After a woefully inept introduction, this essay forces me to stare into the abyss of planet-destroying myth. If you believe we're headed for a muddle-through future in which we correct massive ecological overshoot with the tranquility of Buddhist monks, this…
How many do you need? I still keep hearing, "If things get bad, I'll move to …." And then fill in the blank with your favorite fantasy or nightmare, including these and many more: "my sister-in-law's property in Kansas" "Mexico"…
Like global climate change, peak oil represents a predicament, not a problem. There is no politically viable solution to either of these great challenges. Political solutions require economic growth, forever, and therefore no significant sacrifice on the behalf of the…
It's all the rage to talk about a double-dip in the industrial economy. That would be an economic trend in the shape of a W. I think an M is far more likely. The assumption of never-ending growth underlies all…
According to economists, the beauty of globalization is worldwide access to materials and cheap (or free) labor to bring the materials to powerful countries. We provide garbage, pollution, and low wages -- or, in the “best” cases we enslave workers…
This headline at today’s version of Energy Bulletin caught my eye: Are cities sustainable in a post-peak oil world? The editors at Energy Bulletin, reflecting contemporary culture, clearly do not understand sustainability. At every level, from the individual through the…
I spend quite a bit of time reading the work of other bloggers. Believe it or not, I’ve read a few books, too. This post follows my usual approach of being an equal opportunity offender as I comment on the…