Nicole Foss: We Need Freedom of Action To Confront Peak Oil

In the third video in the series "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate" from The Nation and On The Earth productions, co-editor of The Automatic Earth, Nicole M. Foss, explains how energy relates to the economy and what our impending energy crisis will look like. Foss discusses the issues associated with peak oil in financial rather than environmental terms, because she finds that peak oil has much more to do with finance than it does with climate change.

Foss talks about what she calls a "false positive feedback loop," which involves optimism leading to "caution being thrown to the wind." When this happens, Foss believes that people become angry. Succumbing to fear and anger might lead to engagement in destructive behavior, which would make it harder for society to confront peak oil and climate change.

Reacting to former vice president Dick Cheney, who once said "the American way of life is not negotiable," Foss says, "That's true because reality is not going to negotiate with you."

For more videos in the series, visit www.TheNation.com.

• Category

  News & Politics

[Craig Heilman]

I've watched all 13 of these videos, plus "Blind Spot" "What a Way to Go" and an 80 minute talk by derrick jensen. I am officially freaked out. I need a break from this peak oil climate change credit crisis talk before I have a heart attack. I'm ready for a nice big dose of denial. Perhaps I can start watching Jersey Shore, or go leave comments about Justin Beiber on classical music videos.

[Xsteppin]

@mphello u know if 6% of the land in America was dedicated to growing hemp we would be energy independant? Also sky news reported on an inventor who created a magnet motor for $5,000 that would power your house forever. The solutions are all there my friend ppl are just too busy with partisan politics to notice.

[2sheilach]

"Technology" is of little use without the resources to apply that technology. What can you substitute for water, food and oil? Bio-fuel takes more energy to produce than you get from it. What will you substitute for phosphorus a critical fertilizer? We use massive amounts of fossil fuels to mine low quality ore, mining will cease without cheap oil.Quacks always show up with worthless free energy machines when fuel prices rise, there is no viable substitute for OIL!

[2sheilach]

Our problem is one of scale, too many people, declining resources, there is no way to scale up renewables to meet even our basic needs. All alternatives to our current energy resources can at best produce only electricity not the liquid fuel and manufacturing feed stock oil, coal and natural gas produce. Our agriculture is totally dependent upon oil and natural gas. We cannot feed ourselves with renewables, there are just too many of us.

Very hard times are coming.

[Richard Hookway]

Land will return to the commons. The Wizard of Oz is revealed as the machine breaks down.

[iwillnotlaydown]

There is no global warming , we are going thru natural changes that happen all time ,Al Gore and very Elite people want you to believe this so they can cash in on technology that will keep feeding their accounts ,

[akkonburike]

We shall burn the witch, we shall burn BURRRNN that witch.

[crumcon]

The problem is, all the big oil companies and oil baron are buying all the politician in the U.S. , this prevent the new technologies enter the market. this also prevent no subsidies for new tech etc from congress.

We have the technologies, but we have no support from congress because they are on the payroll from the big oil companies.

[Anders Buer]

This is scary... I have to do something about this.

[64jcl]

Learn to grow food or make useful things by hand, preferably without powertools. In an energy sparse future, skills like these will be essential. Buy food and other goods from local farms and manufacturing to stimulate the economy of local community. Restructure your life to one with less dependency on transport. Walk or bicycle more. Generate your own energy if you can.

[antmayfield]

I'm a little freaked out >.<

[mspinney203]

Your vid went viral on Abidjan