Conservation asks us to consider how we get around. Walking and biking save fuel while toning your bum at the same time. I like biking in dresses. So does Ellen Page!
Lindsay’s List is a conservation-focused blog offering tips on how we can adjust to the post-peak oil world.
What’s peak oil? The short answer is that it’s the end of the era of cheap energy and the decline of fossil fuels (read more in our FAQ, A Snarky Guide to Peak Oil). It’s also the beginning of a whole new way of life.
In the post peak world things will no longer be as cheap or easy to get. In order to continue enjoying a great quality of life, we’ll have to adjust to the downturn. In my view, we can either be scared about this, deny it, or deal with it.
I choose to deal with it.
And in my view we can either deal with it through fear, disappointment, or creativity.
I choose creativity.
What now?
We hear so much talk about financial crisis, budget cuts and the price of energy. Yet as a people, we Americans seem to want to have our cake and eat it too. We’re still ringing up debt, lying about our federal budget and not owning up to the real energy situation. This is huge, since energy is the key driver of economy.
We also hear criticisms of the conservation approach, with some saying it is an anti-business stance.
It’s true that in a conservation climate we wont have business as usual. But a lot of what business as usual has brought us has been trouble.
I’m for business. I’m pro business. But I don’t favor all the waste, pollution and disease caused by business. I don’t favor being a slave to one way of living simply because big business has the power to dominate the rest of us while exercising a bigger voice in government than the people. And I certainly don’t favor wasting energy (and increasing pollution and all its hidden costs) just to keep doing things the same old way.
I believe conservation simply asks business to adjust to a new paradigm. And anyway, it leaves room for new businesses to emerge.
Making the change
In order to enjoy the most satisfying, diverse, healthy lifestyles and culture going into the future we need to make conscious sacrifices today, changing some aspects of how we live, work, do business, and entertain ourselves while introducing new elements into the mix.
Most posts on here will share a brief tip on conservation as food for thought and action. Other posts will be more like a musing. I hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comment section as you read.
I’m also the editor of Transition Voice Magazine, the online magazine on peak oil, climate change, economy, and the Transition Movement response. There you can read fuller articles on everything from the slow food movement to book and movie reviews, stories on energy and climate, and profiles with key figures in the energy-meets-environment world. You can read my bio here.
Best,
Lindsay Curren
