Suburbs will collapse into slums. Farmhand will be a more viable career choice than public relations executive. And avoiding starvation will replace avoiding boredom as the national pastime. Calling it the end of the world would be too easy. No, Kunstler believes the human race will survive as we slip down the other side of Hubbert's Oil Peak. But the high standard of living we've built by gorging on cheap oil will not. America, as a political entity, will be history too.
Those are just a few of the observations and predictions that James Howard Kunstler makes in his new book.
"The Long Emergency" paints a dystopic view of the United States in the wake of what Kunstler dubs the "cheap oil fiesta." It's a future the author insists is not apocalyptic. Calling it the end of the world would be too easy.
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4 comments:
Vatt dus ze oil thing half 2 du with Ogden?
The little lord mayor and his slavish followers on the politburo need the oil for their hair do's and to grease the skids with the Boyer Boys. They are all pretty slippery characters and the oil keeps things lubricated for their screw the citizen's schemes. Screwing things always works better with a little oil.
The article was another vision of the future, anonymous, and a pretty realistic one, at that. There are many people who understand that our comfortable little industrial world will be seriourously disrupted, as the world starts running out of cheap oil -- even if you don't.
It seems to me you're still in the "denial stage," as mentioned in the article.
It may well be that the time will come when your job commute becomes too ridiculously expensive, and you'll ditch your home in the suburbs, and relocate to a relatively unpopulated place which is still surrounded by undeveloped farmland.
The urban planning concept of re-urbanization is something you need to think about. People with more vision than yours have already planned a 24/7 commuter railhub in your city, with new condo homes within walking distance from the "rail station" to go along with it.
It's time to start thinking ahead, anonymous.
Maybe you should think a little more about what the world is going to be like without cheap oil.
Maybe you should read the article again!.
Vas is loss, Rudizink? You have been watching "Soilent Green," haven't you? Running out of oil? Da world comink apart? Vee are on da "Eve of Distruction?" Vat is the matter with you? Next, you'll be telling us to buy a condominium in Union Square or the Hotel so zat vee can valk to work as ze oil peters out.
The only thing we have to fear is a reincarnation of the fear of the 70's, ven Jimmy Carter got nailed by the Mid-east oil people. Bush understands oil and how to keep it flowing, either via money or kicking ass over there. Stop your rumminating and join us in the new Millenium. There's plenty of oil and plenty yet to be tapped into.
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