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130 comments on The Ups and Downs of Giving a Peak Oil Presentation
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130 comments on The Ups and Downs of Giving a Peak Oil Presentation
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I spoke to my Rotary a few years ago and about half loved it and the other half was shocked and confused. I didn't hold back. Went right after our societies belief systems of being "exempt" from laws of nature and that technology and progress are inevitable. Basically said we are about to discover how dependent we are on a functioning planet and local ecosystem services...the bright side was a reversal of the diabetes and obesity epidemics.
I still show up at Rotary meetings sometimes and they generally know and like me. More probably have "gotten" it since then as the prices have gone up and the media is beginning to reinforce my position.
Many times, however, I have been frustrated by the way development interests latch on to any message as an opportunity to push their pet project that will make them lots of money, even if it means more roads, paving of farm land, etc.
I was invited to speak at a Chamber of Commerce meeting about my new business, a 13-acre organic farm with a CSA and little market in the town I was speaking. I had planned to speak about what I was doing and then why I was doing it, i.e. Peak Oil. I had even prepared handouts using some of Gail's presentation. However, the turnout was small that night and when everyone introduced themselves and seemed so nice and innocent, I didn't have the guts to discuss the why. Even my son who had encouraged me to talk about Peak Oil, "Mom, this is your chance. You'll regret it if you don't," leaned over to me and whispered to can that part. Instead I talked about the massive spraying that my non-organic neighbors apply to their vegetables and my recipe for killing groundhogs. That in itself was enough to turn a few stomachs before eating the non-organic lettuce and green beans. Besides, it almost seems too late for people to prepare!
Don't go down that tunnel!
Have you met anyone who didn't want to find out earlier and start preparing earlier?
If they have the opportunity to find out from you then at least they can be responsible for the consequences, whatever they choose to do or not do. But if they don't find out now, they might panic when they do find out later.
I spoke to a father of four children and he quietly said, "I've got a lot of work to do" before asking me how I'm preparing.
There is still time, not tons of it, but some.
If you can't support them in their preparations, tell them to take the UnCrash course via email. They receive an email every week that walks them through how to prepare.
www.postpeakliving.com/post-peak-living-uncrash-course
In August the series of San Francisco Townhall meetings I'm organizing with the San Francisco Peak Oil Taskforce and the Presidio MBA program will start taking place, too. The topics are:
You'll be able to send your loved ones to a series of recorded webinars that will cover the basics in each area. I'll announce them closer to the live presentation dates.
-André
Please! Please don't be so patronizing. And then use it as an excuse to sell your services. "If you can't support them in their preparations, tell them to take the UnCrash course via email."
"You'll be able to send your loved ones to a series of recorded webinars that will cover the basics in each area. I'll announce them closer to the live presentation dates."
Please! I think I'd rather have my "loved ones" endure Peak Oil blindly than endure your seminars.
I apologize if that's come off as patronizing.
Many people have told me that they think these services are exactly what they were looking for because a) they don't know how to explain what is going to happen and b) they don't know how to prepare.
You don't have to attend anything; that doesn't mean other people may not be interested. Just keep scrolling if it's not to your taste.
(edit)
BTW, the students, the school, the SF Peak Oil Task Force and me are all volunteering our time for these free seminars because it's in all our interest to get our city ready.
I wanted to give a plug for Andre's course. He gave it free to a group of us from the Post Carbon website (we were in NC, NY and somewhere else).
The talk was excellent- he has been giving thought to how to present these concepts, just as the writer of the article that started this thread has.
wow, what a blatant attack on someone volunteering their own time to help others prepare... I am going to take a look at this uncrash course, sandiego, not sure what your problem is... maybe you just don't like being told what to do, but then again, you could just scroll down... Thanks for the info andre!
People are all over the map on their understanding and their ability to understand. And likewise, there are half a dozen people around here (Southern Maine US) doing various versions of peak oil talks. I don't talk much about peak oil directly, but - for example - about these great melons I got at the UMaine farm in Monmouth, about genetic diversity and resilience - because we need that to cope with scarce resources (like oil, water, soil, nutrients). About community (and how are we going to stay warm when oil is $10/gallon). Footprint and horizon is another good frame - about how the size of our footprint leads to war and peace - about the necessity to live mostly within the horizon.
local, local, local
cfm in Gray, ME