The End of Suburbia

“It’s the end of surburbia as we know it, and I feel fine….” Not exactly the REM song but close enough…..

This website is really interesting.....in Breaking news he posts articles in mainstream news as well.
Check it out.... Life after the Oil Crash


There was an article in the Ottawa Citizen yesterday about the end days for Suburbia…I laughed…I’ve been reading about it and talking about it for years….and most people didn’t believe it. Years ago no one heard about Peak Oil when I asked if they knew what it was. I have a friend at work who luckily is a “the sky is falling” kind of guy (and does his research) and he told me many years ago that oil was at it’s peak and things were going up up up in price and to get out of the suburbs ASAP – I believed him (he predicted Oil at $2.00 per litre years ago..and it will happen as we can see from the $1.20 it is now) Luckily at the time, I loathed suburbia anyways, and wanted to move closer to downtown. It was the best move I ever made. I believe my house is a gold mine. It is not too big, I don’t bother watering my grass (why bother…what a waste), we rarely put on the AC, it’s a mere 5 min bike ride to any type of store you want, 10 minutes to work or the Byward Market, or the theatre area in downtown Ottawa. I breath a sigh of relief at the move we made 3 years ago (we couldn’t afford the price of it now that is for sure!) And I have a spare room in my house that is always open for family and friends in times of need.

Tim and I decide once we saw the price of gas going higher and higher, we would leave the car in the driveway unless necessary (like weekend running errands out of the urban area). It’s so easy to ride the bike in the Spring/Summer/Fall and I even bought a Chariot for my dogs to ride with me – which I plan on getting them in this weekend. I realize that the winter poses problems (I don’t ride my bike in the winter) and it’s harder for me to walk to work because of my ankle problem, but we figure if we save now by not driving as much, will off set in the winter time once the snow starts flying. I must admit it is difficult at times, because I too am part of that addiction to oil, but I've started to change habits slowly, and my mind set as it takes time to break of habits / addictions. But I can see small changes happening in my thoughts as I purchase, drive etc. Baby steps they say.

The long and the short is this -- the way North Americans live, and our hunger for oil cannot be sustained. People have to wake up even though now that it’s in the mainstream media it might be too late. (although still no one seems to be listening). So for all of you people who think I am crazy when I tell you certain things, maybe now you will listen…or you can go on your merry little way, and suffer when the shit goes down. I, myself will be happily biking to work, walking for groceries, and living my life with money in my pocket. Will the majority of the population, in their useless 5% car or Hummer, heating their oversized natural gas guzzling 3000 sq ft houses be able to survive? (I mean SERIOUSLY who needs that much car or house space???? My mother grew up in a one bedroom apartment then small house for gods sake and my grandfather didn’t get a car until she was a teen…and then he stored it away during the winter -- she turned out ok).

Buy a used small vehicle and get rid of that gas guzzler, move OUT of the suburbs into a smaller place if you can, before your house is not worth much if anything! If you can’t do that TAKE THE BUS, or bike (bike=in shape) Buy as Locally as possible to help the situation, or plant a garden. It’s still not too late, but soon it will be as people start panicking and massive sell off ensues. . People will wake up in the ‘burbs, and feel trapped. Trapped in their depreciating homes, trapped at home, and essentially trapped outside the urban areas rapidly escalating in cost. (Urban = where I LIVE).

Plus, Keeping up with the Jones’ is so passé…get over it!