Everyone who uses the roads in this country, and possibly in any country, has seen this - Two motorcycles pass each other on the road and give each other a friendly wave. Now this doesn't always happen or even happen most of the time, but it does happen often enough for everyone to know what it is. You may not have ever thought long enough about it to give it a word so I will. This is really a form of tribalism. One of our basic human needs is the need to feel like we belong somewhere. As a cyclist I can vouch that this sort of tribalism also happens between cyclist. However as a group I think cyclist are a little more selective (snobby) about who they wave at. I have to admit that even I have been guilty of deciding who I will wave at based on how serious or even how well outfitted they look. If some grandmother with a basket on the front of her bike goes weaving past me on the other side of the road, I don't think I would even think about including her into the tribe of cyclist.
I've decided that is a terrible attitude to take not just because it is snobby but because I am giving up a opportunity to make cycling more acceptable to the general population. It is highly likely that the poorly outfitted cyclists that weave their way down the road are much newer to using a bicycle for mobility rather than simple recreation. If someone has made the effort to get out on their bike and risk their life in traffic then they not only need some recognition, then also need some encouragement. A simple wave from a serious looking cyclist could accomplish both. It costs you nothing and if done consistently on a wide scale could make a major impact on bike use.
As I've written before, people are not just going to park their vehicles and start using eco-friendly alternatives just because it is the right thing to do for our planet and for future generations. The masses need incentives. What other incentive is so easy to implement and costs nothing? So if you pass me in the streets of Toronto on your bike, you are going to get a wave from me. You don't have to wave back but I hope you do. Even I sometimes need encouragement.
velomobility
Friday, November 30, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Are Electric Bikes Environmentally Friendly?
40 Million Electric Bikes Spark Environmental Dilemma in China "As China motorizes, will electric bikes displace would-be car users or simply provide a stepping stone to full blown auto ownership? They will likely lead to both outcomes. To the extent that electric bike battery technology and production processes improve, electric bikes provide some of the highest mobility and access to an urban area with some of the lowest negative impacts to the transportation system or the environment."
Interesting article on the growth of electric bikes in China. The Chinese are upgrading their pedal power with lead-acid batteries. In the west one would assume that an electric bike on the road is displacing an automobile. However maybe we need to be careful to make sure we examine that more closely. Also if you are considering an electric drive for your bike then make sure that you opt for the most environmentally friendly battery technology. If you already own an electric bike then ensure that the batteries are eventually recycled and not just discarded.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Next Generation Hybrids
The Tesla Roadster is due to be hitting the streets sometime next year. The Tesla is a high performance electric vehicle. It will be produced on a limited scale and mainly for the California market so don't expect to see one on the road anytime soon. However the Tesla may mark an important way sign on the road towards sustainable personal transportation. The Tesla sells for over $100,000 so it may appear an odd poster child for sustainability. However Tesla Motors' list of customers who will receive the first production models will undoubtedly include many high profile personalities. I'd be surprised if Jay Leno isn't on that list as well as many eco-aware celebrities. There may be some good deals on used Prius's in Hollywood next year as they are traded-in for the new Tesla. Just as the image of Arnold Schwarzenegger driving around in his Hummer ignited the market for super-huge SUV's, the introduction of the Tesla has the potential to do the same for the electric vehicle.The are still many hurdles to making electric vehicles on the scale that conventional vehicles are produced. Unlike existing hybrids on the road today, the Tesla will use a Lithium ion battery as the main power plant. Lithium Ion batteries are expensive. While this additional cost is of little consequence to a Tesla buyer, the cost of a lithium ion battery large enough to power an average vehicle would drive up the cost considerably. The production of the Tesla has met with many delays including dealing with the challenges of using such a large lithium-ion battery. However if Tesla can overcome these challenges then that shouldn't slow down the introduction of other relatively less expensive electric vehicles. One of the stumbling blocks to wide scale use of lithium-ion batteries is cobalt. Cobalt is a relatively scarce material used in lithium-ion batteries. Scaling up production of electric vehicles would be problematic if it has to rely on cobalt for it batteries. But battery technologies have consistently improved and there are promising developments showing that lithium ion batteries can be made without cobalt.
You might be wondering why a dedicated pedal pusher would be interested in promoting any type of vehicle that isn't human powered. As fossil fuels become scarce and prohibitively expensive, people will slowly turn to whatever alternatives are available. I believe that ultimately, pedal powered vehicles will form a significant part of the available alternatives. If lightweight, reuseable inexpensive batteries are available as fossil fuel production starts to plumment, then velomobiles that can be powered by human pedal power as well as electric drives could become the preferred vehicle for local trips. The logic of moving around a couple of tons of metal will become increasingly hard to defend regardless of the source of the energy used to move it.
So when Jay Leno takes delivery of his latest $100,000 toy you can take some comfort that he is helping to ignite a revolution in personal transportation.
velomobility
Friday, November 23, 2007
Dubai - Miracle, mirage or canary in a coalmine?
Last night the CBC broadcast a documentary on Dubai (Dubai - Miracle or Mirage). It was a fascinating documentary that showed how the city has grown from a unremarkable little village in the early 1950's to a world class city today. Dubai has managed to do a lot with the relatively minor amount of oil money they have generated over the years. Unfortunately, the documentary didn't delve into Dubai's Oil Industry very much. Dubai will likely be one of the first cities (emirates) in the mid east to run out of oil. According to their own website, they expecte the oil reserves to be exhausted within 20 years. That is, of course, the most optimistic scenario. The oil majors have already mostly given up on Dubai. Even the IEA (normally known as a fount of optimism) is skeptical of Dubai's official reserve estimates. If you watched the documentary knowing about Dubai's poor oil prospects, you might still be impressed with Dubai's efforts to transition their economy away from oil. As recently as 1994, 24% of Dubai's GDP was from the oil sector. Last year the oil sector accounted for just 5.1% GDP (5.6% in 2005). While this is largely due to declining oil production, Dubai has become the jewel of the middle east as far as tourism goes. Dubai caters to the super rich as well as to the more ordinary run of the mill rich.According to the CBC documentary, Dubai's prospects seem very good. However Dubai could be ground zero for the combined impact of peak oil and global warming. Dubai is only 16m above sea level with much of the built up area right on the shore line. Dubai may not have to wait for rising sea levels to swamp the city. Tropical cyclones could become more common and severe in the Arabian Gulf. A cyclone reach the Arabian Gulf just this year and caused more than a ripple in the world oil markets. Dubai's growing tourism industry could be an early casualty of declining worldwide oil production. While the countries of the middle east will likely have sufficient oil supplies to support their tourism industry for years to come, the rich countries that import oil will likely put heating their homes and growing food ahead of mass tourism. It is unlikely Dubai can sustain a tourism industry on the back of just the oil wealth in the mid-east.
velomobility
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Aspriring away from the automobile
The first winter storm of the year moved into Toronto today. I procrastinated about getting snow tires for my car but decided I could (or should) live without them. I could have had new snow tires and rims installed for around $400. That seemed like a good deal. However, my car has run-flat tires and a mechanic said I shouldn't run regular tires when my car is designed to have run-flats. Besides having my tire pressure monitor going off every time I use my car I'm not sure what the problem was. The run-flat option would have bumped that $400 to over $1,000. So that more than anything motivated me to try and do without a vehicle on days when there is snow and ice on the roads. Based on how little winter Toronto has seen over the past few years, I'm not predicting that my personal sacrifice will be too oppressive.
This morning being the first time I had to deal with my sacrifice in any real way, I'm ashamed to say that I felt a tiny bit oppressed. Of course, that oppressive feeling melted (or maybe a better analogy is that it froze) when the first cyclist rode past me. I currently own 5 bicycles and at least 2 of them are better outfitted for a snowy ride than the bike that the first guy rode past me (he was also wearing only dress shoes and carrying a lunch bag in one hand). I continued walking for about 15 more minutes until I decided that my running shoes were not the most appropriate footwear for a 45 minute walk through snow. I jumped on the first bus that would actually stop for me (my 2nd bus ride this year) and tried not to moan too loudly as the blood started moving into my frozen toes.
Funny that a guy that rides at least 5,000km a year decided without a 2nd thought that riding in a little snow and ice was out of the question where as a guy who probably rides to work everyday likely decided without a 2nd thought that he would ride, regardless of the snow and ice. To me this demonstrates the power of entrench habits. By and large, everyone moves around the way they are used to. If there was a better way to get around, everyone is not going to just abandon their cars and embrace a better way. The entrench habits of millions first have to be shifted. So far the only motivation being provided is economics. Some people will be swayed (or forced) by economics to break old habits but some (and I'd say most) will not. Our consumer culture holds up the ideal of automobile ownership as a forgone conclusion for anyone that can afford it. And while my toes where slowly going numb this morning waiting for the bus, I wouldn't fault anyone who doesn't own an automobile for wanting one.
Tomorrow I'll be breaking out the snow tires on my mountain bike and trying to find that dude riding in his dress shoes, carrying his lunch bag and tell him that he help shift my thinking. By comparison to society as a whole, shifting my thinking was pretty easy. Nobody will aspire to parking their car and getting on a bus or exposing themselves to the elements on a regular bicycle. Here's a personal transportation option that I think is worthy of aspiring to. The go-one is a fully enclosed recumbent bicycle (ok tricycle). With a price-tag of over 10 grand it's a status symbol worthy of anyone. When the time comes, and that may be very soon, I'll be happy to park my car and hop into something like this (provided it has snow tires).
This morning being the first time I had to deal with my sacrifice in any real way, I'm ashamed to say that I felt a tiny bit oppressed. Of course, that oppressive feeling melted (or maybe a better analogy is that it froze) when the first cyclist rode past me. I currently own 5 bicycles and at least 2 of them are better outfitted for a snowy ride than the bike that the first guy rode past me (he was also wearing only dress shoes and carrying a lunch bag in one hand). I continued walking for about 15 more minutes until I decided that my running shoes were not the most appropriate footwear for a 45 minute walk through snow. I jumped on the first bus that would actually stop for me (my 2nd bus ride this year) and tried not to moan too loudly as the blood started moving into my frozen toes.
Funny that a guy that rides at least 5,000km a year decided without a 2nd thought that riding in a little snow and ice was out of the question where as a guy who probably rides to work everyday likely decided without a 2nd thought that he would ride, regardless of the snow and ice. To me this demonstrates the power of entrench habits. By and large, everyone moves around the way they are used to. If there was a better way to get around, everyone is not going to just abandon their cars and embrace a better way. The entrench habits of millions first have to be shifted. So far the only motivation being provided is economics. Some people will be swayed (or forced) by economics to break old habits but some (and I'd say most) will not. Our consumer culture holds up the ideal of automobile ownership as a forgone conclusion for anyone that can afford it. And while my toes where slowly going numb this morning waiting for the bus, I wouldn't fault anyone who doesn't own an automobile for wanting one.
Tomorrow I'll be breaking out the snow tires on my mountain bike and trying to find that dude riding in his dress shoes, carrying his lunch bag and tell him that he help shift my thinking. By comparison to society as a whole, shifting my thinking was pretty easy. Nobody will aspire to parking their car and getting on a bus or exposing themselves to the elements on a regular bicycle. Here's a personal transportation option that I think is worthy of aspiring to. The go-one is a fully enclosed recumbent bicycle (ok tricycle). With a price-tag of over 10 grand it's a status symbol worthy of anyone. When the time comes, and that may be very soon, I'll be happy to park my car and hop into something like this (provided it has snow tires).
velomobility
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Keeping our problems buried
I read a very thought provoking article yesterday on the The Oil Drum by Chris Vernon. Chris's basic premise is that if we can accept that climate change is largely being caused by humans and more specifically by humans burning carbon based fuels (oil, natural gas and coal) then our primary goal has to be to burn less carbon based fuels. We can run around trading carbon credits, planting trees or improving efficiency all we want but if doing these things does not result in less use of carbon based fuels then we haven't really accomplished anything. Chris is saying that by focusing on how we consume carbon based fuels we are missing the real opportunity. The only carbon not going into the atmosphere is carbon then is not produced in the first place. We need to focus on keeping the oil, natural gas and coal in the ground.
To any adherent of the theory of peak oil (peak gas, peak coal), this should really resonate. Becoming super efficient in the use of fossil fuels won't gain you any traction in the fight against global warming. In a world fast approaching peak oil or perhaps even past the peak, demand will always outstrip supply as we move forward. Spare capacity only exists where the cost of oil exceeds the cost of doing without. So far the only players that have been priced out of the oil markets as oil approaches $100 a barrel are poor countries. How much further do we need to go before leaving oil in the ground is more cost effective then producing it for the rich countries?
I have run up against this logic before but never made the link to how it will affect our response to global warming. Jevon's paradox states that increasing efficiency can sometimes lead to higher consumption not lower. We see this paradox in action when we look at CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) in the US. US Congress is currently debating the first increase in CAFE standards in 30 years. The senate already passed the bill and now the battle has moved to congress. The debate isn't on whether or not to increase CAFE standards but by how much. 35mpgby2020 is a lobby group that is pushing for the higher standard of 35mpg by 2020. The auto industry is lobbying for a lower target of 32mpg by 2022. The fact is that the auto industry could meet the higher standard in a couple of years if properly motivated. 35mpg is not a very high bar with the technologies that have been developed over the years. The auto industry has consistently improved fuel efficiency over the years but these improvements have been offset by increasing vehicle weights. Some people even believe the higher standard could be met without decreasing vehicle weights (See Saving Gas and Saving Lives).
Regardless of the outcome of the debate on CAFE standards, any fuel savings (and they are substantial) would only enable the US to drive more. If we are really looking at a near term peak in oil production then CAFE standards won't matter much by 2020 or 2022. In my opinion, whatever gas is being burnt in 13 or 15 years will be burnt as efficiently as possible regardless of what laws are in place.
As long as global oil production and global oil consumption is being driven by market forces, you can be certain that oil will be produced to maximize profits and every drop of oil produced will find an eager buyer. Will oil peak soon enough to save our planet? Can we change the nature of our markets to put the fight against global warming ahead of economics? Will the political will develop to combat climate change before we've done irreversible damage to our climate? I'm not optimistic but I certainly hope so.
velomobility
To any adherent of the theory of peak oil (peak gas, peak coal), this should really resonate. Becoming super efficient in the use of fossil fuels won't gain you any traction in the fight against global warming. In a world fast approaching peak oil or perhaps even past the peak, demand will always outstrip supply as we move forward. Spare capacity only exists where the cost of oil exceeds the cost of doing without. So far the only players that have been priced out of the oil markets as oil approaches $100 a barrel are poor countries. How much further do we need to go before leaving oil in the ground is more cost effective then producing it for the rich countries?
I have run up against this logic before but never made the link to how it will affect our response to global warming. Jevon's paradox states that increasing efficiency can sometimes lead to higher consumption not lower. We see this paradox in action when we look at CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) in the US. US Congress is currently debating the first increase in CAFE standards in 30 years. The senate already passed the bill and now the battle has moved to congress. The debate isn't on whether or not to increase CAFE standards but by how much. 35mpgby2020 is a lobby group that is pushing for the higher standard of 35mpg by 2020. The auto industry is lobbying for a lower target of 32mpg by 2022. The fact is that the auto industry could meet the higher standard in a couple of years if properly motivated. 35mpg is not a very high bar with the technologies that have been developed over the years. The auto industry has consistently improved fuel efficiency over the years but these improvements have been offset by increasing vehicle weights. Some people even believe the higher standard could be met without decreasing vehicle weights (See Saving Gas and Saving Lives).
Regardless of the outcome of the debate on CAFE standards, any fuel savings (and they are substantial) would only enable the US to drive more. If we are really looking at a near term peak in oil production then CAFE standards won't matter much by 2020 or 2022. In my opinion, whatever gas is being burnt in 13 or 15 years will be burnt as efficiently as possible regardless of what laws are in place.
As long as global oil production and global oil consumption is being driven by market forces, you can be certain that oil will be produced to maximize profits and every drop of oil produced will find an eager buyer. Will oil peak soon enough to save our planet? Can we change the nature of our markets to put the fight against global warming ahead of economics? Will the political will develop to combat climate change before we've done irreversible damage to our climate? I'm not optimistic but I certainly hope so.
velomobility
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Chasing Affluence
My first career job was in the auto industry. Well OK, I wasn't really 'in' the industry, I worked at a car dealership. It was a large dealership and it was owned by a family that owned many dealerships but still, it was just a car store. But I liked to say I was in the auto industry as that sounded better than working at a car dealer. One of the benefits of working at a dealership was that you got to drive a new car all the time. While you didn't always end up with a top of the line car, more often than not, you had a very nice set of wheels. After leaving the car business, I finally had to look after my own transportation needs. That was quite a rude awakening. The cars I was used to driving were now well beyond my means. I had to take what seemed to me a large step down the affluence ladder. My friends were used to seeing me in brand new SUV's or sports cars. Showing up one day in a 2 year old compact sedan was embarrassing for me. As soon as I could afford to move a little more upscale, I did. I bough a used SUV that was in great shape and had all the luxury do-dads that I had gotten used to. I leased that used SUV. When that lease ended I took another step up the "look at my ride" ladder. I bought (OK leased) my first brand new vehicle. Another big bad SUV. I got it with leather seats, moon roof, a kick ass stereo. I added every available option save the GPS navigation which I just couldn't justify in my mind. I mostly drive to and from work and rarely drive anywhere that I haven't been a million times before. (wow do I sound boring).
It was during the final year of the lease on my beautiful luxury SUV that I became aware of global warming and then the issue of our future energy challenges. I started riding to work most days and eventually grew to be almost ashamed to drive my SUV around. If I was going out of town, I would try to arrange to carpool, either in my vehicle or someone else's. The vehicle that I was so proud to finally have when I first got it was now more shameful to me than the used sedan I had after leaving the car business.
During the first month after I left the auto industry, I spent a few weeks without any vehicle. I was interviewing and had lots of other things going on at the time so being without personal transportation seemed a huge inconvenience. I borrowed my Mom's vehicle when I could and took taxis and (oh my god) I even took the bus once. At the end of my lease on my luxury SUV, I considered not getting another vehicle. It was the memory of living without a vehicle for just a few weeks that convinced me to get another vehicle. I bought (yes bought) a used compact sedan. It gets 100% better gas mileage than my SUV did. I can't carry around half my worldly possessions in it like I could (and most of the time did) with my SUV. I still ride to work when I can and I've started walking when I have the time.
I honestly believe that my current vehicle's odometer will never make it past 100,000km (currently around 35,000km). Not because it breaks down or gets written off in a car accident. I believe I, or perhaps the next owner, will just park it in their driveway one day and never drive it again. Not because there's no gas to be had but because gas is so expensive and the alternatives to driving make more sense.
I plan to get back into the car business one day in the future. But instead of helping to put more cars on the road, my career will be as an auto recycler, finding a way to use all those rusting vehicles that will never be burning gas again. Maybe I'll get that GPS unit after all.
velomobility
It was during the final year of the lease on my beautiful luxury SUV that I became aware of global warming and then the issue of our future energy challenges. I started riding to work most days and eventually grew to be almost ashamed to drive my SUV around. If I was going out of town, I would try to arrange to carpool, either in my vehicle or someone else's. The vehicle that I was so proud to finally have when I first got it was now more shameful to me than the used sedan I had after leaving the car business.
During the first month after I left the auto industry, I spent a few weeks without any vehicle. I was interviewing and had lots of other things going on at the time so being without personal transportation seemed a huge inconvenience. I borrowed my Mom's vehicle when I could and took taxis and (oh my god) I even took the bus once. At the end of my lease on my luxury SUV, I considered not getting another vehicle. It was the memory of living without a vehicle for just a few weeks that convinced me to get another vehicle. I bought (yes bought) a used compact sedan. It gets 100% better gas mileage than my SUV did. I can't carry around half my worldly possessions in it like I could (and most of the time did) with my SUV. I still ride to work when I can and I've started walking when I have the time.
I honestly believe that my current vehicle's odometer will never make it past 100,000km (currently around 35,000km). Not because it breaks down or gets written off in a car accident. I believe I, or perhaps the next owner, will just park it in their driveway one day and never drive it again. Not because there's no gas to be had but because gas is so expensive and the alternatives to driving make more sense.
I plan to get back into the car business one day in the future. But instead of helping to put more cars on the road, my career will be as an auto recycler, finding a way to use all those rusting vehicles that will never be burning gas again. Maybe I'll get that GPS unit after all.
velomobility
Monday, November 19, 2007
We're all in this together
My motivation for starting this blog was to try and organize my thoughts on issues currently confronting society that I feel we are collectively unprepared for. If we ever consider it, we all know and on some level understand that our society as we know it will not last forever. However even the small percentage of people that entertain such thoughts would quickly file away such doom and gloom thinking and carry on with their daily lives. Our culture frowns on pessimism or anything that can be construed as pessimism. Pessimist can sometimes be labeled as Chicken Little's who are forever waiting for the end of the world as we know it. Pessimism, in my experience, doesn't move one towards better actions or decisions but almost always towards poorer actions or decisions or even inaction or indecision. However optimism isn't any less dangerous in my opinion. Optimism almost always leads to more action vs. less action but not always better action. While there is definitely more to be gained by being optimistic, there is also more to be lost because optimism encourages one to risk more. If we are talking about our love lives or career choices then being a little risky might be well worth it, even if we loose out in the short term. However if we are talking about gambling our pay cheques at the roulette table then unguarded optimism might seems a little more out of place.
I would not characterize myself as optimistic or pessimistic. I am a realist. When presented with a problem or situation, I don't stop to consider if it's fair that I've been presented with such a problem. I also don't immediatly consider all the ramifications that this problem will have on me. I usually just deal with it. I don't spend much time or energy on deciding whether the problem or issue will lead to a good outcome or a bad one. I just do what I can to deal with it as best I can. I always strive for a good outcome and never look at a problem as being hopeless or impossible.
When I first started reading about global warming and all it's implications, I didn't worry. I wasn't pessimistic about my own future or that of my friends and family. I wasn't even worried about the fate of mankind. I just started questioning how what I was doing was impacting the issue of global warming. There didn't seem much more one person could do. The problem was and still remains somewhat controversial. The reading I was doing on global warming led me to the related yet distinct issue of peak oil. Since delving into that subject, I have read almost everything I could lay my hands on. My education on peak oil is ongoing as I have become fascinated with the issue. Peak Oil and Global warming have much in common as some of the actions we can take to mitigate one issue could also mitigate the other issue. Of course there are also some mitigating actions for peak oil that would make global warming worse.
Over the years I've seen many references to the 5 stages of grief. I've been very fortunate in my life to have never lost someone close to me. However this good fortune means I haven't developed any coping mechanism to deal with personal tragedy. I've been laid-off and dumped (more than once) and had to deal with some grief. However, I'm sure anyone who has lost a loved one could view my personal tragedies as you might compare a little indigestion to the pain of childbirth. I googled "stages of grief" and was instantly rewarded with the wiki on the Kübler-Ross model for dealing with grief. According to Kubler-Ross, the five stages are:
Denial: The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
Anger: "Why ME? It's not fair!" (either referring to God, oneself, or anybody perceived, rightly or wrongly, as "responsible")
Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my child(ren) graduate."
Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
Acceptance: "It's going to be OK."
I believe most individuals and society as a whole will have to deal with the grief of global warming and peak oil according to the Kubler-Ross model. I know I've been through all these stages. Starting this blog is part of my acceptance. I suspect most people and hence society as a whole are still in first stage denial. The reality of Peak Oil and Global Warming may mean that many are forced through each of the stages much more rapidly than I have been able to go through them.
I might disagree with Kubler-Ross. Acceptance of a personal tradegy might lead you to believe that "It's going to be OK". With Peak Oil and Global warming, it's not going to be OK. Or perhaps more accurately, It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I would also want to add a sixth stage to the model. Action! Once you have accepted that these issues are real and will impact everyone on this planet to some degree, it's time to get off you arse and do something about it.
velomobilty
I would not characterize myself as optimistic or pessimistic. I am a realist. When presented with a problem or situation, I don't stop to consider if it's fair that I've been presented with such a problem. I also don't immediatly consider all the ramifications that this problem will have on me. I usually just deal with it. I don't spend much time or energy on deciding whether the problem or issue will lead to a good outcome or a bad one. I just do what I can to deal with it as best I can. I always strive for a good outcome and never look at a problem as being hopeless or impossible.
When I first started reading about global warming and all it's implications, I didn't worry. I wasn't pessimistic about my own future or that of my friends and family. I wasn't even worried about the fate of mankind. I just started questioning how what I was doing was impacting the issue of global warming. There didn't seem much more one person could do. The problem was and still remains somewhat controversial. The reading I was doing on global warming led me to the related yet distinct issue of peak oil. Since delving into that subject, I have read almost everything I could lay my hands on. My education on peak oil is ongoing as I have become fascinated with the issue. Peak Oil and Global warming have much in common as some of the actions we can take to mitigate one issue could also mitigate the other issue. Of course there are also some mitigating actions for peak oil that would make global warming worse.
Over the years I've seen many references to the 5 stages of grief. I've been very fortunate in my life to have never lost someone close to me. However this good fortune means I haven't developed any coping mechanism to deal with personal tragedy. I've been laid-off and dumped (more than once) and had to deal with some grief. However, I'm sure anyone who has lost a loved one could view my personal tragedies as you might compare a little indigestion to the pain of childbirth. I googled "stages of grief" and was instantly rewarded with the wiki on the Kübler-Ross model for dealing with grief. According to Kubler-Ross, the five stages are:
Denial: The initial stage: "It can't be happening."
Anger: "Why ME? It's not fair!" (either referring to God, oneself, or anybody perceived, rightly or wrongly, as "responsible")
Bargaining: "Just let me live to see my child(ren) graduate."
Depression: "I'm so sad, why bother with anything?"
Acceptance: "It's going to be OK."
I believe most individuals and society as a whole will have to deal with the grief of global warming and peak oil according to the Kubler-Ross model. I know I've been through all these stages. Starting this blog is part of my acceptance. I suspect most people and hence society as a whole are still in first stage denial. The reality of Peak Oil and Global Warming may mean that many are forced through each of the stages much more rapidly than I have been able to go through them.
I might disagree with Kubler-Ross. Acceptance of a personal tradegy might lead you to believe that "It's going to be OK". With Peak Oil and Global warming, it's not going to be OK. Or perhaps more accurately, It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better. I would also want to add a sixth stage to the model. Action! Once you have accepted that these issues are real and will impact everyone on this planet to some degree, it's time to get off you arse and do something about it.
velomobilty
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