Obama's Energy Policy + Peak Oil, with Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer

What the Frack? Ben Zolno, frequent filmmaker for www.postcarbon.org grills at Netroots Nation 2011 on energy collapse. The answers reveal short-term thinking to a long-term issue -- band-aids on amputation.
#nn11

btw i have no idea what happened to the recording at :42 - it cut out for some reason, but I don't think it missed much.

Category:

Comedy

Tags:

• algae
• clueless
• oily cassandra
• oilycassandra
• richard heinberg
• post carbon institute
• nuclear
• natural gas
• gas
• resource depletion
• oil decline
• frack action
• occupy
• netroots nation
• netroots
• nn11
• #nn11
• #occupy

[woolfl]

This is interesting. I'm with Ben for the most part, agree with your philosophical outlook, but your idealistic imperatives seem to get in the way of your ability to have a good conversation with this guy. You ended up looking smart and schooling him, but I think it would have been interesting if you carried on with long lever questions, pressed him on your particular points that his outlook was unable to address rather than merely unpacked your views, which you did eloquently.

[BenZolno]

@woolfl great comment, thanks! It was a little pressured, as at any second he could have either booked or talked to someone else. You can see other interviews taken at the same time from other people who mobbed him. My trick -- make sure you're either first or last when you're in those situations; that's when you get the most time.

[theotormon]

Interesting and awkward interview. I would have like to have seen Pfeiffer's response to Zolno's long explanation at the end.

[BenZolno]

@theotormon that would have been in his head. I just asked him to pass the word on, and he said, "I will," or something, then left.

[lrn2wlk4life]

Awesome reactions from the establishment... poor kid has a highly biased perspective on energy distribution in an ecosystem, a lack of appreciation for man's innovation, and looks to be running scared of population reduction which would make all his points moot.

[BenZolno]

@lrn2wlk4life if the kid you're referring to is me (and if so, how flattering!) I recommend listening more carefully. Population reduction is key, perhaps the only key, voluntary or otherwise. And yes, as a person who uses energy to keep himself alive, I am biased.

[VasilyKiryanov]

@todbrilliant The the only suitable way of producing ethanol (and much more) is from microbiologically produced carbohydrates, as far as i'm concerned... Vegetation is not efficient enough. Any source vegetation.

[WalterGabralter]

as fucked as it is... i probably wont survive the transition

[WalterGabralter]

when we run out of oil, the planet will not have enough natural resources and ways of getting food (ect.) to support the population. i think when this does happen the population will decrease dramatically (probly in the billions)

the only survivors will be the ones at the top of the food chain (government parties ect.) and they will be the air to humanity and possibly the next evolution of mankind.... The Post Petroleum Man

[tbell20101]

how are we to make sex toys with ethanol?