The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century
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Product Description
James Howard Kunstler's The Long Emergency was an underground hit, going into nine printings of the hardcover edition. His shocking vision for our post-oil future caught the attention of environmentalists and business leaders and was the subject of much debate, stimulating discussion about our dependence on fossil fuels. Now in paperback, with a new afterword, The Long Emergency is set to reach an even larger audience.
The last two hundred years have seen the greatest explosion of progress and wealth in the history of mankind, much of it based on the exploitation of cheap, nonrenewable fossil-fuel energy. But the oil age is at an end. Life as we know it is about to change radically, and much sooner than we think. The Long Emergency tells us just what to expect after we pass the point of global peak oil production and the honeymoon of affordable energy is over, preparing us for economic, political, and social changes of an unimaginable scale. Riveting and authoritative, The Long Emergency is a devastating indictment that brings new urgency and accessibility to the critical issues that will shape our future, and that we can no longer afford to ignore.
Spotlight Customer Reviews:
Summary:
Kunslter's an ideologue--adds little to the debate.
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Comment:
Kunstler fails to demonstrate a basic knowledge of foreign policy or history. In addition to the inaccuracies in the the historical and international-relations perspective. Kunstler also makes many questionable if not contradictory arguments.
Some of Kunstler's claims are downright contradictory. For example, in the section about alternative fuels he points out the necessity of cars. Earlier in the book he's railing against the disconnect between SUV drivers and oil dependency, however, the situation is as dire as Kunstler alleges it is, the car paradgim will have to shift (he alludes to this).
Kunstler alleges that the rural lifestyle is better prepared for surviving the "long emergency." He overlooks the fact that: (1) car dependency is inherent in such a lifestyle; (2) in many parts of the country such a lifestyle is only possible because of subsidies. If the paradigm Kunstler advocates is correct, the subsidies will eventually go away.
Moreover, Kunstler's rants against all things corporate did not lend credibility to himself. He selectively cites Matthew Simmons' work on the possible peaking of Saudi Arabia fields, but with undertones that Simmons worked for the "evil industry."
Kunstler lost any credibility he had left in the final section when he started stereotyping: e.g. everyone in the South is a bible-thumper, people in the Rocky Mountains are survivalists who want to violently overthrow the government, etc.
I agree with the premise that there will be a paradigm shift in the American lifestyle and as well as a decline in the American standard of living. However, Kunstler played fast and loose with the facts and made too many far-fetched arguments to be taken seriously. A much better book for anyone interested in oil-dependency and the possible paradigm shifts related to to it is $20 Per Gallon: How the Inevitable Rise in the Price of Gasoline Will Change Our Lives for the Better" It has flaws, but is a much better book than the Long Emergency.
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Summary:
A powerful look into the near future
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Comment:
I must admit that I was prepared for this treatise on our civilization's future by having already read some very good books and articles on the subject including Dr. Steve Leeb's masterpiece, "The Oil Factor", and "Game Over" and also the daily updates on my favorite energy-related web site, "The Oil Drum" [...]. So, in a way this review is from a member of the choir, not a neophyte that has come to this point of view via sudden epiphany.
That notwithstanding, I found the prose in this book quite enjoyable to read and at times, caused the hair on the back of my neck to stand straight up, due to the content. How is it that we let our endowment of oil, this cheap, easy-to-find and extract energy source, be squandered on something as unsustainable as the American urban and sub-urban lifestyles? Mr. Kunstler explains this foolishness in a series of chapters that exposes the cluster of memes that permeate our thinking and render us utterly powerless to stop or even slightly modify our wasteful behavior patterns. The memes of "There is plenty of easy-to-get-to cheap oil and it's just a matter of finding it" and "If we can get the tree-huggers to give up on ANWR, we will be in like Flynn" and my favorite, "Technology will save us with some new energy delivery system based on hydrogen, wind power, solar power, natural gas and if all else fails, nuclear power to propel us into the future!" are all part of the trance that we have entered as part of the constant over-supply of, among other things, mindless entertainment that distracts our attention while extracting dollars from our wallets, with very little in return to show for our time spent gazing at our televisions, movie screens and computer monitors.
Mr. Kunstler carefully decomposes each of these memes (and many more) to shows the likely consequences of what holding on to them will cost us.
Two other points: I needed to have a dictionary handy when reading this tome. Mr. Kunstler's writing vocabulary dwarfs my reading vocabulary! Also, I think that he is predominantly correct, but that his predictions will unfold much slower than he suggests in his book. New economies will spring forward and become widespread and cushion the shock when "Peak Oil" manifests for real. However, I am taking his description of the "dog days" (or should it be "dog years") of the Long Emergency at face value and preparing for them now. If it does not happen, I will be way ahead of the game in terms of detachment from the material aspects of life and more self-reliant as a consequence. If he's right, well, the same analysis applies.
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Summary:
lONG vIEW
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Comment:
The long emergency puts the oil crisis into perspective from the standpoint of looking at our relations in the Middle East with a long view (over many years retrospective. I found the book extremely interesting.
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Summary:
WARNING: Do not read if you suffer from any signs of depression
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Comment:
I was new to the Peak Oil concept with the exception of what I would over hear on the news by accident. Never gave any of this much thought really. So, while stuck in an airport this book grabbed my attention. I thought, "Maybe I'll tune into some of this." So I bought and read "The Long Emergency". For reference, I'm not a tree hugger, but I do not waste, I do recycle, I drive small 4-cyl cars, turn off lights, do not waste water and teach my kids the same sensibility.
I enjoyed the many topics and perspectives that are introduced in the book, and I appreciated how the author fit the puzzle together, however morbidly. Good grief though! If even 25% of what the author predicts will be an outcome in the future, we all ought to go jump off a tall bridge and be done with it. What a dark and negative (and sometimes flat out prejudiced) outlook on the human race. Seriously! I ended up disagreeing with most of what I think the author believes. I did however make a useful list of the things I found interesting and researched them on my own, thus, forming my own opinion of what a fabulous world future generations can look forward to.
The book did prompt me to finally go buy an extra tank of propane for the grill just in case :-)
Also, since the writing of this book, the US has discovered a load of natural gas and oil in Louisiana and the Gulf. So whatever future hell the author predicts in our future, add about 100 years. So much for predicting the future.
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Summary:
Kunstler is a master author - keeps your attention throughout
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Comment:
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Everyone should read this book to get a possible perspective on the future without cheap oil.
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