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

[danfromabove]

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]

'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.

[thetwentyteens]

Amen.

[boskey10]

Without Oil nothing gets built, moved or perserved. How else can we live such luxury lives. The USA use to be the largest oil producers in the world in the early 20th century thats why the USA has the most roadways in any country in the world, why? for transporting all our foods and goods.

[silvercountry]

Peak oil will save this planet and nature.

[tnekkc]

The peak oil nut cases will be right someday.

It could be today, could be in 200 years.

[Joe Shmoe]

"Peak oil is real"? LOL We had 1 little tiny well break loose in the gulf and it took over a year and a helluva lotta work to cap off a millions of gallons per day well. Note, it wasn't even being pumped, it was SPEWING out millions of gallons per day non-stop and didn't even slow down. Next: Oil wells that once became barren are refilling all over the USA. Don't believe? There's Google. If you believe that we are at peak or past, then you will gladly pay more taxes. Silly ain't it.

[Knave Child]

Is Kunstler aware of Agenda 21.....essentially the elite think of us as useless eaters and that we need to be done away with. Under Agenda 21 the elite will cut off access to rural areas, outlaw gardening, and herd us into megacities where they will control us through high tech surveillance including drones.

[B T]

He had me until he said that there is no 'plan' by the MSM owners to censor the news. That there is no plan to the financial destruction of America. Does he fear that if he said the obvious, he would be on some 'terrorist' list somewhere? To deny the possibility of a grand plan by the billionaire elite to own the world is just plain denial to me. Maybe he just wants to make a living selling books?

[Brad Busch]

The word of the day is Denial, peak oil is the new climate change, no one win any authority or position will admit peak oil until $4/litre gasoline and were at war with other developed/developing nations (and possibly on the brink of thermonuclear exchange).

[CrysisVragu1550]

The future for our civilization is very uncertain. Things will not just be handed to us. We need to work hard on building resilience and local economies. This process will be turbulent and full of hardship.

[jbirm420]

One last thing, Gold is a hedge against inflation, and Never loses its value. Its not held as a short term investment to increase ones short term Paper supply. It is a hard asset that has stood the test of time. Encouraging the risky and horrible investment of ones last bit of paper life savings into more fiat paper currency is shamefull. That advice is no different than getting advice from an asshole on how to be clean always smelling fresh.