Morgan
I think that is part of the problem. Some want baby steps (CAFE standards), others want powerdown. It is hard to agree on plans of action. The closer we get to real decisions via painting out the corners, the more likely it is the 'clear' decisions will offend some previously aligned interest group. Clearly we want to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, but that results in taxes or conservation or hardship and these are all political no-nos in the current environment.

In the end though, you are right. We are the government. But I think most have forgotten that.

I'm all for action. And not just personal action. But before we can get the government to really notice we need to inform the people. A couple famous celebrities could help too :-)

We need activist groups in every major city united with a common message. They need to be organized and willing to walk the extra mile to get some real attention. Even though studying PO is as trying as a difficult college class, we need to bring it to the slacker (entitled) youth aboard to obtain a baseline of popularity. In many ways it could appeal to them as much as any other nihilist trend. Getting out the message is the important first step before we offer our "solutions".

Morgan,

Is there any activist movement related to the oil drum?

There are movements that focus on Peak Oil (and often Global Warming as well). One such is the Transition Town movement, started in the UK, and now teamed up with the PostCarbon Institute in the US, forming Transition United States. While these movements emphasize grass-roots planning and action, they also promote changes at the highest levels as well. Note that a large percentage of changes will need to be in local and individual choices; what we consume, in what quantities, and how to change our lifestyles to meet individual and community goals.

I highly recommend Rob Hopkin's book "The Transition Handbook" that gives a thorough and thoughtful treatment on the subject.

We can write some bills and try to get them passed into law.

Based on the power the minority has with the Senate filibuster, meaningful laws are very hard to pass, especially when a few Democratic Senators are from auto or oil/gas states. That doesn't mean we should stop trying, of course, but State and Local efforts are very significant and should be recognized as such.

Fortunately, there is a Congressional Peak Oil Caucus that you will likely find already pursuing the goals you've mentioned.

Your thoughts?

The collective "we" may be the government is some abstract sense but in the real world an elite group runs the government and I (and probably you) have only a superficial influence.

The time for mass collective action is not now. It was thirty five years ago. These issues could have been solved and resolved then if anybody had been paying attention. Now it's too late. Same with climate change. It is important to recognize this in order to deal with the future. Running around beating on bureaucratic doors is a waste of time. If you want to turn the rubble into compost then make a compost bin and start working.