PowerSwitch

In his latest rant....

"America consumes one-quarter of the world's daily production of 84 million barrels of oil. More than half of our share is burned in cars and trucks. In fact, our economy now amounts to little more than running 200 million motor vehicles around the suburban metroplexes in the service of ever more slapped-together McHousing developments, big box stores, and fried chicken huts. That's our economy. That's all we do anymore."

http://www.kunstler.com/mags_diary14.html

Sometimes I want to laugh, sometimes I want to cry.[/url]

I love his style too! The way he is able to distill life down to its most basic level is really quite powerful and although is is rather brazen and in your face, he seems to be spot on most of the time. I think he puts it over pretty well.

Kunstler wrote:In his latest rant....

" In fact, our economy now amounts to little more than running 200 million motor vehicles around the suburban metroplexes in the service of ever more slapped-together McHousing developments, big box stores, and fried chicken huts. That's our economy. That's all we do anymore."

Living here in the eastern US, I have to say that Kunstler is correct. It's chaos over here......

Welcome desertbear2

Are folks in the US not starting to conserve fuel yet? I would be interested to know what the average Joe in the street thinks at the moment....

Hi Snow Hope-
To your question of whether US people are taking energy conservation seriously- the answer is NO. But there are hopeful signs of individuals becoming more willing to carpool. Sales of the SUVs are dropping sharply and I can sense that smaller cars are being looked at as being desirable again.

However, the suburban nightmare continues with McMansions developments springing up everywhere. The power of the development thrust can only be compared to the power of a major military machine preparing for operations. We have dumptrucks, bulldozers, every type of earthmover leveling countryside to prepare sites for suburbia type development.

The traffic planners in the DC area have literally given up trying to manage the traffic flows because the problem has proved insolvable. Incredible traffic conditions with crashing 8 lane gridlock are now a normal facet of life here in the eastern US.

As to our personal situation, located outside the crowded area, we have dropped out of the "rat race" and try to lead a normal paced with concern for the earth and the future. We have compact flourescent lights, updated insulation, high mileage cars. I am trying to figure out a solar PV system which will be installed and used as much as possible. We are heating with wood but will try to move toward more passive solar heating in the future.

We are embarrassed at a lot of what is going on now in the US, both personally as regards consumption, and nationally as to US energy and environmental policy.
Stu

W