James Howard Kunstler: Peak Oil and Our Financial Decline

In this fourth video in the series "Peak Oil and a Changing Climate" from The Nation magazine and On The Earth Productions, James Howard Kunstler discusses how finance and energy are running neck and neck to fuel the end of advanced industrial civilization.

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

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• James Howard Kunstler
• Peak Oil
• Climate Change
• Environment

[danfromabove]

@KrunchyJD I totally agree that that is the best model moving forward (I've been to Copenhagen and it's a beautiful city.) However, reducing oil consumption (per person or total) means relying more on the energy income of sunlight through whatever tech or biological means. You sound pretty tuned in but you must recognise that these steps (reducing reliance upon globalised systems) come into direct conflict with the demands of the growth paradigm. In other words, growth is the problem.

[hurin11000]

@TheProphetNabob 'the messenger has discredited the message' Your statement does not even begin to make sense. Peak Oil is physical reality, discrediting Kunstler will not bring more oil into existence.

Peak oil is in the past, the economy is not growing anymore, this is what is causing the current disintegration of the monetary system as a fiat currency system must either grow or collapse, because without growth there is nothing to pay interest on debt.

[tomfool43]

Mr Kunstler is very right about the ability of bankrupt political/economic systems to keep going long after they have ceased to function well, We'll be looking at another US election and build up to war, like this one, in ten years time and asking ourselves, how long this can go on before someone does something? climate and peak oil are not subject to the same rules however, they'll come when they are ready.

[Afearthenrut]

@Nater245689 I am in no way prepared for the worst and have been under this stark realization for some time. I am playing the ultimate gambling game right now going to college (debt), moving in my families first home (debt), home infrastructure setup to create some power (debt), drip irrigated regenerative crop planting (debt), and a new roof (debt)... My master plan it to attempt to get a position directly with the city as their Enterprise Architect in order to lay the way with the tech neede

[Nater245689]

@Afearthenrut My way is merely being prepared for the worst. It has no impact on how the future goes down. But it does appear that the human race has squandered a lot of the fossil energy available without developing the two or three technologies that can be really considered successors. Fission (developed, but the small minded are terrified of it), fusion (always 30 years away), and orbital solar (further away than fusion).

[Kyllei]

Loved the points about the environmentalists missing the point about energy! Absolutely accurate!

[Afearthenrut]

@Nater245689 If we go about it your way, our future is another Dark Ages, think about it.

[Nater245689]

Seeds, land, tools, guns, ammo and medicines. That's what you want. The ability to grow your own food and the means to protect it from those who lack the ability. I know most of the people talking about Peak Oil are died in the wool liberals and don't like guns, but they'll be more necessary than ever if the worst comes to pass.

[MrTadblack]

@TheProphetNabob Nothing. Make the math work otherwise.

[summondadrummin]

Money is information.Tokens and Symbols~ made up by banks. Oil is not. Virtual wealth and Real Wealth.

[oldickeastman]

The debt crisis is NOT caused by us borrowing when oil was thought plentiful and then becoming unsustainable because of peak oil. You know a man by the lies he weaves together. DEBT IS CAUSED BY NET INTEREST DRAIN TO FINANCE DUE TO PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST LEAK ALWAYS BIGGER THAN LOAN INFLOW AND THE FACT THAT LOAN DEBT IS OUR MONEY. Rothschild expands and contracts money, but every boom is hollowed out by net interest drain. Peak Oil is a lie to cover monopoly. see p_wv4NTNrxU -paste to above

[oldickeastman]

The debt crisis is NOT caused by us borrowing when oil was thought plentiful and then becoming unsustainable because of peak oil. You know a man by the lies he weaves together. DEBT IS CAUSED BY NET INTEREST DRAIN TO FINANCE DUE TO PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST LEAK ALWAYS BIGGER THAN LOAN INFLOW AND THE FACT THAT LOAN DEBT IS OUR MONEY. Rothschild expands and contracts money, but every boom is hollowed out by net interest drain. Peak Oil is a lie to cover monopoly. see p_wv4NTNrxU