In this first post I'd like to comment on a personal dilemma which results from considering myself what Richard Heinberg calls a "PPA." In a forward he writes for a recent book published in Europe: Fleeing Vesuvius: Overcoming the Risks of Economic and Environmental Collapse, a large collection of essays edited by the late Richard Douthwaite and Gillian Fallon.  Heinberg suggests that the authors of these essays are: 

"among the People who are Paying Attention (PPA)-an almost completely unorganized demographic consisting of individuals who...devote a substantial amount of time to following world political, economic, and environmental news, but who are not blinded by any fixed religious or political ideology. PPA probably number globally no more than a few million, and (if I may speak for them) have generally come to the conclusion that the world is facing a triple crisis."  

Heinberg then lists the three issues mentioned in the first paragraph above:   

"1. The depletion of important resources including fossil fuels and minerals;  

2. The proliferation of environmental impacts, principally climate change arising from both the extraction and use of resources (including the burning of fossil fuels)-leading to snowballing costs from both these impacts themselves and from efforts to avert them; and  

3. Financial disruptions due to the inability of our existing monetary, banking, and investment systems to adjust to both resource scarcity and soaring environmental costs-and their inability (in the context of a shrinking economy) to service the enormous piles of government and private debt that have been generated over the past couple of decades." (Italics his).

My dilemma comes from the view of reality that results from paying attention to these issues while living in our society where the reality reflected in the media and from politicians and the 'consensus reality' shared by most folk is very, very different. In that latter world, our economy is recovering to what it was pre 2008 and will continue to grow, the next president will be able to fix things, we can expect to continue indefinitely to enjoy the high energy per capita life-style to which we've become accustomed, we will continue to have our individual personal transportation even if our vehicles run on something other than gasoline, the market will supply all the natural resources we need, the environment has an unlimited ability to absorb our toxic wastes, and on and on. It is crazy to see the world I see from reading the peak oil blogosphere and related books and articles but live in the world where none of this pertains.  Maybe you have experienced something like this?  

It is a challenge to my emotional, psychological and spiritual health to take in what's really going on: how close the European banks are to failing and how this might affect the US economy; energy projections for oil, gas and coal prices in relation to possible war in the Middle East and China's emerging role; escalating toward war with Iran; how our economic model based on continual growth is not possible on a finite planet with finite recourses; how our government (and other world governments) have created a ratio of debt to actual value that can never be repaid; how interconnected our systems are and how disruption in one arena can have a cascade of effects through many others; how apparently out of touch with any of these realities are the politicians now in office and those seeking to lead us; and the biggie, now thankfully) getting a lot of attention, the HUGE economic disparity in our population between the top one tenth of one percent who control most of the wealth and how the system continues to siphon money from the lower classes to that small minority. 

It's a challenge to get out of denial. There's not a lot of support for that. And, at one level, I wish I could keep living like I have been, enjoying our high energy life style. At the same time I want to prepare for what I believe is inevitably coming. Here's a quote from my favorite peak oil author, John Michael Greer.  

"The only way out...is to accept a steep cut in your standard of living before it becomes necessary, as a deliberate choice, and to use the resources freed up by that choice to get rid of any debts you have, get settled in a location that has a fair chance of keeping a viable degree of community life going, and get the tools and learn the skills that you will need to manage a decent life in an age of spiraling decline. To those who cling to the idea that they can maintain their present lifestyles, admittedly, it's hard to think of any advice less welcome, but the universe is in no way obligated to give us the future we want." (thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com, Jan. 5, 2012).

One of the things ACORN is for me is a community of like minded folks, other PPA's. If you're reading this, you must be a PPA yourself!