tgold1968 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Most of the energy "all around" us translates to electricity when it is captured. Electricity is not the same as liquid fuels. The living arrangement that Jim K. criticizes depends upon on liquid fuels, not electricity. And that is why it is unsustainable and "has no future".

realsamwise (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Here is why we are doomed. Today I saw Nancy Pelosi Dem. rep from CA. Doing EXACTLY what we can expect from politicians. Asking the government to release its oil reserves to drive prices down. Only price will get anyone to conserve. But lowering costs/helping the poor pay for oil is a ticket to office. She says "Natural gas is the way to go. "It's Cheap abundant and clean unlike fossil fuels". Nobody has told her natural gas is a fossil fuel and is neither cheap abundant or "clean" it seems.

Puzzoozoo (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

No, this the issue facing the whole world.

ehswan (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Not to mention the millitary industrial complex.

reallygonecat (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

a prophet. just like george carlin.

TonyKaku (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

I agree completely with his forecasts on the economics of energy.But if I am wrong, cheap, abundant energy will lead to unprecedented ecological collapse. More energy to muck up this worse than we already have? That's a chilling thought.

Vice81 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Umm electricity and hyrogen and all mass moder economies need a mass easily moveable base of energy to run dude. That is what fossil fues do. The only thing that could replace it is fusion power, good luck with that.

Teller3448 (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

Kunstler writes primarily about aesthetics and energy. His work on the former is brilliant, hysterically funny, profound and poetic, but I disagree completely with his forecasts on the economics of energy.Energy is all around us, we just arent very good at capturing and storing it...not yet! Remember, it actually costs 75% less to run a city car on electricity...in cents per mile.

izmatics (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

The USSR collapsed because it failed to take human greed into account. Conversely, our undoing will be predicated on greed run rampant. This is exactly what Kunstler is taking about: our built environment is "not worth caring about" because it was "fabricated" with only one thing in mind - money.

iaeruo (November 30, 1999 at 12:00 am)

a lot are blind to it, but we are both watching it. thats something..