Maybe We Are Not Doomed

I sometimes despair when talking to the unconverted about peak oil and the long emergency we are now entering, many people refuse to think about any other way of living but the modern way. It’s like we either have automatic washing machines or we have to beat our clothes on rocks down by the river. But recently I came across the James Washer, a simple, well made manual washing machine that would take all the drudgery out of clothes washing.

The James Washer

The biggest problem is getting people to think about other ways we could live. We waste enormous amounts of resources in madcap ways. We use two tons cars to travel a mile, when we could easily use a bike or walk. The Dutch do 25% of all journeys on bikes and they build bikes that last 100 years. The Swedes build houses that can be heated through arctic winters with little more than the body heat of the inhabitants.

We waste huge amounts of resources making short lived, useless crap, when we could make things like James Washers, and dutch bikes, and pedal powered power tools, and solar buildings etc, etc. The real necessities of human life are actually quite modest and can be met without the huge waste that we have right now.

The things that make life really worthwhile are not crap you can buy in a shopping mall, but things like a happy family, good neighbours and good health. Before we got rich in Ireland in the 1990s there was a great old tradition of a ceile house, a house in the neighbourhood where musicians were always welcome and a music session might start any time of the day or night. A few musicians, and dancers and a few bottles of whiskey and beer, and everyone would have a great party and forget their troubles. It got us through some very bad times and put a smile on our collective faces.

Dutch Bike

We are all doomed in the long run, the sun will eventually fry the earth, but the idea that there is no use in trying right now is one I reject. Who knows how it will play out, but when I hear some people who are peak oil aware saying there is no use in trying because we are all doomed, it reminds me of listening to peak oil deniers. When I try to discuss peak oil with the deniers they parody what I am saying by proclaiming “We are all doomed”. In both cases the reasoning leads to the same result, paralysis.

Dutch Bikes in Ireland

Dutch Cargo Bike