The reality is that nothing significant has been done to deal with our energy crisis because tackling it will require fundamental changes to our economy—to our transport and food systems, even to our financial institutions. Until we are willing to honestly face the fact that an "American dream" based on ever increasing rates of consumption of non-renewable resources is a dead end, and that we will have to dramatically cut back on energy usage in order to make a transition away from fossil fuel dependency, all discussion about renewable energy, efficiency standards, and energy research is fairly pointless.Heinberg, who understands so much about climate change and peak oil, apparently does not understand the dynamics of an economic system that requires growth, a system that provides huge rewards for people who lay claim to the wealth generated by the consumption of resources. Yes, my friends, that system is capitalism, and until we bring it down and construct a system that is compatible with nature, we, the ordinary people, will always lose.
Until we understand the source of our problems, nothing will change. The evidence regarding this source is overwhelming. The fact that the system continues in the face of the overwhelming evidence is testimony to the power of the system's propaganda organs to control our minds. Hence, the first battle is to take back the truth, to clear out of our minds all the system's images and thought patterns about how the world is, and how we should relate to each other. Then we can begin the task of constructing a viable system that serves us all.
