I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE OIL TO RUN DRY!


A long gap since my last blog. (13th March). This indicates a personal thought blockage – a personal uncertainty about what’s left to say in the ‘Going Green Debate.’ I often feel that all of our efforts to promote a so-called ‘sustainable future’ are merely tokenism compared to the reality and scale of the actual dilemma posed by our over consumptive and exploitative way of life.

Is it time to gear up the dialogue? Are we really prepared to face the fullness of the climate disruption music? All of a sudden it seems we are fast getting into a current way of life cul-de-sac. Peak oil / post oil / energy descent are the new amber light buzz- words. Transition towns, thank goodness, are attending to the crisis, and springing up everywhere, like new, enlightened blossom, such as the Transition South Lakeland initiative. It would appear that a minority of informed, aware people, are promoting serious forward planning for a future, where commercial exploitation of finite resources, especially oil, come to an end – 15/20 years!? On a geological time scale - a twinkling of an eye.

Meanwhile, main stream economics and current political thinking shows no real sign of a serious resource responsible forward plan after the oil age comes to an end – as if there’s no tomorrow.

Why is the ‘establishment’ in such advanced denial mode? Should a national/international seminar entitled “Why are we in such denial” be held in a huge hall or a big field? I would go. I’m in denial, because I/we have a car, like the other 11% of the world’s privileged population. Would any politician dare to pose the question “What RIGHT do we have to own a car?” They, sadly, wouldn’t last long at ballot box time!

Now for the pompous bit! – I really can’t wait for the oil to run dry – for it will shake us all into long-term forward planning reality, and be really good medicine for our sick and wounded planet. What bliss it will be not to have to struggle with the ever- increasing expense of running a private vehicle. Apparently one third of a person’s waking life is spent earning the cash to fund their car together with actually being in the car! Yikes!

I reckon life will come alive again, post oil. My mother-in-law once said to me, with glistening eyes, “Oh the war years were wonderful years.” She was referring to the togetherness of local communities, cooperating with purpose and conviction so as to help win through the military conflict. Likewise, a post-oil life-style will generate a similar, yet positive contagion quest for survival, where future life-styles will let go of the heavy reliance on fuel-guzzling technology and replace same with human powered based horticulture, using simple, repairable hand-tools and an advanced understanding of organic natural systems. The countryside will become alive again. The green desert will come to an end!

O.K. – I may have lost the support of some readers by now, but at least my outpouring has freed me up from ‘blog-siezure,’ and got a former bunged-up creative mind flowing again.

In the context of the above comments, next Saturday, 10th May, I’m off to London to take part in a panel discussion at the London Aware event at the Barbican. I was so chuffed to be asked to join a gang of four speakers who will be discussing a panel session entitled “Greening your Life and Home : Practical ways to make a difference.” As one of the four WWOOF UK directors (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms), I shall be promoting WWOOF. I am looking forward to being amongst an exciting gathering of lots of new age people. I’ll take copious notes and report back in a future blog.