Analysis of “The Long Emergency” by: James Kunstler
“America is still sleepwalking into the future”
The main intention of this article is to introduce peak oil as a fatal problem, and give some insight in to the basic psychological problems of this culture. The quote above is given towards the beginning of the article and is useful in helping identify Kunstler’s point of view and message. Even if you don’t know much about the severity of the peak oil problem, sleepwalking in to the future, which basically means the unknown, is clearly negative and should be changed.
It is a good technique to name specifically what luxuries depend on oil. This makes the issue more tangible to the reader. He names a spectrum of comforts that will be lost post peak because of their dependence on oil- from inexpensive clothing to hip-replacement surgery.
This article is centered on oil consumption in the US and mentions how oil production and consumption in the rest of the world affects Americans. Kunstler goes through some different energy sources such as natural gas and simply explains its difficulties especially due to the transportation of gas. Clearly the first argument that peak oil will not be a problem is that alternative fuels can be developed to replace it. Kunstler quickly refutes this claim (discussing hydrogen, renewables- i.e. solar energy, biomass, coal and nuclear energy) and also touches on a core mentality that makes this claim believable to most people. “…many Americans…believe that anything we wish for hard enough will come true… wishing ardently for a seamless transition from fossil fuels to their putative replacements.” This is backed by the Hirsch report in the sense that there is hope for mitigation of the problem by either increasing production or developing alternative fuels. However the major factor of limited time is not realized, or accepted by most people. People are hopeful; and through some basic logic there is no need for them not to be. Simple logic implies a reliance on patterns, “tomorrow will be like today because today is like yesterday.” People of this culture are procrastinators. This is the closes word I can think of to describe the attitude of this society, eventhough it is more complicated than laziness and eventual action. Procrastination is delaying action due to laziness, this laziness comes from the fact that the action is perceived as unimportant or that life will be unchanged without the act.
Kunstler also points out that the government is aware and has said publicly that peak-oil is a problem unlike any the world has faced before and must be dealt with at least a decade before it actually occurs. However the government has not done anything significant so far! With this Kunstler again brings up another aspect of the American psyche that keeps them from realizing how serious the problem actually is. People have faith in the system, in the corporations and faith that “we can do anything”- even though there are clear examples where we have not been invincible.
The most significant part of this article is found in the last two pages as Kunstler describes some probable and favorable responses. When Kunstler talks of Suburbia being the worst choice made by society in the twentieth century, it is not difficult to realize why. It is unmistakably unsustainable. Why is it that the land that is not covered with roads or houses cannot be used as farmland? Why is the side effect of suburbia “trashing a lot of the best farmland in America”? In the discussion of suburbia Kunstler makes another good point about the society’s outlook “The psychology of previous investment suggests that we will defend our drive-in utopia long after it has become a terrible liability.”
“Daily life will be far less about mobility…anything organized on a large scale, whether it is government or a corporate business…will wither…”
This is an important aspect in the change that must occur. Transportation is the basis of this country, almost everything we consume has been made far away from where we live. 40% of the US oil consumption goes to transportation; you can see why interstate highways are so important to the economy. The available resources will be determined largely by the surrounding environment. This is why the Southwest, which is mostly covered by the desert, will be unlivable for humans- it is meant to be unlivable for most species. Big cities such as New York will also have great problems because of the condensed population on concrete- which” paved over” and ruined the precious soil. Agriculture is also inefficient on the large scale therefore food production must be localized. Not only must production be localized but distribution and trade as well. “The selling of things will have to be reorganized at the local scale.” Essentially “close communal relations” will be the most favorable path for the ordinary person’s survival.
“America is still sleepwalking into the future”
The main intention of this article is to introduce peak oil as a fatal problem, and give some insight in to the basic psychological problems of this culture. The quote above is given towards the beginning of the article and is useful in helping identify Kunstler’s point of view and message. Even if you don’t know much about the severity of the peak oil problem, sleepwalking in to the future, which basically means the unknown, is clearly negative and should be changed.
It is a good technique to name specifically what luxuries depend on oil. This makes the issue more tangible to the reader. He names a spectrum of comforts that will be lost post peak because of their dependence on oil- from inexpensive clothing to hip-replacement surgery.
This article is centered on oil consumption in the US and mentions how oil production and consumption in the rest of the world affects Americans. Kunstler goes through some different energy sources such as natural gas and simply explains its difficulties especially due to the transportation of gas. Clearly the first argument that peak oil will not be a problem is that alternative fuels can be developed to replace it. Kunstler quickly refutes this claim (discussing hydrogen, renewables- i.e. solar energy, biomass, coal and nuclear energy) and also touches on a core mentality that makes this claim believable to most people. “…many Americans…believe that anything we wish for hard enough will come true… wishing ardently for a seamless transition from fossil fuels to their putative replacements.” This is backed by the Hirsch report in the sense that there is hope for mitigation of the problem by either increasing production or developing alternative fuels. However the major factor of limited time is not realized, or accepted by most people. People are hopeful; and through some basic logic there is no need for them not to be. Simple logic implies a reliance on patterns, “tomorrow will be like today because today is like yesterday.” People of this culture are procrastinators. This is the closes word I can think of to describe the attitude of this society, eventhough it is more complicated than laziness and eventual action. Procrastination is delaying action due to laziness, this laziness comes from the fact that the action is perceived as unimportant or that life will be unchanged without the act.
Kunstler also points out that the government is aware and has said publicly that peak-oil is a problem unlike any the world has faced before and must be dealt with at least a decade before it actually occurs. However the government has not done anything significant so far! With this Kunstler again brings up another aspect of the American psyche that keeps them from realizing how serious the problem actually is. People have faith in the system, in the corporations and faith that “we can do anything”- even though there are clear examples where we have not been invincible.
The most significant part of this article is found in the last two pages as Kunstler describes some probable and favorable responses. When Kunstler talks of Suburbia being the worst choice made by society in the twentieth century, it is not difficult to realize why. It is unmistakably unsustainable. Why is it that the land that is not covered with roads or houses cannot be used as farmland? Why is the side effect of suburbia “trashing a lot of the best farmland in America”? In the discussion of suburbia Kunstler makes another good point about the society’s outlook “The psychology of previous investment suggests that we will defend our drive-in utopia long after it has become a terrible liability.”
“Daily life will be far less about mobility…anything organized on a large scale, whether it is government or a corporate business…will wither…”
This is an important aspect in the change that must occur. Transportation is the basis of this country, almost everything we consume has been made far away from where we live. 40% of the US oil consumption goes to transportation; you can see why interstate highways are so important to the economy. The available resources will be determined largely by the surrounding environment. This is why the Southwest, which is mostly covered by the desert, will be unlivable for humans- it is meant to be unlivable for most species. Big cities such as New York will also have great problems because of the condensed population on concrete- which” paved over” and ruined the precious soil. Agriculture is also inefficient on the large scale therefore food production must be localized. Not only must production be localized but distribution and trade as well. “The selling of things will have to be reorganized at the local scale.” Essentially “close communal relations” will be the most favorable path for the ordinary person’s survival.
posted by Nina Jankovic at 21:50
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