Peak Oil Situation or Back to Basics

[Klara]

(apologies to those who already read this on other sites)

I believe all of you are concerned with the health of the world, with it's future (whether we will be here or not) and with ecology to different degrees. At least I believe all of you are open and willing to look outside the box.

I had the good fortune to visit my friend, Bat-Tzion Benjaminson, at her new location in Shoqeda, near Netivot (near Gaza) (Israel). A group of us went to help her with her new mini-farm. I had no idea what to expect, except I knew for sure I would learn something to encourage me with my own little patch of land. And that I got, and more so.

I generally, probably like many others, do not want to hear depressing stuff. And I probably react like many do, so what does "that" have to do with me? Now I know there are many who are wonderful activists, who work hard fighting injustices in this world and I greatly admire them. I know there are many who are wonderful teachers and counselors who work hard to spread the wonderful information macrobiotics and other alternative systems can do for one's health.There are others who work hard in teaching permaculture so people can waste less energy and be more productive in their lives. There's lots out there!!!! But my recent learnings has been to do less and focus more on what I do do (thereby creating a more orderly and peaceful life). It is quite difficult to eliminate things in one's life, well it is for me. But I do love gardening, and since I am privileged to live where I have some land, I felt at least I can go and help Bat-Tzion as well as get inspired.

Inspired I got - also because it's so wonderful to see all that she's growing (I will try to add some photos, but not promising) (we were treated to some of the collards that she grew on her land, so big and beautiful, and DELICIOUS) and also because she gave me the gift of 60 seedlings which I want with all my heart to succeed. But even more, her love of connecting to the land, has now grown to have an even wider basis, that of seeing growing food as an absolute necessity for the possible scenario of which she spoke to us about.

Now realize this is 3rd hand, first from Matthew Simmons, who wrote the book Twilight in the Desert, which Bat-Tzion wrote more about below, 2nd is Bat-Tzion's impassioned explanation to us who were at her home, and now me writing to all of you, even tho I have not yet read anything about it. Basically from my understanding we have come to a plateau prior to the imminent decline of available fossil fuel resources which has grave implications for all of life as we know it. And either we come to the situation being prepared (which, for Bat-Tzion and many others, means learning how to live with the land and grow enough food for others who do not have that privilege or knowledge or belief of its importance) or we have a dire situation in which diminishing fuel and food may trigger war, killing, and widespread starvation.

Now as I said, I like many others do not want to believe this, but hey, I have no problem at all learning much more so I can indeed grow much more food. I do not want to live from worry, but if there is truth to this, neither do I want to keep this information to myself. It's way too important.

Here's what Bat-Tzion wrote me re the book she got the information from and a website that all of you can check out. May we look forward to a great future, with many alternative sources of energy and indeed a more peaceful time, as we'll all be gaining the peace that comes from connecting to Nature.

Klara

from Bat-Tzion:

The book I had on the table was called Twilight in the Desert by Matthew Simmons. He is one of the most famous and credible people in the peak oil movement. He has documented the depletion of oil fields in Saudi Arabia by intensively reviewing the technical papers published by Saudi Aramco's petroleum engineers. Saudi Aramco has a policy of hiding its true situation, especially when it is not pretty. Simmons' own background is as an investment banker to the energy industry, and so he knows in great detail the situation of high tech oil extraction and the alternatives to conventional oil, and he is pretty pessimistic. The situation in Saudi Arabia's super-giant oil fields parallels actual experience in the world's other giant fields that have largely become depleted already. But he thinks there is still time for the world to make a graceful transition to a world of less energy if decisive action is taken now.

The depletion of oil in Saudi Arabia may not seem so important in Israel, because obviously we don't get oil from there, but actually it is, for several reasons. First, if the US economy begins sputtering and choking for lack of oil supply then that severely impacts the Israeli economy and security. Second, up to 90% of the IDF's fuel supply comes from the US. (so maybe we actually do burn Saudi-origin fuel but it is hidden). Third, the depletion of the Saudi fields will induce more competition for the remaining oil (including from Russia, where we get most of our oil and whose supplies are set to decline also) and may trigger resource wars over the remaining middle east oil. And, finally, if the Saudi regime is weakened then the next big power player in the middle east is -- Iran.

This is hard to believe, because most of us have heard a lot about alternative technologies, biofuels, and the trillion barrels of oil remaining in the ground today. But if you wish to know the stark facts, go to www.energybulletin.net and start reading from the Peak Oil Primer by clicking on that at the top of the page. After that, read the linked sites and also the news that they compile on the energybulletin site itself. Keep reading this stuff for a few months, perhaps six months. Then get back to me and I can direct you to lists where you can ask questions. I know the editor of Energy Bulletin, he is a permaculturist based in California, and he is a very intelligent and sincere person with a very hard job that he does voluntarily and very competently. A good chunk of the articles he includes on the site are about sustainability and solutions. btbenj (at) netvision.net.il


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