Andrew, I have one question and one comment regarding your post.
First, the question: Are there any studies that unambiguously demonstrate that, on a per capita basis, the energy consumption of cargo ships and trains are meaningfully lower than jetliners and automobiles? Second, about the "rushing around" you mentioned in relation to the competitiveness of our present daily lives. I honestly don't believe too many people choose to live a hectic lifestyle. The competitiveness is a product of the vast population we have today. When you have so many people fighting for a limited amount of resources, competitiveness is inevitable. So I think it all goes back to some of my previous comments, that the only real answer to all these problems is to reduce human over-population. On Sun, 1 Apr 2007 14:16:05 -0400, Andrew Park <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >Esteemed Ecologgers, > >So biofuels are not a Panacea, there is no ready substitute for the >concentrated energy in crude oil, and "civilization" may collapse in >the foreseeable future due to energy drought. > >Although I love a good apocalyptic scenario as much as the next >person, I am hopeful that the impending rumours of civilization's >collapse may be greatly exaggerated. > >Nevertheless, I think we have to see the synergy of several lines of >action for us to avoid a nasty and brutish future. > >[1] - We have to cease all talk of whether or not individual actions make a > difference and realize that they will, provided they are repeated by > millions of people. We have to quit debating degrees of hypocrisy| > because, hell, it is practically impossible to get our carbon hoofprint > down to 2 tonnes or less. THE FACT THAT WE ARE ADDICTED TO A >HIGH ENERGY > LIFE STYLE DOES NOT MAKE US HYPOCRITS; IT MAKES US ADDICTS! THE >IMPORTANT > THING IS, EVERYONE HAS TO DO SOMETHING TO START WEANING >THEMSELVES OFF OF > THE ADDICTION. START SMALL (SAY, TURN DOWN THE > THERMOSTAT IN WINTER), AND BUILD UP TO BIGGER THINGS (ENERGY AUDIT YOUR > HOUSE) AND EVEN BIGGER THINGS (QUIT DRIVING) SO THAT YOU DO NOT NOTICE > THE "SACRIFICES" YOU > ARE MAKING. THE OLD FROG IN THE BOILING WATER TRICK CAN BE >TURNED ON ITS > HEAD CAN'T IT? > >[2] - Elect leaders who understand the situation we face, and who will >take the > hard decisions that are required. OK THIS IS A TOUGH ONE; RIGHT NOW > THOSE LEADERS DO NOT EXIST, SO SOMEHOW WE HAVE TO MAKE IT KNOWN TO THE > CURRENT GENERATION OF "LEADERS" THAT CHANGE IS NECESSARY AND REQUIRED. > >[3] - Many writings and some of the recent postings have all been about how to > maintain the current civilization without trashing the planet. Only the > most rabid technophile could possibly believe this to be possible. I > BELIEVE THAT WE CAN HAVE A GREAT CIVILIZATION IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE HAVE > TO UNDERSTAND IT WON'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE THE CURRENT ONE. SOME > INDUSTRIES ARE GOING TO > DIE (GM? FORD?). WE WILL BE FORCED TO EAT LOWER ON THE FOOD CHAIN > (CONSIDER ALL THE FEEDSTOCK FOR BIOETHANOL THAT GETS CONSUMED BY > LIVESTOCK), OUR WORK HABITS AND MAYBE OUR ACTUAL OCCUPATIONS WILL > CHANGE. SOME COMMUNITIES MAY DIE; GLOBAL POWER RELATIONS WILL CHANGE. > THE WAY WE TRAVEL WILL CHANGE TOO. FOR EXAMPLE, INSTEAD OF > GETTING CHEAP FLIGHT TO COSTA RICA FOR A WEEK, MAYBE WE WILL BE SAVING > UP FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND TRAVELLING DOWN THERE ON A CARGO BOAT, OR A > COMMERCIAL SAILING SHIP. > >[4] - And that previous point leads me to the final injunction - SLOW DOWN. > One reason that we are all so busy flying and driving everywhere is > because we are too damned short of time. I should know; I live in a > permanent time famine. All this rushing around is competitive. >Do we not > rush around and try to do thigs fast because everyone else is doing that > too. SO IF EVERYONE IS FORCED TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF HIGH > INTENSITY FUEL SOURCES, SHOULD WE NOT EXPERIENCE SOME RELIEF FROM THIS > COMPETITION? > > >Finally, everyone should watch the Documentary "Who killed the >electric car" to understand that sometimes the best forms of >"progress" can be strangled at birth (see >http://www.whokilledtheelectriccar.com) > >All the best, > >Andy Park (University of Winnipeg) >=========================================================================
