And, the cost for plastic containers in which we package product has gone stratospheric, having increased tenfold over the price of seven years ago (a plastic container in 2000 cost $1.75. This week, I'm notified that the cost is $12.10 PLUS transportation).

One thing I noticed is that our local grocer has stopped stocking plastic grocery bags... says she can't get a regular supply. Hmmm... canary in the mineshaft?

Right now, we're not hurting much. We've got wood with which to heat the house come winter. But, my fear is that - if this gets REALLY bad - city-dwellers will use what gas they have to come out here begin cutting trees rogue and willy-nilly.

There are signs of it, already. I had a few woodstoves up on Craigs List that I don't need... I put them up for what I thought was a reasonable price. Both were subject to a bidding war that was astounding to witness. I priced each stove at $150. At the end of the week, both had sold for over $800 each!! The phone wouldn't stop ringing.

One thing that still amazes me... the guy up the road... with the Hummer H1? Gasoline engine... still drives the 15 miles to town alone, every day. Some people just don't care, or maybe they think this is temporary.

I still have my doubts, I admit it. We'll see how this develops.

Fillup finally necessary

2007-05-06T07:21:00.001-07:00

Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2007 8:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Fillup finally necessary

From Netizen Hero: GIIRyudo

Luckily my family and I made it to Las Vegas safely from Reno, NV. The situation up in northern Nevada has gotten out of control. The city couldn't get oil from California because the Truckee Mountain Pass has been shut down for the winter and has carried over successfully into this spring. The new oil prices this week forced my employer to lay off over 50% of his staff and reduce operations by 30%. I guess I was on the wrong side of the coin toss and now my family and I must leave. Hopefully the situation will be better in the south end of the state. Unfortunately, a good portion of my last paycheck had to cover driving costs.

Ground Zero: my real life situation

2007-05-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 6:19 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Ground Zero: my real life situation

I had read about Peak Oil years ago -- 20 years ago, when it was a new idea -- but only recently did I realize its imminence. My realization occurred as I was reading a brochure from the Saudi Arabian government, advertising the find of one last large oil reservoir somewhere beneath the sands. Just one.

In the future, I'll tell the story of my life in decades to come, but for now, my story is simple: I no longer drive a car. The high price of gasoline had something to do with it, as did the thought of putting my hard-earned dollars into some petrochemical fat cat's pocket. The distribution of wealth in the world, and in the U.S., is bad enough without making it worse.

Sometime last year, while driving my girlfriend's car, I was idling at the stoplight...idling along with twenty or thirty other cars, all spewing out unseen CO2, wreaking havoc with our environment, hastening radical climate change. The "eco-friendly," natural-gas-powered buses do it. The leaf blowers do it. The rice farmers who burn their fields do it. Build a bonfire, it does it, too.

Contributing to this invisible flood of CO2 seems a certifiably crazy thing to do. Literally, fouling our nest. So I tuned up my own car as good as I could and sold it.

People tell me I'm addled to be living in L.A., the city that invented modern mobility. I tell them that if they want to see a truly insane person, look at their own reflections in the rear view mirrors of their cars, SUVs, motorcycles, and powerboats. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us." I feel like I'm living among the inmates of a vast insane asylum, driving themselves over the bring, unable to resist the compulsion. I no longer drive and you know what? I actually feel sane again. I can tell the difference: I'm not a hero; I'm just not crazy.

Bob Jacobson
Santa Monica, CA

Our own food

2007-05-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

From: Morie
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 4:54 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Our own food

We grow out own food now, and eat it every night together at the dinner table. Fresh, wonderful, healthy and gorgeous!

Lettuce grows outside the back door, beans take over the middle of the yard. No more driving to the store, fighting the traffic, finding a parking space.

Birds have come back, and the bees. The kids run barefoot. The sky is endless blue. I use old dipsticks to mark the plant rows.

Things are not so simple

2007-05-04T17:46:00.000-07:00

From: Trilobyte
Sent: Friday, May 04, 2007 4:18 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Things are not so simple

I made it to Kansas all right, and the news for Week 5 is confirming my short-term worries. Fortunately it's springtime, so we have time to prepare a big enough garden to get us into the fall, BUT I'm a life-long suburbanite, so I don't know what to plant, or when. As cost of supplies goes up and product distribution becomes erratic, I have a lot to learn in a hurry. We probably should get some chickens, but we need materials for a coop and fence to keep out the raccoons and other predators. I don't have a lot of gas left, and town is 4 miles away.

I'm not sure where my electric power comes from, but if it is coal-fired, and the diesel for the trains that haul the coal (and the machinery that mines it) becomes scarce, we could have a short-term energy problem. Photovoltaics need to be installed, but supplies and installers have huge backlogs and none are nearby. They will also have transportation problems even after they get the panels. The 160 acres here is about 3/4 trees, so firewood is not a problem. Building a wood-fired electric generator is feasible, but that will take some months and my son's engineering skills. I'm wondering what canned-goods and other non-perishable foods to buy while supplies last because getting through next winter already looks like a challenge. Being in the rural countryside is probably better than being in a city, but it does not automatically solve the problems that are already showing up as the oil crunch gets increasingly serious.

Trilobyte

Community Gardening on Week 5

2007-05-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

From: DMS
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 11:29 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Community Gardening on Week 5

Tomorrow is CP's birthday. She turns one. I've learned so much since this time last year. Mostly I've learned what I'm capable of: behaviors once considered only hypothetical being put into practice, feeling a shift from one type of living to another. I'm grateful that the shift has been happening gradually over the last year because learning to live with a new baby and learning to live in a society recreating itself are two kinds of upheaval that you don't want to navigate simultaneously.

My husband and I, along with a small group of committed volunteers, operate a community garden non-profit here in Tucson. We manage five gardens in this town of just under 1 million. Most are backyard gardens large enough to support 10-20 80-square-foot plots. Our members grow an astonishing array of foods. Two days ago our phones started ringing with requests from people who want to turn their backyards into gardens. "What do we do?" they ask, "What to buy? How to start?" We can only give them a brief sketch over the phone, information that is pointless without additional hands-on direction. More planning is needed that you can imagine to start a garden, and even more than that to make it produce season after season. Here in Tucson, we're getting ready to move into the heat of summer and lots of people will coax the wrong tiny seedlings into life, only to see them falter and die in six weeks as the temperatures climb.

I try to calm the concern I hear in their voices. They want an instant solution, someone to give them a list they can check off to ward against the uncertainty. I tell them to come to a garden meeting on Saturday. We still have one plot open in one garden, and maybe they'll be the lucky ones who join the established group. I tell them to talk to their neighbors, get together a group of at least 6, and select the most promising backyard. If they can form a cohesive group, I can come to them and tell them what next steps to take (irrigation, planting calendars, pest control, non-petroleum fertilization) and help them get started, though they won't see significant results until late summer, after the heat has peaked. I tell them to contact the community supported agriculture program in our area to see if farm shares are still available and if they can, to get on that list.

We are only three people and two cats in this house in an urban neighborhood. In the backyard we have seven rows of vegetables just for our own family use. This is our second full year with this garden and our bounty is enough that we eat fresh produce every day. We have two chickens and get two eggs per day. We could not yet live alone only on the produce from our yard. We would need to plan better to do that: to make sure we never missed an opportunity to put in a new crop, to harvest every fruit or seed as it becomes ready, to can or freeze or dry every surplus, to save the seeds for next year's planting. It's only time we're lacking to make and practice these plans. We garden in the mornings and in the evenings on either end of work, and on the weekends until the day becomes too hot and sunburn threatens. The garden used to be a kind of expensive hobby: such effort and cost for backyard tomatoes when the grocery has them for $2 or $3 per pound. It has the potential to provide a reliable source of produce; I hope we are up to the task.

Oil companies up security

2007-05-04T15:45:00.000-07:00

From Yuckymuck:
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 8:31 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Oil companies up security

A reporter going by Clearest who is somewhere in San Francisco (94109) sent me this mail. She's been blogging at clearest.livejournal.com. She's got balls going out there at all. -YM
----
My neighborhood, it's all right, I'm still getting my CSA delivery weekly, my corner store still has food, nobody's jacked me for my bike, I live in a mild climate and I've only gotten my gas stolen the once. However, my boss is giving me crap about billing back for my car trips to Richmond, and I've gotten the occasional threat while covering gas station protests. Funny, isn't it, how protesters think that just because you happen to get paid for reporting, you somehow must be in the pocket of Big Oil? If I say "How the hell can people know what you're protesting if you won't talk about it?" one more time my jaw may go numb. Usually someone will take pity on me and open up. Of course, I suppose with the Internet - your site included - a lot of people don't feel like they need to talk to the press. Fair enough, except that there's still more people offline than you'd think. Try telling that to a 25-year-old, though.

I don't feel like I need to be armed yet. My camera guy feels differently. That's why I started bringing C1everpig along for stories; she freelances sometimes and I can count on her not to pack heat that some other jerk could grab and get us all killed.

I suppose I could post about that at some point. I've sort of avoided posting about my own life thus far, because I feel like my experience doesn't count for much, you know? We were already living without using the car much, we were already eating vegetables delivered by veggie oil truck, we already foraged, we have enough resources to spring for the occasional $150 tank of gas. It's so much worse for people out there with less -- I mean, I think I would be terrified if Chevron security showed up at my house to basically tell me to step away from the perimeter. And why? I mean, if we're not getting any import oil, what the hell have they got out there?

Mutual Aid Society (week 3)

2007-05-04T15:01:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 2:02 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Mutual Aid Society (week 3)

Mutual Aid Society
By: RipSaw

Well it is finally here. Like peakprophet we've been planning, waiting, worrying, watching for years-ever since we saw the End of Suburbia. I didn't want to believe it a few weeks ago when it was clear that the crisis had started. The changes have happened so fast. We prepared as best we could. We sold our house at the top of the market, got out of debt, and are trying to build our practical skills. We took our kids out of school because frankly what good is a dumbed-down public "education" during a crisis.

Truth is we started a little late. Our food buying club is in place and moderately functional. For months we've been working to establish an integrated food network. But the truth is we don't have nearly enough producers to meet the calorie needs of everyone in the group for the whole year. We are trying to convert all our lawns into food production, but the soil is poor and it will take time to get reasonable harvests. And then we may be faced with defending our food. We expect lean times ahead and that we'll have to carefully budget our rations as the crisis deepens. Hopefully our group is strong enough to hold together if the hunger starts.

We had a meeting recently and concluded that we needed to view our food club as more of a mutual aid society. It is painful and frightening to envision arming ourselves against our neighbors, but what choice do we have? You should have seen us all dancing around the issue of arms. Nobody wanted to come right out and say it, but none of us wanted to get caught unprepared either. I imagine the colonial patriots must have had similar discussions. I wonder how long they danced around the issue before deciding to act. My feeling is this. Do I have any obligation to feed the fools who refused to listen for the last 20 years? While my friends and I harped about real issues like oil, liberty, war, multi-national trade, theocracy, and climate change, they chose to worry about gay rights and drugs and abortion and evolution. They elected governments that called us traitors and they took away our rights when we questioned the government. The foolish cowards chose security over liberty, all the while failing to see the real crisis was never in foreign terrorism, but in domestic resource management and corporate capitalism. Well it is too late now. The collapse has started. And I don't feel that I owe them a goddamn thing. I guess I'm becoming hard.

We have built good relationships with our Community Supported Agriculture producers and have pledged amongst ourselves to defend the farms if necessary. We haven't contacted the farms yet about this. We don't want to scare them or appear hysterical. But food riots are coming and someone, somewhere will try to raid a local farm and steal the food. Till then we wait. Of course people are already getting desperate and panicky. Fox News is playing up the violence and fear for all it is worth. But in reality, it is amazing how quickly the food stopped pouring into our small town. As food has been diverted to bigger cities (less driving, higher markup), little communities like ours are already suffering. The shelves at the big chains are about half-stocked with industrial food. What's left is extremely expensive. The oil crunch has made it unprofitable to ship produce from Mexico and California. I've heard that California is already considering a moratorium of food shipment out of the state. I hope Oregon is prepared to do the same.

Worse it is now unprofitable to grow the industrial food. The margins were never very high in the first place, and the combined effects of peak oil, the wars, the dollar freefall (due to the housing market collapse), and global warming means there are no additional subsidies that can convince the big corporations, like ADM and ConAgra, to bring the food to market. What was the number I heard? Eight Kcals of energy to make 1 Kcal of food? There are rumors that low-margin food is rotting in fields because it is no longer profitable to grow, harvest, and ship it. Sounds like Mao's Great Leap Forward, and didn't that result in millions of dead? I'd never thought that I'd miss industrial food, but without it the fools are looking to eat local food and are already driving up the prices at the co-op.

The scariest thing is that the Christians are already blaming "sinners and infidels" for bringing down god's wrath on our community. They are both jubilant at the the notion of the "end times" and frightened at the prospect of going through it. This is a dangerous combination that can only end in sorrow and blood.

I don't have much hope. But then again, hope is a fools paradise. I will just do my best to build mutually supportive networks, take care of my community of allies, barter, grow food, play music, love my family and friends, live lightly, and be mindful and vigilant. Like the Quakers said, "Trust in providence, but keep the powder dry."

In the meantime...

2007-05-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 1:19 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: In the meantime...

Enough for perspectives and the long view!! As the week 4 news reports, it's clear that the crisis is only building and I need to do something concrete for the immediate future. Before the system crashes completely, I'm going to have to move out of my home in the foothills, which is in an unsustainable community. The crisis is coming on too fast for the community to adjust and local resources cannot supply the local population For at least the short term, I'm one of them lucky ones. I can head to my son's 160-acres in rural southern Kansas where there is potable water, an extra cabin on site, a small pond with fish, the potential for having some livestock, plenty of woods for renewable energy, and some bottomland that could be planted into food crops. The challenge will be to get there (600 miles) before fuel becomes unavailable. My car gets 30 mpg, so I can get 450 miles out of a tank, but I will load up an extra 10 gallons just in case gas stations along the way are saving their diminishing fuel for locals to use. If I procrastinate too long and fuel becomes unattainable, I'm going to be in a fix.

In addition to a good assortment of clothes (mid-continent climate can be both very hot/humid, and very cold) I plan to take along a good supply of books that discuss various aspects of sustainable living and that discuss philosophies behind a sustainable world-view. It probably will be a good idea to take along as much cash as I can get my hands on, although in some bleak scenarios, it might not be worth much. I had thought up to now that I was old enough so things would crash behind me and I wouldn't have to face some of these tough decisions, but I'm fast losing that confidence.

Gandhi perhaps had things right when he stressed that the future of the human enterprise lies in the villages, not the cities. Rural southern Kansas is far enough from big cities so that the city dwellers may not find it before they run out of gas. The thought of hunkering down in the countryside seems rather selfish, but it might be more helpful to the community I leave if I am not there to be among the consumers as supplies begin to shrink. Perhaps I can help the community to which I move by educating and providing perspective on the value of living low off the hog. Anyhow, I'm packing up ASAP.

Sent by Trilobite

No Fuel Like an Old Fuel

2007-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

From: Bats
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 10:38 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: No Fuel Like an Old Fuel

On April 25, 2007, I filled up my Prius tank at Costco. At $2.69/gallon that cost me $27.96. Right now I'll wind up doing this about twice a month.

Inside Costco, I found two different bicycles that listed for about $99. Extending even my hybrid's gasoline usage, with a linear increase to $4.00 per gallon by year end ,I will have spent almost $600. That means that, if I buy a bike for $100 in June, and use that for trips to the local supermarket/drug store/laundry/beauty parlor/blockbuster (Round trip 2 miles), and if that results in a 10% reduction in my Prius usage, then by year end, I will have saved about $50-$60, more than half the cost of the bicycle.

What do these numbers look like for someone with a car that doesn't average 40 mpg? How much greater a savings, not only on the larger gas pump price, but also on the likelihood that routine neighborhood trips will save more than 10% of the overall automobile usage?

Why don't we approach Costco and Sam's Club national management, and any other big box retailers with gas pumps, and suggest that they put up advertising on the gas pump asking all their customers to consider this? Maybe some sort of immediate discount on a bicycle (or accessories - helmet, car rack, etc) upon presentation of a gas ticket. Probably at least a wash to their revenue stream, but a major boost in their community images.

Bats

More news from So. GA

2007-05-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:40 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: more news from So. GA

From Katcut
St. Simons Island, GA
31522

I saw a fight at a gas station today. It was really weird-by the time the cops got there it was pretty much over, but they had to take the one guy to the hospital-he was hit in the head with a bat. A rumor started spreading that the stations in our area were going to be completely out of gas by the end of the day. I had filled up just the other day, so I didn't get too bothered by it. I still have ¾ tank in my car and the only place I'm driving is work, so it should last a while longer.

Anyhow-I was only there for a diet Pepsi and some cigarettes-nasty little habit I recently restarted (stress, of course). There was all of this shouting from near the gas pumps-this one guy had almost 20 big gas cans and was trying to fill up all of them. The guy behind him was tickedhe was afraid they'd run out before they got to him, I guess. He started yelling at the guy, the guy yelled back-I'm sure you can figure out the rest of the story-it's happening in a lot of places now-but these guys both brought weapons to the party this time. A baseball bat vs. what looked like a hunting knife. It was kind of far away, so it was hard to tell for sure-the guy with the bat basically dropped "Mr. Gas Can" with two well-placed shots to the head. The other people in line helped #2 guy to roll Mr. Gas Can's car out of the way-then a couple of them picked up the man himself and put him back into his car. They were bizarrely gentle about it too. No one stole his gas-he had to have at least several hundred dollars worth in the cans he had-and the guy who hit him even left him some money for his prepay that he wouldn't be able to finish using. Everyone went back to their business like nothing had happened. It was almost creepy- no one looked upset to be part of what amounted to assault with a weapon.

The cop that responded checked out Mr. Gas Can and an ambulance came to take him to the ER. The only person who'd seen the incident and bothered to stay was me, but I didn't have the tag number of the guy who had done it, so that was the end of it. I asked the gas station clerk-out of pure curiosity more than anything, and she said stuff like it had been happening most of the afternoon in nearly all of her boss' stations. She told me that in the county just to the west of us, some guy had been beaten to death for trying to jump the line.

I decided to do hurricane prep earlier this year-season doesn't start till 1 June, but I got my canned stuff together, water, new batteries for everything, extra first aid stuff, extra Rx's, important papers. That pretty much does it except for fuel. I generally consider ½ tank as 'empty' during hurricane season so I don't get stuck filling up during evacuation. I'm probably going to start filling up at ¾ tank now. Just in case The rumors have been bad enough that our superintendent has cancelled the next two days of school to "reserve our fuel supply and save energy costs at school". They've already set our A/C controls so it will go no lower than 80-which means the classrooms heat up to over 90 in the middle of the day. We have no tree within 100 yards of the building so it sits and bakes in the sun all day. It's been high 80's/ low 90's all week, and with the smoke from the forest fires blanketing everything, you really don't want the windows open any how. I can't wait to have a long weekend-it will be nice to leave my car sitting for four days instead of just two.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be. - Douglas Adams

Katcut

actions of the sect. of state

2007-05-04T14:30:00.000-07:00

Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2007 9:15 AM
To: "wwo@worldwithoutoil.org" <wwo@worldwithoutoil.org>
Subject: actions of the sect. of state

I spoke with the newly appointed Sectretary of State, Benjamin Hamilton, this morning about his unprecedentd embargo of foreign petroleum and the storm of criticism that he is encountering from a nervous citizenry and an outraged Congress. Sectretary Hamilton is planning a news conference shortly where he will address these objections and defend his new policy which he adamently insists will work.

Netizen Kevikens

WebComics by Anda, Wk 2

2007-05-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

WebComics by Anda, Wk 1

2007-05-04T08:48:00.000-07:00

Who is responsible?

2007-05-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 2:39 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org.
Subject: Fwd: WWO 2

WWO
Week 3
late May, 007

Third week of crazy high gas prices and people are starting to wonder just what's going on, and why. Assurrances come from the tv and radio--no need for alarm, they say. Apparently the President is readying a speech for next week, which will tell us how he's gonna take care of everything. Yeah, for his campaign donors. . .

Who's really responsible? I guess it's like in the film Who Killed the Electric Car?--there's a whole raft of perpetrators--and many are the usual suspects. Number One: Big Oil. But my trouble is, I can't even get that mad at them. After all, they're people, just playing by
the rules in place, trying to make the most of their privileged situation. As long as competitive corporate capitalism rules the roost, what the hell do we expect from them? They will play the game to their highest advantage. We should be happy that at least they're predictable in
their voracity. . .

Number Two: Auto Manufacturers. Here I can get angry and indignant. Building gas guzzlers is NOT to their advantage--what difference does it make to them what their cars run on, as long as they're selling cars? They're stymied by fear and inertia, period. Like the movie showed, Detroit has the know-how and the ability to make ultra fuel-efficient vehicles--they literally just don't want to. This is hard to comprehend, harder still to forgive. Honestly, how deep in
the sand do you have to bury your head to miss what's coming?

And they argue, oh, we're just giving people what they want. What sick, circular logic that is. Which industry spends more money on tv advertising than any other? Huh, I wonder why people want bigger size, higher performance, more muscle, when that's all we have crammed
down our throats? Imagine how many more transportation options there would be (and how much less damage we might have done to the atmosphere, how much time we might have bought for ourselves) if ANY American automakers had acted agressively, responsibly, even
rationally over the last 30 years! Sorry to rant, but if you think about it too much. . . it's easy to get furious.

Anyway, there are a couple more culprits, and they're linked together--like everything seems to be. Of course Government is to blame. Oil companies, for instance, won't change their behavior unless and until Government makes them. The rules have to change--regulations, incentives, taxes, all of it has to be geared toward conservation or else they'll just keep doing like they've been doing.

But it's so much more than that. Government has to set an example as well. Can you believe that, 27 years ago, Ronald Reagan ripped Jimmy Carter's solar panels off the White House?! How sincerely sick is that? Not that solar alone would've stopped this oil shock (though it
could've helped put it off a while longer), but it's the example of government going along with the illusion of limitless energy--perpetrating brash confidence over intelligence. What if,
instead, Governments (and I mean local and state/regional, not just national) switched all their vehicles over to biodiesel or hybrid fuel systems? Construction vehicles, bus fleets, police vehicles, politicans' limos--if our government set a good example, then people
will surely follow. . .

Which brings us to the ultimate culprit: us. We're complicit, compliant and complacent in so many ways. Not just in our consumption habits--which many of us are trying to change (more, suddenly, than before)--but even in our expectations. After all, we live in a Democracy, supposedly--isn't our Government supposed to be accountable to us? Don't we ultimately get the government we deserve, or at least accept? In many ways we're captives of our own low (and falling) expectations. But I've got to believe that if we expect better, and demand better, then we will get better--maybe faster than we thought possible.

But change is hard. We have to push our leaders, and if the ones we have won't make the changes we need, then we'll have to get new leaders, by whatever means. I don't think of myself as a revolutionary--I prefer evolution, it's less disruptive. But oil
shock is going to be disruptive too, and the only real difference between evolution and
revolution is velocity. Let's face it, the situation is dire, and we may have to make some big
changes fast--call it what you will. . .

Anyway, blame isn't that all that useful really, in the end. It's good to know how you made mistakes, so you don't make them again, and you have to hold misleaders accountable, but you still have to solve the problems they've caused. That's where we're at now, I guess. It's time to
look ahead to see what we can do, right away, to limit the damage and, if we can act in time, to make sure this won't ever happen again.

Peace and passion,
Houston
DC

price shock in the south

2007-05-02T19:18:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 1:55 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: price shock in the south

From: Katcut

St. Simons Island, Georgia

First, a little about where I live...I live on a small island just off the coast of South Georgia. I'm about half way between Savannah, GA and Jacksonville FLA. We were the site of the G-8 Summit in '04 or 05 (can't remember now). This community is one of extremes-a large amount of very wealthy people and a large amount of very poor people. Most of the poor people live over on the mainland (Brunswick) and a few of the extremely wealthy live on Sea Island. You need a pass to even get on that island, even tho we're all connected by causeways. I'm one of the few middle income people that can actually afford to live on St. Simons, because I was very lucky that my parents retired here before it became too popular. I live in what I fondly refer to as the "White Trash Trailer Park" on SSI. It really is the cheapest place to live here and pretty much everything I need is within walking distance except for my job. I work as a teacher and my daily commute is roughly 40 miles. I bought a new car when the prices went up the first time (oh for the 2.00/ gal price again!) and I'm having to seriously reconsider my work options now. It just took me nearly 50.00 to fill up my car, and I drive a small Chevy Cavalier! As teachers, we are in an infamously cheap school district-we make considerably less than teachers at other districts-we have lousy benefits, etc. I'm looking to try to confine my entire life to basically a five square mile area so I don't have to drive anywhere. There's no such thing as public transportation around here-people have been making noises about starting a bus service, but neither the city or the county is in any position to pay for it, so we probably won't have much change on that front. Nobody car pools either. I brought it up to some of the other people at my school-as a way for all of us to save some money, but all I got was blank stares.

I'll have to try to get a job at one of the two private schools here. Neither pay nearly as much as the school district does. Everywhere else the gas is 'only' 4.45/ gal. Here, it ranges from about 4.45-4.80, depending on where you buy it. We are not close to a pipeline, according to someone I know who has all these weird little facts stored in his head, so its more expensive to get it here than elsewhere. Sounds like b.s. to me, but I'm tired of arguing about the politics of it with ignorant people.

The cost sure hasn't changed too many driving habits here-this area is full of monster SUV's (Hummers, Land Rovers, and the like). People still drive them around all over here. They can afford it and they basically don't care...

Food prices have skyrocketed too-there's nowhere to get food that is inexpensive any more. I'm starting a garden here, but with the drought the last couple of years, nothing much grows but weeds.

More fires in the woods out to the west of us. The air has a sick smoky quality that never quite goes away. Makes it hard to be outside at all, much less to go on foot to the store.

I'm from Upstate NY originally-I'm really missing it-trust me. Anyone who tells you its better down here is lying to you. I'm hoping to save enough money to go back soon, if things don't improve down here. I need a city I can walk, clean air to breathe, and a place where alternative energy isn't something that only the 'granolas' do. More later...
Kat.

I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.
Douglas Adams

Wake up World!

2007-05-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 7:15 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Wake up World! - by Oracle

I continue to be astounded by the cluelessness of the people around me. The people I work with continue to talk about the high price of gasoline as if it's only a temporary spike; that it's just a matter of a few months until after the summer 'driving season' that it comes down. They're talking about the trips they're planning, the motorcycle tours they'll take, and what a shame that the gas prices are so high. Wake up! You are never going to see $2 gas again in your life and maybe never $3 gas! And if the supplies recover where the price at those points again, the 'demand destruction' will have been so great that no one will have the money to afford it.

It's funny some of the euphemisms that we've come up with in our recent lives. 'Driving Season', I don't recall learning about this season in school or seeing it on the calendar anywhere! In a couple of years (maybe less) our seasons may transform into 'Planting', 'The Hot', 'Harvest', and 'Hungry'. I started planting a garden the last couple of years after learning about peak oil. I decided that basic skills will be at a premium! As long as we have a water supply in the summer, we'll still be able to garden in Texas. I'll need a much bigger garden to feed my family, and will have to keep the pests and vermin out (2- & 4-legged).

Another interesting euphemism is 'Demand Destruction'. Whoever came up with that one should get a prize! It's a much more cheery term than 'economic collapse', or 'depression', or 'bankrupt economy', or 'mass starvation'. From what I've read, what has held off the peak for the last year or so is that several countries have dropped out of the oil market because they couldn't afford to pay in dollars. It sucks to be them, but hey guys, thanks for letting us drive our cars on cheap gas for another year!

It's interesting to watch the stock markets lately. What planet are these stock people on?!? Don't they realize that the markets are about to take a dive when the reality of peak oil kicks in? When it does, it may be raining stockbrokers and investors from the financial district
skyscrapers around the country.

Don't let the crazies make you crazy!

My pharmacy ran out of antibiotics today.

2007-05-02T19:07:00.001-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 12:38 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: My pharmacy ran out of antibiotics today.

Wow, I can't believe it.
Here in Iowa we have been in the midst of an explosion of pneumonia cases due to the natural gas shortage. People are only keeping their houses at about 55 degrees to keep the pipes from freezing, and that has caused many of my older and sicker patients to catch pneumonia. We've been able to get antibiotics from our wholesaler until recently, but due to the $5.00 cost of diesel, they are only delivering once a week, compared to the daily deliveries in the past. Our nursing home had a rush of patients needing antibiotics, and we have been unable to restock yet. We kept a small supply of liquid antibiotics for children, but those ran out today as well. And to make matters worse, we are hearing that drug wholesalers are getting reduced deliveries from manufacturers, particularly the companies who outsourced medication production to India and Europe, Croatia in particular. I'm afraid that people are going to start to die of treatable illnesses due to our inability to get restocked. We tried to get our wholesaler to use Ethanol fueled trucks last year, but they scoffed at us. The doctors in town and I are going to start a triage system for medications next month.

Now the local Ethanol plant is working 24-7 and it looks like we are going to be able to get a crop in this spring, but the farmers are really torn, corn for ethanol or soy for biodiesel. Most are cutting back on their production of beef and pork, it's too expensive to ship it more than a hundred miles or so. We heard rumors of some particularly good farms being approached by investors from New York who would have all their soy and corn earmarked for the production of ethanol and biodiesel for a small number of wealthy subscribers. We heard that they were chased away, but I'm not sure I believe the shotgun story that we heard at the cafe.

Well, we'll see what happens tomorrow, if we don't get our weekly delivery, I guess I'll close up, and drive my ethanol fueled hybrid to Des Moines to get our medications.

Signing off from Iowa City

Good news??

2007-05-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 10:18 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: SPAM-LOW: Good news??

Here's a follow-up on "first thoughts" -- if we take the long view. Sure, there will be a huge economic crash, which will affect all of the world's bigger cities and the developed world's lifestyle. There will probably also be a big and messy population collapse. But when the dust settles, the survivors will have a chance to do a better job of running the human enterprise.

We have to remember that prior to 1859, when the first oil well came in, we got along reasonably well without oil. In the interim, we have learned a lot about public health measures, and we've learned a lot about the human context. We now know that we are (or were) fundamental components of the global ecosystem and that a sustainable future requires us to learn to live within the limits of our renewable resources. Manufacturing will not go away, because renewable energies will permit that to continue on a more limited basis, as long as we recognize that it must be based on resources that are also renewable. We can focus our priorities on medical and educational assistance regarding family planning so that we don't let the population get out of hand again; and on maintenance, or development, of basic public health. We can recognize that in all of our actions, the key focus is on sustainability, and that any emphasis on "improvement" must be on quality, not quantity. We in the developed world will have to recognize that an emphasis on "things" and "more" is neither healthy nor sustainable. What might we gain by limiting advertising to information about essentials? How might we best utilize the ways we already know to regain our interpersonal and environmental interconnectedness?

We seem to live in a universe in which emergence is a key process. Might we not emerge from the near-term catastrophe with our wisdom intact and use our innate creativity to make our world humane for all of our "neighbors" into the foreseeable future? Despair is a short-term phenomenon.

Trilobyte

Reagan111- My story

2007-05-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 8:02 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: Reagan111- My story

Man, I thought things were bad after Hurricane Katrina. Now, I long for the days when gas was "only" $3.29 a gallon!

A quick introduction- I am Reagan111. I am 28 years old, and live in the Detroit area with my husband and 2 children. Right now, we can still afford gas, but we have definitely watched where we go. My husband works in IT, and from what he says it is business as usual, for the most part. A few here and there cannot make it into the office, but being in IT, they are used to telecommuting. No problem there. Their clients are all under contract, and they all still have computer systems that break. I, however, wait tables and bartend for a living. What is one of the first things people do when they are tight on money? They stop going out to eat, of course! Business was killer slow last night. That was ok, because half the kitchen staff didn't show up. Those who did, walked to work. Not only did half the kitchen staff not show up, half our deliveries from our suppliers didn't show up either. We had no chicken breasts, fish, buns for hamburgers, and french fries. The distributor cannot tell us when we will have these items in! They can't get things from their suppliers, so they can't supply us with what we need. I predict our doors will close within the week. The economy in our area sucks to begin with, so I am preparing to be without work from now on. I am not too worried about that, as we still have room to cut back. No more HBO for us!! :) Worrying about my job isn't what keeps me up at night. It's my son.

My older son is 6, and he is a Type 1 diabetic. Type 1 is also known as juvenile diabetes, and cannot be controlled by diet. His sugar levels must be checked at least 4 times a day, and he gets injections after every meal and another before bed. The amount of supplies required just to keep him alive and well fills an entire cabinet in my kitchen. What if the pharmacies-like the restaurants-cannot receive their supplies? I don't know where they manufacture insulin, but I am guessing it is not just down the road. I am starting to stockpile syringes, test strips and the like, but what if the pharmacy shuts down and my supply eventually runs out? My mom is on heart medication- what if she can't get her pills? Are they just going to let all these people die??!? I can only hope and pray that the hospitals and pharmaceutical manufacturers are kept running, even if everything else shuts down. The alternative is unthinkable. How many of us knows someone who requires medication to stay alive? We can stockpile our medications, but what if they expire before we can get new ones?

I look at my sweet little boy, giggling and playing cars with his brother, and I think about the future. I think about him laying in bed, fighting to stay alive, because mommy didn't have enough insulin to give him today. I think about my mom, feeling her heart race because she didn't have her blood pressure medication, and wondering how long she can go without it. I think about my friend with her high-risk pregnancy, hoping and praying she doesn't go into labor early, because she cannot get to a hospital and the baby would surely die if born early. I think about all the people I have known in my life who have had cancer, who may not be able to get treatment anymore. How many people that we love could potentially not be there in a few months time? The future is a bleak looking place. I hope and pray that this future doesn't take place, but I am losing hope.

Life in Zürich.

2007-05-02T18:12:00.000-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 10:15 AM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: WWO: Life in Zürich.

April in Switzerland this year has been the warmest on record.

As a result of that and the mild winter (just one snowy day in Zürich), some of the high passes were already open. Which allowed me and a German friend, Heinz, to go from Canton Zürich and across the Oberalppass in his car last Sunday. Perhaps the last car he will ever own. We had to turn back soon after we entered the Italian part of Switzerland because we were concerned about the remaining fuel.

We were stopped by the Cantonpolizei three times on the way out, and four times on the way back. Luckily, Heinz had the receipt to prove he had bought the fuel before the restrictions on buying came into force.

Heinz had been working in Zug, to the south of Zürich, for a couple of weeks. With the banning of the sale of petroleum and diesel fuel for domestic vehicles in Switzerland and most of the rest of Europe, he knew he would not be able to drive back to his family in north Germany. He was due to return by electric train in a few days, so he decided we might as well use up the car fuel by seeing some of the countryside. And abandon the car.

-----

My journey to work by public transport is only slightly affected at the moment, since the trams and many of the bus routes are electrified. The frequency of buses and trams is being increased as taxi drivers re-train and the new stock arrives. I just try to leave for work earlier than I used to.

Many people have already opted for bicycles. Zürich looks like an Asian city sometimes when the lights go to green and the bikes surge across the road. I have a bicycle on order, and am trying to look forward to the prospect of a bit of pollution-free exercise to and from my workplace. The crowding on the buses and trams is helping me there.

As someone who has never owned a car, I have difficulty understanding the withdrawal symptoms and side effects of those who have depended on the availability (never mind the cost) of petroleum or diesel to function. At least we don't seem to have it as bad the USA. Now there is a nation that has been in denial for a long time. I just hope their President doesn't start another war to:

Support his oil buddies/
Damage someone's real estate so he can give the reconstruction projects to Halliburton (Dick Cheney's old company)/
Boost his popularity or the Republican Party's

You know - like he did the last time.

The Swiss government say they are accelerating their expansion of nuclear power and looking at wind or solar renewables with more interest. Climate change has already affected hydroelectric generation, as the lack of winter snowfall leads to decreased meltwater rates in Spring. Not to mention the effect on ski tourism. They want to encourage domestic take up of solar, geothermal and wind. Building regulations are to be revised up and even made retrospective. Electrification of remaining public vehicles is to begin, and mandatory quotas for commercial vehicles to begin to electrify are on the cards.

As an Auslander, I hope the Swiss don't start to send non-Swiss workers home. I don't want to go back to the country I left to come here!

New Secretary of State

2007-05-02T16:40:00.000-07:00

Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2007 12:12 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org
Subject: FW: New Sectretary of state

kevikens transcribed this speech from Benjamin Hamilton:

My fellow Americans; Thank you for tuning in and listening to me. As you know, in the present crisis caused by the staggering increase in the price of petroleum products the president has asked me to step in and replace the former secretary who has retired. You may not be aware of just how much oil we have been importing and from whom we have been getting it but I want to assure you that many of those countries are nations whose internal policies and foreign policies are harmful to the interests of our country and our allies. Because we have needed these foreign suppliers it has been necessary for the US to bow to their interests, often times with unpleasant consequences for this country. We have had to support regimes whose policies are incompatible with our notions of human rights and personal freedoms. We have had to support some of these countries in unjust wars against their neighbors just to make sure we can access their oil fields. we have had to deploy vast military forces, at great cost, to protect those foreign oil fields. Well, fellow citizens, no more will we be held hostage. This present oil increase catastrophe is going to be our energy declaration of independence. I have ordered the lifting of all import lisences from all domestic oil producers. We will no longer import any petroleum product from any foreign source. Yes, I know that the initial reaction will be a further increase in the price of petroleum products and over the next few weeks and months it will be difficult for us to adapt, but adapt we will. New energy producing technologies will now be feasible because their costs will be lower than those of petroleum products. For once we will see that investment in public transit, electric power cars, wind turbines, solar panels and other renewable sources of energy is the smart thing to do. The transition will not be easy but it will free this country from ever again doing the immoral and unreasonable bidding of foreign powers to preserve their friendship to buy their oil. Join with me then, fellow citizens, as we accept a temporary sacrifice to obtain a lasting benefit, freedom forever from the shacles of foreign petroleum.

how long before the price of everything rises?

2007-05-01T17:12:00.001-07:00

Sent: Tuesday, May 01, 2007 5:03 PM
To: wwo@worldwithoutoil.org.
Subject: SPAM-LOW: World Without Oil

WWO
Day 2
May 1, 2007

I hear gas is up over 4 dollars a gallon--ouch. Guess I'm glad I gave up my car a few years ago. Lucky that I live and work in the city--all my transportation needs are served by my bike or roller blades, or the bus or subway (here in DC it's the "Metro"). Occasionally I catch rides from friends, but it seems most of my friends don't have cars either, and the ones who do mostly live in the suburbs. So far the only effect this shock is having on my life is that I keep hearing about it on the news. And Mom's complaining about it in Denver, of course--it effects her more, as she still drives to work to teach every day.

After two weeks of this people are starting to cross the line from annoyed to concerned, but most still don't think it will have lasting effect. They figure it will be like after Katrina, when gas went up over $3 a gallon for the first time, but then sank back to near $2 within a month. I don't know, though. It's not like we haven't seen it coming. I just think about how much the price of gas factors into transportation, which factors into the cost of pretty much all the goods and services we consume. If this keeps up, how long before the price of *everything* rises? Mainly I worry about food. I don't buy many consumer goods, but it seems to me that basics like milk, eggs, cereal, even decent bread is already more expensive than it seems they should be--what happens when stores have to factor in skyrocketing transportation costs? I mean, $4.25 a gallon gas is bad, but what I'm really worried about is $7.00 a gallon milk.

And what about plastic? Transportation costs aside, isn't everything plastic essentially made from oil? I'm talking from saran wrap to tupperware to astroturf, not to mention all our electronic casings for phones, computers, video equipment, you name it--isn't that all from petroleum? Even clothing, right? Nylon and rayon and goretex and polyester and polypropelene and. . . Anyhow, I'm sure it's not worth getting worked up about just yet. But it starts you thinking. . .

Of course, since I live in DC, you always hear a lot about the "political implications" of this crisis or that. As much of a trainwreck as this whole Iraq quagmire has been (all for oil in the first place, ironically enough. And here we are now. Whoops, Republicans--I guess *that* didn't work. . .), it will be interesting to see if any political action happens. Not that I'm optimistic--at the end of B*sh War II, not even a Democratic congress tried to pass a windfall profit tax on the oil companies that raked in such piles of cash--remember reading that Exxon/Mobil just reported *another* highest profit quarter ever!? I remember vaguely from history class how back around the turn of the century we faced a similar situation with the oil companies and railroads and other trusts, and somehow Congress actually managed to do some things that actually helped. . .for a while. How'd *that* ever happen? Maybe I need to go back and read up. I'll check back in later. . .

Peace and passion,
Houston