Why does it have to be Apocalypse?

One of the biggest problems with getting the public informed and the authorities doing something constructive about our energy problem are the “Apocalyptic Crazies”. Here we have this serious energy dilemma, but instead of serious policy discussion in the political arena the powers that be have declined to tackle it. If you were a career politician, would you embrace a concept whose banner is carried by folks that see this as “The end of the world as we know it”? The expression has become so popular on the web that it is recognized as “TEOTWAWKI” quite broadly.

It is not that I have an opinion about the validity of their argument 30 years hence. It seems to me their view of the future is as probable as, if not much more probable, than the optimistic case. It is simply that accepting it as a foregone conclusion or denying it as even remotely possible seems to me to be a rather feckless public policy.

Well meaning or not, I really wish the “oil crash” crowd would keep it to a low roar. And I truly appreciate their contribution in getting the problem distributed in the blog-sphere when the main stream media would not touch it…but right now we need intelligent policy discussion, not silence, at the top of our political institutions. Thankfully, several U.S. Congressmen, former CIA Directors, and former U.S. Energy Secretaries have been raising the alarm. I hope that the “TEOTWAWKI” crowd does not drown their good sense and courage out.

Yours for a better world,


Mentatt (at) tahoo (d0t) com