In his book, The Long Descent, John Michael Greer observes that our culture has two primary stories: "Infinite Progress" or "Catastrophe". On the contrary, he sees history as cyclic: civilizations rise and fall. Like others, ours is exhausting its resource base. Cheap energy is over. Decline is here, but the descent will be a long one. It's too late to maintain the status quo by swapping energy sources. How to deal with this predicament? He lays out practical ideas, possibilities, and potentials, including reconnecting with natural and human capacities pushed aside by industrial life. [www.thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com]
Comment by: PT (David Alexander) (Jan-23-2009) Web site
Excellent content in this video, and quite balanced (as I see it). The problem being that nothing replaces the ease of extraction and energy density of oil. Unfortunately, the world population size and the living in extremes of hot and cold has become dependent on abundant food and heating oil and natural gas, and other conveniences resulting from easy energy. As JMG says, we will go through "discomfort". Exactly what word to use on this topic can be, and is, debated.
Yuba Gals Independent Media production partners Robyn Mallgren and Janaia Donaldson have been producing local video programs for community access television since 2002.
The Yuba Gals live in rural Nevada City and their business is named for the nearby South Yuba River, a part of the Wild and Scenic river system in California. They live on 160 acres of forest land, in a 1500 square-foot off-grid home using about 10% of the electricity of the average American home (including home office). Their home is heated by a wood stove using deadfall wood from their property. Propane heats the cookstove, on-demand water heater and backup generator (needed only during gray-day periods in winter). Not yet energy independent, but moving in that direction!
Fossil Fuel
peakmoment
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PT (David Alexander)
