Peak Oil & The Five Senses

Finally I’ve found a piece of literature with the power to spark tons of emotions in me simultaneously. An excerpt from the book “Peak Oil Survival: Preparation for Life After Grid Crash” by Aric McBay caused me to think about climate change and the future of what I call home. According to McBay, peak oil is the limitation in which the oil availability begins to lessen thereafter. Two simple words bring about complicated issues and scenarios for the future: ones in which make me terrified, worried, and anxious all at once. I became terrified with the ideas presented in the text about an economic collapse. McBay explains the fact that our economy is so stable because of investments, and operations like supply and demand. The accessibility of oil directly affects the amount of manufactured goods being produced which will then affect “employment [and lead to] widespread economic collapse” (Peak Oil Survival). McBay claims “If collapse appeared imminent, investors would pull their money out of the stock market, meaning that even the likelihood of impending economic collapse would itself cause economic collapse." Peak oil is an interesting topic being that it can set in motion war, civil humanitarian panic, political confusion, and economic collapse. Reading this excerpt made me terrified that I’ll be living in an era of disaster, worried because no one is trying to remedy the problem, and anxious to see if anyone will try and save the place I call home: Earth.
Similarly, after reading “The Skill of Ecological Perception” by Laura Sewall I became extremely interested in self evaluation. Sewall explains David Abram’s idea of “myopia” as “a form of denial that shields us from fully experiencing the latest reports on ozone depletion, increasing pollution, toxicity, poverty, illness, and the death of species” (The Skill of Ecological Perception). In other words, our “myopia” is actually an issue because it’s what separates us from the Earth making us unaware of the massive damage we’re doing. This made me wonder about the ideas presented by Sewall pertaining to our five senses. While reading this text, I began to ponder whether or not I’m actually using them for the right reasons. The idea that our connection to nature is based on our senses made me want to evaluate the way I view the Earth and appreciate it. I’ve come to the realization that I can be doing a much better job at appreciating and strengthening my connection to nature.