I've had a busy day. First thing this morning I went to the Nelson Saturday morning markets to get some vege's and a loaf of organic garlic bread.
Then it was off to Nelson Eco-fest. I spent four hours there manning the stall held by the Nelson Peak Oil Study & Action Group, talking to festival patrons about peak-oil. Our stall was right by the entrance in a high profile spot. Wow, that was exhausting, challenging and rewarding. We got a lot of interest and I spent almost the entire four hours talking non-stop to interested people from all walks of life. Some already knew about peak oil and just wanted to ask questions about our group and what we have been doing. Many had not heard the term peak oil before but had noticed the recent rises in petrol prices. Some were tough nuts to crack, initially insisting that there's plenty of oil left and so no need to panic. After explaining a few facts about oil extraction and showing them the figures, everyone I talked to seemed to understand. The most common misconception was that people thought we were going to 'run out' of oil. Not so. Global oil production has, or will very soon, 'peak' as we pass the halfway point (that is we have extracted about half of the planets reserves). We have extracted all the easy to get, easy to refine oil, and are left with the deeper, harder to get, lower quality crude. Production (or extraction) is going to start a pattern of decline, while demand is growing rapidly. This is a proven fact, the only question is when. This in turn means that the growth we have enjoyed for the last century or so, which was predicated on the abundant energy of cheap fossil fuels, is a trend that is about to reverse. Most of the debate I encountered today was based around the fact that there is still a lot of oil in the ground, but after explaining the 'peaking' concept, everyone I talked to got it. Most satisfying for me, not because I 'won' any arguments, but because I felt like I was achieving something and actually making a difference by raising peoples awareness and understanding of a problem that will affect us all. Like I said, it was exhausting but rewarding.
After my 'shift' at the stall finished I spent the rest of the afternoon in the garden planting more vegetables. I planted out a dozen tomato plants, broad beans, celery, red onions, lettuce, egg-plant, and spring onions. Two of my gourd seeds planted two weeks ago finally emerged today. I'd almost given up hope...
5:52:40 PM 
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