Turnpike,

The awakening mainstream media recognition is all that's actually new. (Even then, most punters still turn to the Sports pages and have no idea what PO is. They're also conditioned to believe whatever vested interest wants to tell them that oil is due to go back below $40 per barrel "real soon now". - Phew, what a relief! - Back to the State of Origin...)

If you think conventional oil really peaked in 2005 (and why visit TOD if you don't!) then the good news is that the pace of PO impact on the economy is "gradual". The doomers are predicting far too rapid a collapse. Think about it - oil peaked in 2005 and only a few people are paying attention to the correct message even now in mid-2008.

However, this is not the sort of problem that can be solved by filling a few jerry cans.

We have to match world demand to supply as it declines, without starting a resource war and without pushing the greenhouse gases past tipping point. (Or should I say, pushing them back below tipping point, if NASA's Hansen is right and 350ppm CO2 is too high for the long term!)

But why not be optimistic. Look at the massive organisation that occurred in World War 2, which is probably the last comparable global crisis. (BTW, it was a "resource war".)

What did everyone do then? They got organised, they stopped wastage, they rationed fuel, they rode the bus, or they drove a bus - they helped each other. They didn't panic and they "never surrendered".

So the best thing you can fill is actually your neighbour's ear - with a calm and understandable explanation of what's going on and where things are going, and a serious suggestion that as a society, now is the time for everyone to get organised.

Look at all the wastage in our society - what an appalling model to pass on to the Chinese. Let's fix it now.