Calm Before the Storm

Peak Moment 115: [Revised version with improved audio] Richard Heinberg, author of "Peak Everything", reviews the accelerating events since mid-2007, including the credit crunch and fossil fuel price volatility, noting that we've missed most of the best opportunities to manage collapse. He asks, "how far down the staircase of complexity will our global civilization have to go until we're sustainable?" His answer: when managed properly, with deliberate simplification, not as far as we might otherwise. In addition to long term efforts to relocalize our economies, he advocates developing community "resilience" to withstand short-term catastrophic events like food shortages or extreme weather. Noting that healthy fear can move us into action, he encourages an attitude of clarity, concern and informed action in this "calm before the storm" that he feels is soon coming to an end. For a DVD of Richard's presentation that evening for "Kiss Your Gas Goodbye", go to peakmoment.tv. Click here for Janaia's blog about this Conversation. [www.richardheinberg.com]

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• collapse
• sustainability
• civilization
• overshoot
• resilience

[PsyogiBottoms]

What an excellent program. You really do need more exposure. This is what Television should be. How refreshing to actually enjoy a program with some substance and insight.

I feel much better about our future now. Thank you. Keep it up.

[peakmoment]

Please tell your friends and associates about our shows. We're always appreciative of more exposure, and ideas for how to do that. One way viewers like yourself can help is to email links to these same programs on our website (peakmoment(.)tv/conversations­, or to submit the shows to online forums. Thanks!!

[survive2thrive]

Time to prepare the best that we can. Thanks for the wake up Richard! Finally, some sane, well reasoned honesty.

[euclidxxx]

Good video, good interview. Five stars.

...But I think I'm one of the cynics sitting back and watching it all unfold.

I live in inner-city London - I wouldn't know how to grow my own food etc to save my life. If civilization does go belly-up - I'm fucked!

[ApocalypseBeats]

@euclidxxx it's sad isn't it. Really it is, I bet you you don't remember making this comment but you are not fucked. Life as we know it (civilization) has some time left but it is a tickin what you should do is, don't waste this time living and working your daily normal life. Spend an hour or two each day watching videos, going on wikipedia and learning tricks and trades. I have learned how to make stone tools, how to grow my own food. It's all on the internet. internet=humanities knowlege

[tomterahedrob]

the few viewers now of Peakmoment is the calm before the storm.Peopls now dont realize how on it you are about pop, energy.climate.Few years therll be millions at your site.

[michaelispan]

Alternative energy now.

should have started 30years ago

I heard the message then.

And now we have hand saws and drills

a treadle singer sewing machine a spinning wheel a forge ect...

[billybbob18]

I like seeing real interviews with real people.

Part of the solution may be to band together in our communities to manufacture alcohol to be used as a fuel. It burns cleaner, costs only pennies per gal to make, the permits are free, it can be run in nearly every vehicle without modification. I am currently organizing resources to build an alcohol still to start production. Lawn clippings and garden waste can be used to make fuel. Peace

[peacenik2]

We need to improve ALL our renewable energy technologies. Toyota already have a reasonably priced Hydrogen car :) Hydrogen is now needed at pumping stations - or can we refill at home? Why not hydro hot water, hydro stoves? etc :)

[fablau]

Wonderful video as always, more people should see them!

[DFORCE1969]

Oil at $200 a barrel will destroy global capitalism;The cost of transporting products from third world sweat shops to the west will

become prohibitive;Go petroleum go!

[PsyogiBottoms]

Will do. A suggestion might be exploring how people are integrating bio-technology into their daily lives. Such as sq. ft. gardens, hydroponics, making soap from scratch. That sort of thing that not only is fascinating, but will become useful as we watch our Republic fall.