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[<eureka AT hctc.net>]

Yes, there actually was discussion on the need to reduce 
consumption, although we all know it would be difficult to 
legislate something like this. It was clear that the 
attendees are or are ready to personally reduce 
consumption. There were several groups with booths in the 
exhibition hall that are dedicated to educating the public 
about ways to reduce consumption, but I suspect (although 
I haven't read all the literature I picked up yet) it is 
the usual, flourescent lights, caulking windows, etc. At 
least the need for local food was brought up in the 
meeting.

I listened to 10 speakers on their respective energy 
fields. The fossil fuel experts (straight out of Houston's 
oil district) there agreed the U.S. has less than 12 years 
of oil left in the ground, which would put us more 
beholden to outside sources (and the war machine that 
secures it) if we don't urgently put our efforts into 
wind, solar, and geothermal. One expert spoke for nuclear 
power, but the overall response (even from the other 
experts) was they didn't trust storage of nuclear waste 
and that every aspect of nuclear power produced more CO2.

There was a very nice set of illustrations someone made 
that looked like stools, where the seat part was labeled 
"the environement" and the various energy solutions were 
the legs. The current "stool" showed the oil leg so large 
and the rest of the legs so spindly by comparison that the 
seat would obviously not be sustainable. The proposed 
"stool" showed a balanced approach where oil was greatly 
reduced, so that wind, solar, geothermal, etc. were of 
equal size.

I also enjoyed meeting several of the top Texas Dem 
politicians who seem very aware of the direction we need 
to go with energy. I don't think Rick Noriega-D for U.S. 
Senate will have trouble getting elected, as the encumbant 
Republican was one of the legislators who voted against 
Iraq vets getting full benefits.

--Sage


On Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:39:02 EDT
 Clansgian AT wmconnect.com wrote:
> > >Mostly, I enjoyed attending the meeting on energy, 
> > where 
> > peak oil was discussed and the need to quickly develop 
> > wind and solar alternatives. 
>
> Sage, any talk about, not alternatives, but changes in 
> society and lifestyle 
> (and infrastrcture) to simply use less energy and not 
> move around so much?
>
> I've talked about this with our legislators, face to 
> face, (easy to do as the 
> show up at any and all photo-ops, up for reelection this 
> fall, don't you 
> know) and I just get a headache.
>
> That's where some leadership would come in handy, but 
> alas, I'm seeing none 
> of it.
>
> James   </HTML>
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