peak oil isn't a problem people or the media think about because, it just isn't a personal thing to them, same goes of the problem of "global warming" basically the problem is most people only can realate to a problem if it has a "face" or if its something that they have an emotionial attachment to....
for example people in the USA were effected by 9/11 because they saw it over and over, and over again on TV. Most people watching TV that day did not know or have a direct connection to anyone who died on 9/11. Think about it, how may degrees of separation do you have from anyone who died on 9/11? I personally did not know anyone who died, but do have a few indirect connections, for example I have a neighbor who flew in the navy, and was away at a reunion of old navy pilots during that week, and one of the pilots in his navy class was on the plane than went into the pentagon, then I have an old physics drinking buddy of mine, whose wife had a few friends die at the WTC, etc...
point is I like a majority of other people don't have a direct connection to 9/11 but I felt more of an emotionial response to that event even though only 3,000 or so people died... now let's put that into perspective, about 3,000 people died prematurely on 9/11 but if you do the math and look at the about 500,000 die prematurely each year in the usa because of complications due to smoking.
Big events's like 9/11 have an emotional response because they are on TV and played over and over again.... BUT most people miss the big picture because they cannot relate "personally" to the problem, or it does not have an "emotional" tug...
The other reason peak oil and global warming isn't that big a deal in the western world is because solutions to those problems will require people to think and people to sacrifice a life style that is comfortable. Basically people don't like to change, its just basic human nature.....
BTW the best part of "crude awakening" was IMHO the bonus material, but I a geek by nature and really like hearing about the data and various mechanisms that are causing the problems... if ya thought crude awakening was interesting check out:
The Denial Machine Reporter: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 26/02/2007:
link
and Crude (it was on the history channel for US, but it was first done down under):
link
charliebrownout wrote:I wish this movie had received the publicity that Al Gore's movie did. I can't stop thinking: Why? Why? Why? Why are people so stupid? Why are they overlooking this? Why the hell couldn't I have been born Amish? Why...why...why....
Then my next thought is WHEN. That is an even tougher question than WHY. I'm wondering when it will all fall apart. When it will become apparent to everyone in the world what the underlying problem is?
I wish I had a crystal ball. I keep reading the news. I'm trying to watch the stories at the back of the paper (so to speak) because it seems like all the news worth noting is hidden in a dark corner. The front page is reserved for things everyone knows already without even reading (Britney Spears is nuts. Republicans are money-grubbers. Democrats fight each other--a lot. Duh. Soldiers don't like being in Iraq fighting an unwinnable war for oil. Duh.)