Empty oceans?

Lesley spent an hour or so recently on emu parade along the beach at Cape Trib. She collected about two polystyrene boxfuls of mostly empty bottles, cans, thongs and other unidentified plastics. Notably absent in the early morning were birds along the shore - a couple of oystercatchers were the only hopefuls. There was little evidence of shoreline food -neither molluscs nor crabs. How things have changed since she was a girl!
It was interesting if unnerving to see that others have also noted this. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00qEi2UuU8k for a short video comparing the northern Pacific with the same fifty years ago. More discussion at science blogs' Shifting Baselines.
The fungus in the foreground, on the other hand, seemed quite well and happy sitting right on the beach!

Consumerism when the tide runs out

What are the real implications of peak oil in a culture where common sense
has been suppressed by consumerism?

It's an abundance of energy that makes possible the kinds of excess that many parents practice with their children. It is also energy that elevates and continuously upgrades our expectations, which then in turn become the new societal norm. Our common sense tells us these expectations as to what is normal, have little basis in reality and in many ways are harmful to our children. So why then do parents that know all the reasons that they shouldn't do something, do it anyway? Whatever force it is that encourages moms and dad to throw away the parental rulebook must be effective indeed and the only way that rulebook can be ignored, is if a definitive effort has been made to render it obsolete.

http://www.energybulletin.net/node/46079