>From 30,000 feet I agree with Kunstler's view about the undue dependence on oil. But the devil is in the details. According to Kunstler the oil-dependent suburbia died yesterday due to peak oil. Not so. The suburbia will be affected dramatically but I would think over a decade or so. A lot of the newer construction in the suburbs (in the past 10 years) is energy and space prolifigate. Refitting this construction to use alternative sources of energy may not be feasible or worthwhile, not to mention that some of the construction is so flaky that the buildings are likely to fall apart in less than 50 years. I think there will be a move to higher density buildings like condos located nearer to cities or within city limits.
While changes will likely be painful the US can do it once the political will emerges. This is in constrast to Kunstler whose solution is to run off to some scandinavian country becasue the US is surely doomed. Shyam --- Udhay Shankar N <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Shyam Visweswaran wrote [ at 02:48 AM 2/16/2007 > ] : > > >Howard Kunstler is a rabble rouser and a > >doomsayer. Though judging from the north > american > >media and policies cheap oil is apparently > >inexhaustible. The US will have to go through > >massive pain to turn away from oil. The entire > >suburbia / exurbia is unlivable without > extensive > >motoring. No amount of alternative fuels is > >likely to keep the suburbs and exurbs viable > in > >the near future. Hopefully, there will be > >revitalization of the inner cities where > people > >can actually walk to shopping, schools, > >entertainment and work. > > I fail to see how this is different from what > Kunstler is saying. > > Udhay > > -- > ((Udhay Shankar N)) ((udhay @ pobox.com)) > ((www.digeratus.com)) > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ Need Mail bonding? Go to the Yahoo! Mail Q&A for great tips from Yahoo! Answers users. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396546091
