Raise the Hammer

Ryan,
As an American peak oil obsessionist, I've been watching many of the great efforts some of you Candian citizens have been putting forth to address the coming changes in our world and have been both impressed and inspired. Your observations about problems in the USA are for the most part accurate. However, there is a growing number of us (which includes many politicians in Washington and environmental organizations - see 25x25.org) who are trying very hard to address the coming oil shortages in an egalitarian fashion. If you visit Relocalize.net you will see the the US has more groups than any other country in the world. The philosophies of the Post Carbon Institute's Relocalization effort (out of Canada) is to help communities adapt and adjust to living in a low-energy world with democratic principles in tact. Many of us are struggling very hard toward that goal. While we may still be in the minority, we do have our champions - Matt Simmons, Rep Roscoe Bartlett, Robert Hirsch, ASPO-USA team, Community Solution, Inc. team, and many many more. Perhaps I am naive, but some of us are hopeful that the loss of cheap energy will be the downfall of corporate globalization and a shift in power to regional/local business and government. As Michael Shuman (author of Going Local - Creating Self Reliant Communities in a Global Age) has observed - it's a lot easier to influence a corporation located in your back yard to "do the right thing" than it is to impact one who's home office moves from one country to another. Ya never know - but this struggle may actually unite us American citizens and we may actually learn to work together and help each other adjust to our changing world. At lease some of us are still willing to try!! One thing for sure - our Canadian neighbors are truly invaluable to us now (see Ottawa's effort - http://www.crudeawakening.net).