Open Thread -- Driving Toward Disaster On A Greenwashed Road

Hat-tip to SaraBeth of DelphiForums for the link to Kunstler's article.

23 May:

Leeb said Russia was already seeing a drop in production, and there's little evidence Saudi Arabia could increase production even if it wanted to. [CNN]

22 May:

Reuters: Opec supply could rise by 700,000 bpd this month

We are being gamed. It's that f*cking simple.

First, we'll have to dramatically reorganize the everyday activities of American life. We'll have to grow our food closer to home, in a manner that will require more human attention. In fact, agriculture needs to return to the center of economic life. We'll have to restore local economic networks -- the very networks that the big-box stores systematically destroyed -- made of fine-grained layers of wholesalers, middlemen and retailers.

We'll also have to occupy the landscape differently, in traditional towns, villages and small cities. Our giant metroplexes are not going to make it, and the successful places will be ones that encourage local farming.

Fixing the U.S. passenger railroad system is probably the one project we could undertake right away that would have the greatest impact on the country's oil consumption. The fact that we're not talking about it -- especially in the presidential campaign -- shows how confused we are.

I've been arguing these points for literally years. Decades. Back to the 1970's when the surrounding farms started being chopped up and sold off as housing developments. There's only so much quality farm land. Housing for people on the other hand, can be adapted to a wide range of terrain.

If I had to choose just one forward looking policy to push for:

National Planning Commission - review land use nation wide to develop sustainable growth and national security.

Set aside fire and slide zones from being used for housing. Maintain wildlife areas, protect water sheds, set aside the best farmland for agriculture, coordinate transportation and market hubs, etc.

I just recently became aware of Locks of Love. If you have long hair and are thinking about going short ... or maybe just want to grow your hair out so you can donate, they have a video on their website to train you and your hairstylist on what to do.

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

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If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little. ~ George Carlin

I wrote a little essay related to technology and economics in February of 1999. The term "Peak Oil" hadn't become popular yet but energy is certainly related to automobiles.

Our economists have helped screw things up over the last 50 years with what they never talk about.

Economic Wargames

Maybe we should just start shooting those lying nitwits.