Small Revolutions: Voluntary Simplicity in Devon

Learning from Cuba's Response to Peak Oil

I just watched a 28 minute interview with Megan Quinn on Peak Moment TV, talking about how Cuba responded to it's own peak oil crisis.

Inspiring and positive, this shows that there really is a sustainable future that can be built and that it does not mean the collapse of civilisation as we know it. Although Cuba faced massive challenges, because they lost their oil practically overnight, they rose to meet it.

This is must watch TV:
Peak Moment Interview with Megan Quinn: Cuba's Response to Peak Oil

Simplicity and GeoPolitical Conflict

It's been said that all of the major conflicts in the next 100 years will be over scarce resources.

This trilogy of 5 minute films joins the dots and in a compelling argument, shows the geo-political centre where this conflict is likely to emerge.

Far from being kooky, it appears to chillingly viable, and as you see the maps, you see how it can pit the world's largest nations against each other.

The Oil Factor (part 1)
The Oil Factor (part 2)
The Oil Factor (part 3)

This is increasingly becoming a subject that fuels my own interest in simplicity.
Because there are other ways out. 

Bush said "we are addicted to oil" and I hope that it's possible to increasingly build a consciousness which moves us (globally) away from high consumption acquisitive lifestyles whilst still improving our quality of living.

But it is not going to be a top down driven thing. Quite the opposite - simplicity is something which will emerge from the grassroots, through people like you and me.

As the price of oil goes up, so will the cost of all those oil-dependent lifestyles. People are going to have to change, because no matter who controls the remaining supplies, we will all eventually run out of it.

Simplicity for me, is about working out how quality, happiness, and abundance springs most effectively from less acquisitive lifestyles.

It's not the whole solution, far from it.

But it's the part of the puzzle that I feel I need to get involved in most.

It's my small revolution.

effects of oil running out

I am having a YouTube day, but this gives me the opportunity to actually dig up some things I am interested in and which draw together some links to media about Peak Oil.

The interesting thing in this conversation is using a traditional model of trying to find a replacement for oil, rather than changing our lifestyles and losing less of it.

I think the changes in the next 30 years will be absolutely massive - but as the curve descends, market forces should regulate the use if it as it becomes an increasingly scarce resource. It doesn't necessarily mean the collapse of entire economies as long as we can find new ways of living.

The important thing is to start approaching the problem in a creative and positive way before it becomes an emergency...

art and john - conversation

Peak Oil for Beginners

An in depth look at peak oil in 1 minutes and 50 seconds ;)

The End of Oil (links to YouTube in a new window)

This will blow you away...

If you object to the war in Iraq, and the deeply troubling influences it has shown to be at play in the world, including neo-conservatism, you may find this interesting:

What Barry Says

Moreover, it's one example of how the Internet democratises media and mass communication. I went to a conference dealing with all sorts of online stuff. Big companies and brands are increasingly monitoring blog 'noise' to assess their brands and see how they are faring.

Anyone can start a blog, just as I have, and the words we speak can increasingly change the world we live in.

There is one quote which I love about the internet:

"The Internet is an important cultural phenomenon, but that doesn't excuse its failure to comply with basic economic laws. The problem is that it was devised by a bunch of hippie anarchists." Thomas Nolle

Too damn right, and thank god!

This blog has already been visited by Relevant Noise, probably because I said something about Amazon.

Rather than making me worried that I live in a 'big brother' world (we do, as a fact) I believe that the internet offers us all opportunities to be part of small revolutions.

Small revolutions - our individual acts of civil disobedience, connect together and globally we can all become agents of change.

And the thing is, we'll have made a difference, but we'll probably never meet...