by ubercynicmeister » Sat 24 Dec 2005, 22:40:55
I'm saying what I say about "Peak Oil" simply because I'm what's used to be known as a "concerned citizen". That is, I am seeing a problem, in this case a problem that is only starting to manifest itself and I'm trying to alert others - and inform myself - as to who, what, where, in what ways, why, how, when? Quintilian's technical hexametre never had a better application than now, to something like Peak Oil (Quis, quod, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando).
Are you suggesting we say nothing? Do as others in this Modern World are doing - holding their cards so close to their chests the cards are now part of their torso...? Are we to make Peak Oil yet another part of this world-wide Secret Society known as Postmodernism to which we all seem condemned to endure?
Now, you may ask atbthis point: what "qualifications" do I have in seeking such knowledge and in relating such truths as I've learnt?
Why, I have no tertiary qualifications whatsoever. No Uni grad, here! But does a Uni course make me "qualified"? Are we still over-awed by persons with irrelevant University credentialling?
These days we're always confusing "credentialling" with "qualification". To "qualify" as a source of knowledge implies one has learnt something, at least in the Old School it did. Thus anyone who at least tries to inform themselves as to what Peak Oil is, well, they are (in my book) more "qualified" than the academic who may have a triple Doctorate, but who knows nothing on the subject.
In any case, the responses I, personally, get to my innforming others as to what Peak Oil is and a bried summar of that Peak Oil means, well, they are usually a bit skeptical, yet openm to new information. On the whole, people aren't accepting the continually changing cornucopian stories foisted on them by both government and by Big Corporations. The only outright hostility I have encountered is from those with University Qualifications, post-grads and Doctorate level "academics". Admittedly they have other worries, but one told me to basically stop giving him any information, because "it is too depressing", another asked me to stop sending him stuff, because he thought the whole Peak Oil scenario was a put-up by Market Speculators.
One post-grad memorably sent me a reply that, even if we run out of Oil "We'll still have each other." Which is the most smarmy, sycophantic way of telling me 'where to go' I've ever had.
Mostly, those who are open to the idea of Peak Oil are (usually) religious people, then those who are classified as "ordinary"; lastly are those with any form of education in the Tertiary sector. This seems to run completely contrary to all of the other experiences from everyone else here, but, well...I am a steam train enthusiast, so my fellow steam enthusiasts are usually very well informed about the scarcity of Oil (though few of them have heard of Peak Oil).
Can I therefore say that I ought to "not" say anything? That I'm not "qualified"? I honestly cannot answer that question.
I am of the Old School, so I believe firmly in Ethics and Ethical Behaviour - part of which is to provide ample warning of potential problems. Perhaps my belief in Traditional Ethics is all that needs to qualify me to speak on Peak Oil, indeed I beleive it's an obligation to speak the truth, not cover it up.
I must here acknowledge that it is long since Traditional Ethics held sway in this world - and that my answer may seem hopelessly old-fashioned to some.
Yet....isn't the word "honesty" always preceeded by the phrase "old-fashioned" these days?