This is by way of a more personal follow-through to that last post. Ranter describes a situation where he has genuine need of an SUV; Looney, in comments, wonders “have you done anything” in this respect.

Truth be told, my lifestyle has changed very little. My research hasn’t yet got to the stage of forcing major changes in behaviour (tho’ I think it will – I just do things very s – l – o – w – l – y). I’ve done some easy things (eg shifting to renewable electricity, beginning the process of planting vegetables) but the major stuff – if anything, I’m moving in the wrong direction. Two major ways in particular: we are sending our children to a private school, which will result in a major increase in our driving and petrol consumption; and child number three is now on the way. Why this decision, in a context where it is the population explosion driving all the problems? Various reasons.

I might be wrong about Peak Oil.

The crunch (for the West) probably won’t really hit for another ten years or so – and we have to do the best for our children today.

I don’t believe the crash is in our power to prevent (tho’ God’s grace may); the crash will cause a huge reduction in population; the problems faced in that situation will be very different to those faced now. In particular I think the environment for my children will be much more hazardous, violent and fraught, and Psalm 127 is never far from my mind.

In the end, though, there is a more or less explicit thread of nihilism in the die-off mind-set, and I cannot accept that. Whilst I can accept that Jerusalem will be destroyed, yet will the exiles return.

And so I decide to hope.