The Politics Of Survival  

For those who haven't seen it, Kurt has another thoughful post up at Resource Insights, this time looking at the potential for peak oil to collapse the distinction between left and right. I agree that the issue is one which will concern people of all political persuasions (as you can often see in the wide range of people interested in the subject) - I'm not so sure that awareness will always result in cooperation and pragmatic approaches though (an alternative being the widely held fear of the revival of fascism in some peak oil circles).

I'm glad Kurt is encountering people who are willing to put their political differences aside and work towards a positive outcome - hopefully its something we'll see more of.

It is a sign of the times that a former energy analyst turned radical advocate for depaving the world would be quoted on the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives by a self-described "very conservative Republican" congressman while the congressman lectured the country about the dangers of world peak oil production. Just so you don't think this was a fluke, I give you exhibit number two: An investment banker who specializes in energy--a Bush supporter and former campaign advisor on energy--recently wrote a piece about the impending Saudi oil shock for Counterpunch, a left-wing, muckraking newsletter that is proud of its "radical attitude" and its freedom from corporate influence.

What we are witnessing is the collapse of the politics of left and right and the replacement of those politics with what I call the politics of survival. Those who come to understand the gravity of our energy situation quickly abandon their previous political views and instead focus pragmatically on how we can make a successful energy transition.