http://transitionculture.org/2007/10/15/first-oil-vulnerability-audits-in-totnes-report-back/ An Evolving Exploration into the Head, Heart and Hands of Energy Descent Wed, 23 May 2012 18:55:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://transitionculture.org/2007/10/15/first-oil-vulnerability-audits-in-totnes-report-back/comment-page-1/#comment-52640 United Diversity Guide, October 16th, 2007 | united diversity Tue, 16 Oct 2007 17:06:49 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2007/10/15/first-oil-vulnerability-audits-in-totnes-report-back/#comment-52640 <p>[...] First Oil Vulnerability Audits in Totnes Report Back. [...]</p> [...] First Oil Vulnerability Audits in Totnes Report Back. [...]

]]> http://transitionculture.org/2007/10/15/first-oil-vulnerability-audits-in-totnes-report-back/comment-page-1/#comment-52638 Mick Mack Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:41:27 +0000 http://transitionculture.org/2007/10/15/first-oil-vulnerability-audits-in-totnes-report-back/#comment-52638 <p>What surprises me in all the debate and writings that I've heard and read in relation to the issue of Oil depletion/peak and renewables is the total lack of acknowledgement that this 'unintelligent' use of resources is in fact an effect and not the cause of our problems in relation to mismanagement of resources and the problems that flow from that. The dominant economic sytem on the planet i.e Capitalism - the aggregation of surplus value and private ownership of the means of production - is what is really driving human relations and the conflicts that are a corollary of that relationship between humans. I believe the sustainable 'technological' solutions are in front of our faces and we can, wherever possible as humans, either collectively or in our own way, make a contribution to achieving an alternative to these problems, that are thrown up by a system of political and economic ruthlessness that sees only surplus value/profit as the means and ends. However, this won't make the cause go away unless we address these issues; until we have an alternative system of economics, flowing from a totally different system of government, the abuse of life/resources and the ruthless annihilation of human beings - witness the Palestinian struggle - is continuing. These matters are an intrinsic and very urgent part of the problems that need resolving. It's about time the global as well as the local in relation to this struggle was acknowledged within this debate, rather than ignored. It's a dialectical relationship and should be considerd as such when discussing potential solutions.</p> What surprises me in all the debate and writings that I’ve heard and read in relation to the issue of Oil depletion/peak and renewables is the total lack of acknowledgement that this ‘unintelligent’ use of resources is in fact an effect and not the cause of our problems in relation to mismanagement of resources and the problems that flow from that. The dominant economic sytem on the planet i.e Capitalism – the aggregation of surplus value and private ownership of the means of production – is what is really driving human relations and the conflicts that are a corollary of that relationship between humans. I believe the sustainable ‘technological’ solutions are in front of our faces and we can, wherever possible as humans, either collectively or in our own way, make a contribution to achieving an alternative to these problems, that are thrown up by a system of political and economic ruthlessness that sees only surplus value/profit as the means and ends. However, this won’t make the cause go away unless we address these issues; until we have an alternative system of economics, flowing from a totally different system of government, the abuse of life/resources and the ruthless annihilation of human beings – witness the Palestinian struggle – is continuing. These matters are an intrinsic and very urgent part of the problems that need resolving. It’s about time the global as well as the local in relation to this struggle was acknowledged within this debate, rather than ignored. It’s a dialectical relationship and should be considerd as such when discussing potential solutions.

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