Peak Everything : Waking up to the Century of Declines

by Heinberg, Richard

• ISBN13: 9780865715981
• ISBN10: 086571598X
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-01
• Publisher: Consortium Book Sales & Dist

Summary

The twentieth century saw unprecedented growth in population, energy consumption, and food production. As the population shifted from rural to urban, the impact of humans on the environment increased dramatically. The twenty-first century ushered in an era of declines, in a number of crucial areas, including global oil, natural gas, and coal extraction; yearly grain harvests; climate stability; population; economic growth; fresh water; and minerals and ores, such as copper and platinum. To adapt to this profoundly different world, we must begin now to make radical changes to our attitudes, behaviors, and expectations. Peak Everything addresses many of the cultural, psychological, and practical changes we will have to make as nature rapidly dictates our new limits. This latest book from Richard Heinberg, author of three of the most important books on Peak Oil, touches on the most important aspects of the human condition at this unique moment in time. A combination of wry commentary and sober forecasting on subjects as diverse as farming and industrial design, this book tells how we might make the transition from the Age of Excess to the Era of Modesty with grace and satisfaction, while preserving the best of our collective achievements. A must-read for individuals, business leaders, and policymakers who are serious about effecting real change.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Peak Everything	p. 1
On Technology, Agriculture, and the Arts
Tools with a Life of Their Own	p. 31
Fifty Million Farmers	p. 47
(post-) Hydrocarbon Aesthetics	p. 67
On Nature's Limits and the Human Condition
Five Axioms of Sustainability	p. 85
Parrots and Peoples	p. 97
Population, Resources, and Human Idealism	p. 113
The End of One Era, the Beginning of Another
The Psychology of Peak Oil and Climate Change	p. 127
Bridging Peak Oil and Climate Change Activism	p. 141
Boomers' Last Chance?	p. 159
A Letter From the Future	p. 173
Talking Ourselves to Extinction	p. 185
Resources for Action	p. 199
Notes	p. 201
Index	p. 207
About the Author	p. 213
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