Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Peak oil and apocalypse then

from Miller-McCune. The author attempts to forecast the consequences of peak oil on societies. There is much "food for thought" in the article, but I have doubts about the author's observations regarding the Civil War and "Dixieland" in the US.
M-M: Why don’t you think the West would be a good candidate for “local solidarity”?

JF: Strictly speaking, it’s not so much a problem of the West but of a particular lifestyle. When social glue and traditional lifestyles have eroded, they are not easily recovered. After several generations of individualism and affluence, Westerners will have a hard time accepting that they need to rely on communities and must revert to a sustainable lifestyle.