RICHARD HEINBERG on OUR POST-CARBON FUTURE

[TBonePickensetc]

Viable alternative is 'energy accounting' formatted by the Technical Alliance in the 'Technocracy Study Course'.

Unless we drop the current economic Price System and use an ecologic approach of population to resources the current system destroys itself. Democracy? Citizen action? This guy is dreaming. Science government ala a science social design. Google Technocracy technate. The current debt based system is not going to reform, it is labor based theory from antiquity. Think.

[mikhonda]

24 mins + ..... eerily prophetic....

[dqgates]

Mining space is such a ridiculous notion and the alternatives are by far not going to make-up the energy demand that cheap fossil fuels have provided. Humans need to wake up and realize that we have evolved to be a hunter and gatherer species, and by our higher thinking have been successful at agriculture. This industrialized and consumer lifestyle we are living is not natural at all and is going to (already is) kill us, our civilization, and a great deal of the natural world around us.

[linghun]

@dqgates Yes and to reach that world 99% of the population has to die. Do u realize going back to the Middle Ages will mean no education, no sanitation, no medication, no contraception, no toothbrushes, no knowledge, no women's rights? Google "Jonestown". Accessing and using Solar System resources is the only way to go, and its perfectly possible, its already being done by our satellites, the high-tech that allows enviromorons to know about world climate and hate technology.

[linghun]

Heinberg is insane and ignorant. As oil becomes scarce, other technology comes like electric vehciles, renewable nuclear power, hydrogen, solar power and especially space access become economically advantageous and space access can harness billions of times more resources than we use today.

[xs0heavenly]

Unfortunately, most people would rather be entertained, they don't want to hear about reality because it's too bleak and they don't want to imagine a world without shopping malls and I-Phones. What Heinberg is saying is imperative to understand if we want to survive. He says flat out.. nations can either choose to cooperate, or there's going to be the "last one standing" scenario, with efforts to control the last remaining resources leading to some kind of nuclear/biological war. Listen up!

[cloudburstlenepmhq]

The big bad Oil corporations are trying their best to stop free energy ideas from spreading to common ppl.

We need to put an end to this corruption ,start generating ur own electricity now.

Visit LT-MAGNET-MOTORdotCOM and get the blueprints . Join the Revolution!!

[james7696739]

Most of these peak oil videos seem to have been made in 2007 or 2008. It would be nice to see something more recent

[fionacraig1]

just a niggle, since this video - the fuel efficiency has been increased- and it did not cost that much as Richard stated....

great start but just shufflingdeck chairs in my opinion-

the key area is growth- the need to growth the flow of resources to create value for economic development- maybe it is time for the DEVELOPED world to DECOUPLE from growth.... i know that's insane!!!!!!!!!!!

[symmetry08]

until 2020 he won't be nominee for Nobel Price as his message is too truthful that any politician could comprehend. No one exactly can tell how things will develope but those higher rich guys already got message and reading themselves to save skin. Truth is, again, not a richest can predict. Things can turn ugly for them as well.

[GeoffreyRahl]

@symmetry08 Everybody know it's true but everyone denies it or is afraid to say it aloud. Come one what politician wouls say during his rule or his campaign sorry guys party's over we'll have to power down the economy is gonna enter into a recession, you'have to consume less travel, less, million will lose their job. BUT DON'T WORRY VOTE FOR ME AND it's gonna be alright?

[madbonobo]

It's so annoying to hear "we as a species are so hooked on supply side solutions" when what he means is "we americans"

[activedentalfloss]

I'm glad they brought up the energy intensive nature of nuclear power. The whole concept of lifecycle costs, in finance and energy/ resources, seems to be lost on most individuals.

[kokeskokeskokes]

Richard, you are speaking my heart. I am just as optimistic.

[Traianus1981]

Beyond the doubt, this is one of the greatest minds I've ever seen. Unfortunately, most of human beings (me too) are too childish (have been made childish by their environment and the media) to make a rational transition to a more sustainable world. Our inmediate future is going to be extremely difficult. Many civilizations collapsed in the past; now we'll collapse, as well.

[ANAKAG]

This is an excellent interview. Heinberg patiently explains the full breadth of post-carbon possibilities, and ends with the ultimate message of hope: that de-industrialization is good for us and all species of life, and the sooner the better.

[ngonea]

See "The Energy Non Crisis" by Chaplin Lindsey Williams

[RJGrones]

Simple rule of life on this Earth that the hiphop generation (quite unfortunately for the fate of this woeful country) just doesn't have a clue about: SMART.. IS COOL!

..and Richard..

is one of the coolest guys out there..

[slinfolo]

One of the few true sane vocies.

[stonerj0e]

this guy is full of it...

[shaktimandan]

yeah, lets not forget being truthful in the US is totally over rated.

[rvbarnesboy]

This fellow sees the big picture, as it were.  Or as it don't have to be. But probably will. Plague, anyone?

[Bernd1964]

I think Richard Heinberg should receive the next Peace Nobel Prize for his efforts, wise insights and intelligent proposals concerning the future of energy consumption. I hope his voice is being heard by politicians all over the world.

[linghun]

@Bernd1964 Heinberg's religious philosophy is potentially the most inhumane ever conceived. If we follow his ideas we will create a nightmarish world akin to Pol Pot's Cambodia. The Solar System can provide us with billions times more energy and resources than we use today. Read John S. Lewis' 'Mining the Sky'.

[Bernd1964]

@linghun The idea to mine the solar system for resources is many decades old. We should have started to realize such a program right after the first man landed on the Moon, but President Nixon reduced drastically the budget for NASA right after the Moon landing, he decided to spent the money rather in a senseless war in Indochina. Moreover we shouldn't overestimate our technical possibilities, the solar system is huge and even a small mining project will require immense resources and time.

[linghun]

@Bernd1964 Thank you for a sensible response, here I was expecting people saying space resources are an impossible dream and "wes should fix our problems on Earth first" blablablah. You are correct, the US had what it takes 40 years ago but even today with a small fraction of the US military budget plus other countries humanity can still try. We have many private entrepreneurs very aware of space resources and a Solar System wide economy is about to begin. We cannot live in the cradle forever.

[linghun]

Besides my problem with Heinberg and his ilk is that it can damage human prosperity, a world of scarcity is exactly what the bad elites, esp. political elites, would want. Heinbergs idea would promote a world of poverty where only a small elite would continue to profit, technological advancement and prosperity is what enriches the poeple, as long as people believe that the "Party is over" - except that the "party" is what took billions out of misery and if its over, misery will return 

[linghun]

@Bernd1964 Yes hopefully the world will follow Heinberg and become like 1970's Cambodia, where we can enjoy a medieval living standards without evil technology such as refrigerators, toothbrushes, electricity and so on! and it only takes mass-murdering 90% of humanity! I cant wait!!!

[Bernd1964]

@linghun We live on a finite planet and industrialism is based on the infinite growth model. There must come a time when both characteristics collide and this time is essentially now. If you make an assessment of available key resources necessary for industrial civilization and population count you will come to the conclusion, that we urgently need to invent a new civilization that fits better into the natural paradigm. If we don't change the growth imperative we will get just what you describe

[linghun]

@Bernd1964 Dont you realize that it doesnt matter that our planet is finite? It is finite but not a closed system, neither is it cut off from the universe. It receives 10,000 times more solar power than all current global energy consumption (including fossil fuels). Economic growth is essential for giving people education enough to understand the world. You and I are well-off and would be very greedy of us to close the door of prosperity to those arriving now and in the near future.

[linghun]

@Bernd1964 Besides all life is based on exponential growth and consumption of all available resources. Withoout human creativity, that creates quick die-offs. But we have survived 1000 near die-offs, and now we have solutions to every problem we face - electric cars, nuclear power, fuel cells, space access, etc.

We live in a finite planet, but we don't have to. We must learn how to use the Solar System or we will die. Or do you really think we can live sustainably on earth forever?

[Bernd1964]

@linghun Sustainability is an idealism from which real systems always differ. Consumerism and industrialism ruin the world, producing toxic landfills where intact landscapes were before. Nuclear fission creates extremely long lasting highly toxic nuclear waste. There are many other examples why technology won't come to our rescue but acceleration of our demise this time. I wish you good luck with your solar system mining but if you try you will find out that this project will be inexecutable.

[Yogaboarder]

@linghun we could be interplanetary parasites, until some intelligent life force stop's us, and makes pet's of us ;-)

We will make great pets!

[TBonePickensetc]

@Bernd1964 Why? He is just parroting well known information and he is not really proposing anything different. Using a science government, and that means getting rid of the current type of governmental system has a chance. Using environmental sectors or 'technates' using Technocracy science social design could work viably. This guy is same old same old... wanting the current political corporate fascist controlled system to reform. Technology destroys the Price System. Using debt contract society

[Bernd1964]

@TBonePickensetc I've read quite a lot of Heinberg's work and I trust him more than any other critic of industrial civilization. He is really an upright, independent and clear thinker. You must listen to his comments in the film 'Oil, Smoke & Mirrors', where he talks like a truther. The debt based money system is an unfair Ponzi scheme made for a faulty civilization which is based upon infinite growth and ruled by criminal elitist bankers. True environmentalists always agree with this assessment

[TBonePickensetc]

@Bernd1964 Assuming you are not joking. Really Heinberg reeks of fake alternative. Does he ever get at the actual ideas of viable change? No, just the party line of progressive liberals in general of buying and supporting local. Plus he has a scam website about an 'intentional' community where you 'buy' your way into his idea of sustainability like a fancy Venus Project. Really I hate people like him.

'where he talks like a truther. Oh god.... truther? conspiracy crap more like it.

[a1pwn]

@Bernd1964

Politicians cant do anything, plus they don't wanna know it...

we need to vote idea's and not people, this democratic party voting aint working..

[Bernd1964]

@a1pwn Yes, I agree with your assessment! Trends researcher Gerald Celente says 'let the people vote on everything' to avoid corrupt political agendas. Even in so-called democracies the political agenda is determined by secret cabals and well organized political societies of industrial elites. I think the more complex a society gets the more corrupted is its power structure in general. The net-energy cliff will soon reduce societal complexity and will relocate political power back to the people.