Post Peak Oil and Secessionism

Last weekend, the Third North American Secessionist Convention was held in Manchester, NH. The featured speaker was Sebastian Ronin, who is working for the formation of a new nation, called Novacadia, from the states of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine; and the Canadian provinces of New Bruswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia (plus the Gaspé Peninsula of Québec). His presentation was entitled, "Post-Peak Oil and NAmerican Regional Secession."

His argument is that the convergence of the vanishing supply of oil, global militarism, financial and economic decline, and the push for a "North American Union" will lead to the collapse of the American and Canadian empires. Particularly interesting is his observation that world population depends upon the energy supply. For example, in 1940, the world was producing approximately 6 million barrels per day, and the population was just over 2 billion. Today, production is approximately 82 billion barrels per day, supporting a population of 7 billion. However, when the peak passes (probably between now and 2015), production will decline rapidly. By 2060, oil production will reduce to the level of 1940, and along with it, the world population.

Such a dire outcome can be mitigated by seeking alternative energy sources; but even more importantly, by greatly reducing energy consumption and relying on local resources to produce fewer goods of more permanent value. In other words, the elimination of industrial civilization as we currently know it.

His conclusion:

"It is not necessary for N[orth] American secessionists to advocate a blind and groundless act of secession based on questionable and quite possible reactionary and redundant motivators... What is of greater tactical importance is to acknowledge the historical conditions for secession as they exist in the present, conditions which were not caused by secessionists and which quickly approach a crisis and, as such, call to be acted upon [emphasis added]. To undo the institutional construct of the large industrial nation state ... is no small task. Fortunately, secessionists need not overly concern themselves with having to "do" such a task. It is the historical condition with corresponding opportunities and synergies that will unravel the artificial identity of large-scale nationalism. Secessionists need merely to perceive such and adapt accordingly."

The work of the secessionist will be to agitate and to educate, Mr. Ronin writes, because our revolution will be one of thought and of perception.

The challenge will be to again envision our personal worlds on a human scale, and not the gargantuan scale of the last 200 years.