Doom, gloom and murderous biker gangs killing and pillaging their way down mostly deserted highways is what awaits a world without oil, at least according to the first memorable post-apocalypse movie, “Mad Max.”

Murderous biker gangs may be a stretch, but University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Rich Seifert said the best way to stave off doom and gloom is with electricity.

“One of the things I would urge any community to get clear on … is get your electrical production renewable, because without electricity everything becomes enormously harder,” Seifert said.

Seifert is in Kodiak this week at the invitation of the local conservation group Sustainable Kodiak to give a series of lectures on solar energy and energy saving home retrofitting.

He was scheduled to give three lectures, but his Tuesday night lecture on “Integrating Solar Energy into your Alaskan Home” was so popular that a second presentation was added Wednesday morning from 8 to 12.

Seifert, who has a bachelor’s degree in physics from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in engineering physics from UAF, presented his first lecture Monday night on peak oil.

Seifert said that peak oil is an unknown point in time when the maximum global oil production rate is reached and the world will face oil shortages and higher prices. The problem with the peak oil theory is that no one will know when the peak is reached.

“One of the first things I learned about peak oil and it’s very well expressed is that you can only tell when you’ve reached peak oil in the rear view mirror, after you’ve passed it and the evidence is overwhelmingly clear,” Seifert said.

With increased demand for oil by India and China, he said if peak oil hasn’t already been reached it soon will be.

“It took us 125 years to use the first trillion barrels of oil. We’ll use the next trillion in 30 (years),” Seifert said.

Seifert gives his second lecture tonight on the integration of solar energy into your home using his book “A Solar Design Manual for Alaska,” and a textbook and repeats the lecture Wednesday morning. On Wednesday evening he will give a short course on energy saving and home retrofitting.

All lectures are at the Kodiak College Benny Benson Building Room 106. Call for more information, (800) 478-8324.

Mirror writer Ralph Gibbs can be reach via e-mail at rgibbs@kodiakdailymirror.com.