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Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by I Love Lamp at 11:16 am EDT, Apr 30, 2008 |
The suburban landscape has been marred by foreclosures and half-built communities abandoned in the subprime aftermath. But James Howard Kunstler, author of a dozen books, including The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape, thinks there's a bigger threat to those far-flung neighborhoods: the scarcity of oil. As Kunstler sees it, oil wells are running dry and the era of cheap fuel is over. Given the supply constraints, he says the U.S. will have to rethink suburban sprawl, bringing an end to strip malls, big-box stores, and other trappings of the automotive era. Kunstler, 59, predicts a return to towns and cities centered around a retail hub—not unlike his hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But the shift to this new paradigm, he says, will be painful. (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.) BusinessWeek writer Mara Der Hovanesian spoke with Kunstler about suburbia, which he calls "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known."
This dude sounds credible... (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.)
This does have a bit more credibility than y2kdisasterarmageddon2k |
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RE: Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by dc0de at 2:52 pm EDT, Apr 30, 2008 |
I Love Lamp wrote: The suburban landscape has been marred by foreclosures and half-built communities abandoned in the subprime aftermath. But James Howard Kunstler, author of a dozen books, including The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape, thinks there's a bigger threat to those far-flung neighborhoods: the scarcity of oil. As Kunstler sees it, oil wells are running dry and the era of cheap fuel is over. Given the supply constraints, he says the U.S. will have to rethink suburban sprawl, bringing an end to strip malls, big-box stores, and other trappings of the automotive era. Kunstler, 59, predicts a return to towns and cities centered around a retail hub—not unlike his hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But the shift to this new paradigm, he says, will be painful. (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.) BusinessWeek writer Mara Der Hovanesian spoke with Kunstler about suburbia, which he calls "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known."
This dude sounds credible... (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.)
This does have a bit more credibility than y2kdisasterarmageddon2k
As someone who lives in a "far flung suburbia", I plan to adopt a different strategy to cope with the impending $8-10 per gallon gasoline prices. I plan on purchasing a motorcycle, to use for commuting, and use the resources in my local area for all of my needs... I'm researching carpooling with neighbors, and other group options to lower the cost of getting to work, and I'm also allowed to work from home, when I don't have to be onsite with customers. These are some of the reasons I think that the doom and gloom of "suburbia" are over played, as most of us who live in my area really like the clean air, lower crime rate, lower tax rate, and fiber optic (to the curb) internet connections. (Thanks to Bellsouth...) We enjoy a small town spirit, in an 8yr old Swim/Tennis subdivision, with a median household income of $75K. My family and friends have discussed all of the impending "doom and gloom" already, and we're steadfast, that we are not moving back to the crime, smog, noise, and light polluted cities, regardless of the cost of fuel. It's simply not worth it. |
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RE: Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by Stefanie at 10:41 am EDT, May 1, 2008 |
dc0de wrote:
These are some of the reasons I think that the doom and gloom of "suburbia" are over played, as most of us who live in my area really like the clean air, lower crime rate, lower tax rate, and fiber optic (to the curb) internet connections. My family and friends have discussed all of the impending "doom and gloom" already, and we're steadfast, that we are not moving back to the crime, smog, noise, and light polluted cities, regardless of the cost of fuel. It's simply not worth it.
Having seen your neighborhood, I agree that it beats living in a downtown area. I do the same thing, living outside of Nashville and commuting to work. While I'd love the convenience of walking to work (or even a short drive), my quality of life would take a nosedive if I were to move into the city. Unfortunately, if gasoline were to reach $8-10/gallon in the near future, I might be forced to make a job or residence change, because I don't have the option of working from home with my current job. |
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RE: Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by dc0de at 9:00 pm EDT, May 1, 2008 |
Stefanie wrote: dc0de wrote:
These are some of the reasons I think that the doom and gloom of "suburbia" are over played, as most of us who live in my area really like the clean air, lower crime rate, lower tax rate, and fiber optic (to the curb) internet connections. My family and friends have discussed all of the impending "doom and gloom" already, and we're steadfast, that we are not moving back to the crime, smog, noise, and light polluted cities, regardless of the cost of fuel. It's simply not worth it.
Having seen your neighborhood, I agree that it beats living in a downtown area. I do the same thing, living outside of Nashville and commuting to work. While I'd love the convenience of walking to work (or even a short drive), my quality of life would take a nosedive if I were to move into the city. Unfortunately, if gasoline were to reach $8-10/gallon in the near future, I might be forced to make a job or residence change, because I don't have the option of working from home with my current job.
Well, add to that, I've been wanting to purchase a motorcycle for years, to get back into riding. The price of gasoline will certainly drive me to get a motorcycle sooner than I had originally planned. |
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Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by Lost at 8:33 am EDT, Apr 30, 2008 |
The suburban landscape has been marred by foreclosures and half-built communities abandoned in the subprime aftermath. But James Howard Kunstler, author of a dozen books, including The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape, thinks there's a bigger threat to those far-flung neighborhoods: the scarcity of oil. As Kunstler sees it, oil wells are running dry and the era of cheap fuel is over. Given the supply constraints, he says the U.S. will have to rethink suburban sprawl, bringing an end to strip malls, big-box stores, and other trappings of the automotive era. Kunstler, 59, predicts a return to towns and cities centered around a retail hub—not unlike his hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But the shift to this new paradigm, he says, will be painful. (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.) BusinessWeek writer Mara Der Hovanesian spoke with Kunstler about suburbia, which he calls "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known."
GO OIL GO! GO OIL GO! KILLLLLll SUBURBIA! MURDER IT! |
Good-Bye, Cheap Oil. So Long, Suburbia?
by Decius at 8:50 am EDT, Apr 30, 2008 |
The suburban landscape has been marred by foreclosures and half-built communities abandoned in the subprime aftermath. But James Howard Kunstler, author of a dozen books, including The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape, thinks there's a bigger threat to those far-flung neighborhoods: the scarcity of oil. As Kunstler sees it, oil wells are running dry and the era of cheap fuel is over. Given the supply constraints, he says the U.S. will have to rethink suburban sprawl, bringing an end to strip malls, big-box stores, and other trappings of the automotive era. Kunstler, 59, predicts a return to towns and cities centered around a retail hub—not unlike his hometown of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. But the shift to this new paradigm, he says, will be painful. (Kunstler could be off the mark; he predicted technological Armageddon after Y2K.) BusinessWeek writer Mara Der Hovanesian spoke with Kunstler about suburbia, which he calls "the greatest misallocation of resources the world has ever known."
No one rerecommended this similar perspective on the same issue. |
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