to want to shout out 'OIL is not a never ending resource and it IS going to run out'

[beaniesteve]

Because I am fed up with all the emails I am getting about this Boycott and that protest. Before long Petrol will be so expensive that people will have to start looking at alternative methods of transport. We will have to get on our bikes, or use public transport regardless of how rubbish it is or how far away it is.

Am I being unreasonable to think that people just need to get real?

**NB this is in no way a comment about the other AIBU thread about Deisel, I only just noticed that one was at the top of the page)

We chose our current house because it enables us to walk/cycle to everywhere we go on a regular basis, so the car is for occassional journeys only. We will soon be getting rid of it, and going for a hire option on the few times we need to. There is also excellent public transport, which covers our journeys to work, nights out etc. The downside is I dont like the house much, but as the oil price bites, I'm more and more glad we made this choice.

But I don't agree that its just the governments responsibility to find alternatives, surely the new politics to come out of the eco crisis is for individuals to take responsibility for what they consume, and communities to work together to find solutions, as they increasingly are - just look at the transition towns movement.

Agree entirely with riven - I know we are lucky in that we live in a city, but my DH cycles everywhere and I use public transport and we've never had any problems. We've never had a car so we don't miss the perceived "convenience" of one (we hire one if we are really going somewhere where public transport is impossible but tbh this only happens about 4x a year when people get married in little villages or whatever). People need to start looking seriously at the other options and not relying on the car to get them everywhere.

FWIW my parents live in a village 4 miles out from the nearest town and they too manage using public transport and their bikes - they have a trailer for the bikes so they can do the weekly shop - my dad actually cycles about 10 miles each way to work each day (they are bloody fit and healthy I can tell you!). They do have a car but it mainly sits in the driveway! So what I am saying is that it is possible to change your lifestyle, but not many people want to do it because they have got so used to having a car.

Also totally agree that food miles is a massive consideration.

what about people who need cars for their work? or have a disability ?

maybe the alternatives should include some type of transport system like that in star trek, or floo powder a la harry potter....

"what about people who need cars for their work? or have a disability "

if they don't sort some kind of alternative fuel out then things will have to be done differently. We rely on oil so much and are so bad at curbing our consumption that if they don't sort it out we could well go back to the days when people just didn't have cars and didn't travel so much. I suspect if this happens air travel will be the first to go.

YABU
some people have to use a car?van. a plumber can't jump on a bus nor can a removal man.
we have to have a car. no way will I travel on a bus with dd.

or.....

the garbage user car like in 'back to the future 2'

I was just trying to point out that some people have to use a car. as I said on the other thread we have to have a car. buses/trains are not an option as I will not take dd on one.(obviously can use them when on my own>

Minum, we can't afford to live a city. We were £800 into our overdraft EVERY single month instead of the usual £400 we are here.

We are not homeowners and never will be.

When I see our elected individuals acting in the manner they preach to us, and walking and cycling and carsharing and blah blah blad, then I'll take them and their policy of continually punshing the working poor at every opportunity - by allowing house prices and consequently rents to get so out of control a lot of people have to move farther and farther from work just to keep a roof over their heads, by allowing employers to pay a non-living wage, by taxing us at every opportunity and then some - then maybe I'll take them seriously.

Otherwise, they can pretty much piss off.

We're hanging by a thread here, quite literally.

And there is no other option to using a car for us.

As it is, we cut down as much as possible on car journeys and just about everything else.

And the thing is, I know we're far, far from alone.

We'll be renting a caravan after our landlords get back.

I can't see any other way to cut our housing costs other than living in a tent.

I think a plumber's livlihood is important

can't type properly but you know what I mean

Just going away to quantify my statement which I simply repeated rather than asking for a reliable source...(shame on me, I feel like Wikipedia!!)

I shall return with cap in hand if I am wrong!

Gosh yes! Plastics are very much over used and so easily thrown away.

Well, let's see, riven. First of all, they never reversed the Tory policy of selling off socialised housing and not allowing councils to reinvest the monies into more socialised housing for rent.

That's one thing.

The second is that they failed to regulate banks and more importantly, banks' policies on lending hte mortgage products they were selling.

They failed to make investing in non-commodities - housing being a commodity - more attractive to investors, hence, the proliferation in property investors and BTL, which further fuelled the housing bubble.

Those are three very basic ways in which the government is directly responsible for the lack of affordable housing, riven.

I can go on if you'd like.

YANBU..But..why cant paublic transport be cheaper?Because as much as I would like to take the train to work for bot environmental reasons and also selfish reasons, I could have a nap) it would cost me £289 a month.As opposed to the £160 it costs in the car.And with things tight as tight already I cant afford to almost double that cost..It drives me mental when politicians say 'we want to encourage people onto public transport' The principal is sound.But it cant work when its s expensive (even where its available, which isnt everywhere)

That said something does need to be done.For example McDonalds recycle all their cooking oil and turn it into bio fuel with which they power their delivery lorries..if thats possible then there should be a bit more of that sort of thing..(she says vaguely with clearly no idea of the science behind it)

I live in a town. with public transport. And it is still inadequate and crap...

Let's see, tenancy laws.

Tenancy laws as they stand now make buying a home far more secure than renting.

And nothing was ever done to change this - because of course, property investors find these laws more attractive as well.

Again, increasing the prices of homes.

Then there's the school system and catchment areas.

Again, forcing up the costs of housing.

Has the government acted to change any of this?

Have they fuck.

I've got more here!

The trouble with biofuels, is the production of it means less food being grown in countries where they need food, not fuel.