Peak Ready:
What Should I Do?

Finding out about the problem of "Peak Oil" can be disturbing, distressing, disheartening, and depressing. If you are overwhelmed and don't know where to start, here are some suggestions:

Allow Time to Grieve

The news of Peak Oil is hard to take. Many people liken it to grieving. You may be face-to-face with the death of an entire belief system or worldview. The stages of grief are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance. You may find yourself moving between these stages at various times, and cycling through them more than once. You may also find that most people don't get past Denial, so if you are past that, you are ahead of the game.

Talk to Others

Check the Community section for some online forums where you can vent, ask questions, share ideas, and try to come to grips with all of this. There are some great virtual communities that have formed around this. And I think "community" is the right word.

Another good place to start is Peak Oil Blues, a web site where people can share their reactions and fears. Sometimes it's good to see that your thoughts and feelings are not as crazy or isolated as they might seem.

You may be tempted to tell your friends and family. You'll be surprised how many people will not be receptive. Different people respond to different approaches. Some people just don't believe it, regardless of what you say. If you want to convince somebody, think hard about how they might respond.

Some people have great success with leading questions, or approaches that encourage the other person to think and investigate on their own. Others "get it" just by reading about it or watching a video. Click on What is Peak Oil? for some excellent resources. See if your local library has any of the books or videos. Above all, think about your audience. Think about the person or people you're trying to convince. Take your time. It can be very hard.

Take Action

Many people feel that the way around the depression and stress is to do something. Start small. Pick a section from the list on the left of this page. Buy a book, or get one from the library. Learn how to do something. Get a jump on some project you were planning to do anyway. Find an area of interest and see what you can do when you set your mind to it.

Take a Break

Depending on your personality and your circumstances, sometimes it helps to just walk away for a little while. The world will not end tomorrow. Get away from the news, the books, the web sites... Just try to enjoy life and forget about Peak Oil for a few days. Do something fun. Escape. We'll all still be here when you get back.

Do Whatever You Can

There are challenges ahead. Use whatever skills and knowledge you already have, acquire some new ones, make some difference in your own life or the loves of the people around you. Nobody can do everything. Do whatever you think is best. Do whatever you can.