Prof. Harold Hill’s America
Optimism sells. It is one of the staples of American life. And, it makes it difficult to tell Americans bad news.
Society
Transport – Aug 24
Toronto’s mysterious bicycle thief
New Republic: The end of aviation
Drivers to pay for oil shock in NZ
The age of the train returns to French provinces
Suddenly, sharing a ride looks good
Fifth peak oil conference by Community Solutions Oct 31- Nov 2
Theme – “Plan C: Individual and Community Survival Strategies for the Energy Crisis” Conference to be held at Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan. Speakers include Dmitry Orlov, John Michael Greer, and Richard Heinberg.
Not preparing, living my life
By the time we were finished [with the interview], I felt that I’d lent myself to a subject about something I really know very little about – that is, preparing for a hypothetical crisis that may come someday. What I actually am starting (and I’m still just starting) to know something about is living in such a way that I’m somewhat insulated (not perfectly) from a whole host of scenarios.
The tempo of change
As industrial society moves deeper into a time of crisis, the likelihood of drastic change rises. Still, even the most dramatic changes take on a different shape from the perspective of those present at the time. How will these differences affect our plans for a post-peak future?
Georgia and geopolitics – Aug 21
Steve LeVine: After Georgia, a day of reckoning for Washington
Jerome a Paris: Why is the “West” so bad at strategy?
Kunstler: Reality bites again
Patrick Buchanan: Who started Cold War II?
Will Americans ever bicycle like the rest of the world?
Bicycle inspiration. The following photos were taken at train stations around the world. Also: “If You Have Biker’s Block.”
Environment
The oxygen crisis
Suffocating dead zones spread across world’s oceans
“Green” land grab could sow seeds of new conflict
It’s all in your head – Aug 17
Psychologists determine what it means to think ‘green’
Are we science-savvy enough to make informed decisions?
AP’s ethnography of news consumption
How anti-intellectualism is destroying America
Brave New America (inverted totalitarianism)
Transport – Aug 17
Downtowns across the U.S. see streetcars in their future
Think flying stinks? It may get worse
Green fuel for the airline industry?
France’s August traffic jam
Losing control
Humankind has control issues, and they’re about to get a lot worse.
How students get around
My friends and I see this shift as a good thing – youth leading the way toward decisions that could result in more livable communities, better health, lower emissions and less fossil fuel dependency.
