User blog comment:Ottawaprofessor/Putting it all together/@comment-1305442-20090819154243

The IMF, the World Bank, the World Food Programme of the UN and the other international agencies are just as aware of the IEA reports as anyone. The US Army prepared a report on the oil supply crunch in 2005 (Energy Trends and Their Implications for U.S. Army Installations) & is preparing contingency plans. So too is the UK. An non-partisan group of MPs has just released its recommendations on responding to peak oil (APPGOPO report on Tradable Energy Quotas: A Policy Framework For Peak Oil And Climate Change) and the Prime Minister appointed a special advisor who has also just released his report on Energy Security.

The key to dealing with the energy consumption problem on this scale is to build local resilience. That doesn't require people telling you what to do but you deciding to make a choice. If you can see that you are contributing to the problem then you can also choose to make a change. Don't depend on someone else getting you out of this mess and magically making it all go away.

Here in Canada, there are a number of prominent individuals who have tried to raise the alarm but our political class has been content to remain deaf and dumb on the subject. Are they aware? Indubitably. One of the most prominent spokesmen raising concern is David Hughes who is a leading geologist with the the federal government's Geological Survey of Canada. Our politicians can read the same reports available here on this site.

The major problem with this issue in Canada is that Canadians have been sold a bill of goods. We've been encouraged to think for a long time that we are an energy superpower with an endless supply of oil so we don't have to worry about things like energy conservation. Sure we've done a little conservation here and there to save on heating bills and add our bit to reduce GHGs. Mostly however this is optics.

Overall our per capita energy consumption between 1990 and 2000 continued to rise (10% ) while our fossil fuel consumption rose even faster (16%) (NRCan statistics) giving us the the questionable honor of being the biggest energy users on the planet. Europe, on the other hand, has steadily reduced its already low per capita energy consumption during the same period. But with the staggering scale of the potential supply shortage we are in for a painful reckoning.

This is why it remains out of political discourse. No one wants to be the party to tell Canadians that they must radically adjust their lifestyles. Look at how Dion got crucified for suggesting a carbon tax! Do you think people will look kindly upon anyone who might suggest they can't drive their SUVs, or live in suburbs, or that they need to grow their own food to feed their families. When the party is truly over all those who claimed to be 'leaders' will be absent from the scene. It will then be someone else's problem.

Climate change is a "cause celebre". Peak oil is more of an existential reality check that few want to face. It is the proverbial "elephant in the room" that people don't see or talk about.

On a more positive note this same challenge could reduce our dependence on leaders to fix things for us and encourage more bottom up ownership in solutions like TransitionOttawa. If that is the case, then the path to adapting to peak oil will not only produce greater community resilience but also fundamentally strengthen our currently dysfunctional democracy. Not to mention that it will be good for the planet.