Tuesday, April 29, 2008

After The Crash: An Essay-Novel of the Post-Hydrocarbon Age



Review of
After The Crash
by Tom Blair.


The subtitle, “An Essay-Novel of the Post-Hydrocarbon Age” tells it all. After The Crash by Caryl Johnston is a well-written, breezy book. It is also prescient; obviously so, frighteningly so.

One day soon people will look at this time in American history and wonder why society was so unprepared - the way we look at the Great Depression today. Nature has periods of cataclysm - geological, physical, economic, and social. After The Crash covers them all. And covers them from an epistemological point of view the resonates deeply with mine.


What happens when fossil fuel becomes precious? We are currently at peak production - but demand from China, India and other developing nations is booming. Furthermore for the first time in history, China and India can outbid us for oil. The days of the oxcart are coming back - for us. We are tomorrow’s third-world nation. Full disclosure here - the authoress, Caryl Johnston is a friend of mine. Nevertheless this review is easy - because After The Crash is a very good book.



Look at this historical timeline graphic from the preface. Then look at the headlines today. We are running out of fossil fuel.























Although environmentalists and nature-worshippers imagine this time will be a paradise, the end of fossil fuels will be hard times; causing major social re-alignment unpleasant to everyone. I very much enjoyed Caryl Johnston’s description of our “neo-feudal” future. So also the images of a future without global communication, also the rise of human-generated energy as a currency; the return of localism for lack of energy to transport people.

Having read After The Crash I feel like sticking close to home; saving my money, and contributing to the culture in the town where my daughter is growing up.

You should read After The Crash - it is like lookng at the headlines we will be seeing next year.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

Ways You To Spend Less Money On Fuel For Your Car


The United States does not have an effective public transportation system, so the people in this country have to drive cars instead. Oil prices are higher than ever, for a variety of reasons, be they simply supply and demand, risky speculation, or just plain avarice on the oil companies' part. A guide on means to save on fuel would thus be welcome in the present situation. Before you know it, you'll have saved a considerable amount of money, with a little from here and a bit from there.

Driving a car that's fuel-efficient is the plainest way you will be able to save on gasoline, like a sedan, or a hybrid, if that's within your means. But even with gas-guzzlers, there are ways to use less fuel, including driving more slowly and not accelerating fast. The more you press the accelerator pedal the more gas is consumed, so make a habit of free-wheeling and letting the automobile's momentum carry it forward. A lot of little things will keep your fuel tank from running out of fuel too rapidly.

The same grade of fuel is not specified for all automobiles, or even for all places, so make sure to stick to what's determined for yours. In virtually all instances, using premium gas will be a complete waste of money, unless you are driving a car that is benefitted by running on premium gasoline. Two things that will help you save lots of gas are slower driving and taking out, or away, excess weight from a vehicle. Nearly all people are oblivious to the fact that driving too fast decreases fuel efficiency by having more air to push out, of the way, leading to more resistence, increasing the drag, and pulling the car backwards. In addition to the increased danger posed by high speed driving, slowing down will keep money in your pocket.

One piece of extra weight you can take out in order to save petrol, unless you need it to transport something, is a roof rack. Along with adding weight to your automobile, roof racks increase the drag, both decreasing your fuel efficiency. Though it may make only a minor difference, don't carry extra weight around in the trunk of your car. Our choices, with gas prices apparently set on an upward path, are limited: look into fuel substitutes and alternatives, and apply ways to cut down on how much we use, or merely resign oneself to the high costs. Most people seem to be content with doing things the way they always have, pay the higher gasoline prices, and maybe complain once in a while.

Many people are starting to get more fuel-efficient vehicles, but that's about it. Others who can't afford the other two alternatives, are the ones most likely to do whatever they can to save gasoline. Perhaps, one day soon, it will get through to all of us that it's a superb idea to use gas as sparingly as possible. If everyone would just slow down when driving, the roads would be safer, cleaner, and money would be saved.

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