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53 comments on From Peak Oilers to Citizens for Sustainable Living

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Rick on September 14, 2005 - 11:07pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Now really, don't you think that recommending summary execution should make you unpopular? It's pretty antisocial. Don't be a wingnut.

But consider: if peak oilers can't be more convincing than
economists (?! who ever believes economists?), then we have a credibility problem of our own to solve.

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Dave Cohen on September 14, 2005 - 11:41pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
I was merely thinking that the Emperor Greenspan and the others would be required to strip thus having no clothes but you, Rick, have put out the terrible thought that someone would shoot them! How could you think such a thing?

Be more convincing than economists? Unfortunately, this is not a debate but rather a struggle for hearts and minds with respect to reality. I remember when I was an undergraduate at The University of Chicago, the winner would get the glass of wine and the cookies. It was all academic. Not this time!
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coffee17 on September 15, 2005 - 7:25am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
It's also much harder to be convincing on an emotional level than a rational level. For example, consider the exercise of debating religion. Ultimately it comes down to the fact that some people are going to believe X.

Economics comes across on the rational and emotional levels. There's some equations so people think that it's a hard science, rather than a social science, but at the same time it (currently) rings strong endorsement for an unsustainable lifestyle which is pretty comfy. Most North Americans are likely comfort addicts. How well do you think you'll be at convincing an addict to give up their drug vs. their dealer convincing them to get some money for more.

I agree that trying to bring it up as a sustainable living concept seems much more appealing, but I'm afraid that it's only going to appeal to a small percentage of the population. Heck, I've got a vermicomposting bin, long hair, eat unprocessed food, and I still react with anger when someone calls me a hippy.

And then there's the scary question of how many people are really sustainable on this earth? If the answer is significantly less than 6 billion, the uphill battle for sustainability has just become an assault against a fort located on Mount Everest.

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Rick on September 15, 2005 - 5:57pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Dave, say no more. It's obviously post-traumatic stress. I'm trying to imagine myself in your shoes, held captive for four years on an academic island, surrounded by the ghetto on 3 sides and a freezing cold lake on the fourth. The indigenous peole are all right wing economists. The only escape is a stroll to the squash courts to watch nuclear chain reactions being sustained. Who wouldn't get a bit irritable?
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53 comments on From Peak Oilers to Citizens for Sustainable Living

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