I was surprised that CNBC (I sometimes think that the first “C” stands for Cornucopian*) just ran two programs that seriously talked about resource limits, Sprawling from Grace on Wednesday and Fuel on Thursday.
Of the two, I think that Sprawling from Grace was a lot better, but having said that, it seemed to me to be largely a remake of End of Suburbia, and in fact Jim Kunstler was prominently featured in both. But Sprawling was on CNBC, while End of Suburbia was not.
Regarding Sprawling and Fuel, I think that CNBC showed edited versions of both videos. I was not terribly impressed with Fuel, but there may be more information and nuances in the unedited version.
I suppose we could take bets on what happened to Joe Kernen [of CNBC’s Squawk Box] this week. Three possibilities occurred to me:
- He was abducted by (Green Party) space aliens;
- His head exploded after watching previews of these two programs (Sprawling from Grace on Wednesday and Fuel);
- He has been on vacation and will be back in full Cornucopian Primal Scream mode on Monday.
In any case following are links to Sprawling from Grace (full length) ,End of Suburbia (somewhat edited), [and Fuel]:
Sprawling From Grace: Driven to Madness (2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPS1y81b1Bw
Summary:
“The unintended consequences of suburban sprawl inform David M. Edwards’ documentary detailing the dangers Americans face should we fail to reevaluate our approach to urban development. The suburban way of life isn’t simply at risk; it’s in absolute peril. How can a country support such inefficient horizontal growth patterns when the very existence of such patterns threatens to bankrupt the entire nation? By interviewing close to thirty experts on the subject, Edwards discovers that we can no longer continue building our cities as we did in the past. While the suburbs once seemed an essential part of out maturation as a society, it now contributes to pollution, increased health risks, and a decreasing quality of life. But as non-renewable fossil fuels are being slowly depleted, Americans remain trapped behind the wheels of their own cars. With each new subdivision, strip mall, and corporate office block, the promise of a better tomorrow slips further away. So is there a solution to making our society sustainable in a post-fossil-fuel world? By exploring the efforts of state and city governments to invest in such viable alternatives as BRT (Bus Rapid Transit, commuter rail, and light rail, Edwards reveals why innovative thinking regarding land use and transportation is essential to keeping our society functional.”
End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion & the Collapse of the American Dream (2004)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3uvzcY2Xug
Summary:
“Global oil peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, Are today’s suburbs destined to become the slums of the future? This is a short version of “The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream”, a documentary about the end of the age of cheap oil. The complete 78-minute version of The End of Suburbia is available on DVD at www.endofsuburbia.com.”
Fuel (2008)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upTCSSkxlxE&feature=related (trailer)
Summary
“Director Josh Tickell takes us along for his 11 year journey around the world to find solutions to America’s addiction to oil. A shrinking economy, a failing auto industry, rampant unemployment, an out-of-control national debt, and an insatiable demand for energy weigh heavily on all of us. Fuel shows us the way out of the mess we’re in by explaining how to replace every drop of oil we now use, while creating green jobs and keeping our money here at home. The film never dwells on the negative, but instead shows us the easy solutions already within our reach. “
It looks like someone put up a full version of the film in several parts. Part 1 is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aL7Lpvtg110
Links to more parts here:
