The end of suburbia

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Wednesday, July 28, 2004
It’s the End of the World as We Know It
By Thomas Wheeler

Review of The End of Suburbia - Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the 
American Dream (The Electric Wallpaper Co., c/o VisionTV, 80 Bond 
Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5B 1X2, 87 minute DVD, 
US$27.75/C$34.50).

A simple fact of life is that any system based on the use of 
nonrenewable resources is unsustainable. Despite all the warnings that 
we are headed for an ecological and environmental perfect storm, many 
Americans are oblivious to the flashing red light on the earth’s fuel 
gauge. Many feel the “American way of life” is an entitlement that 
operates outside the laws of nature. At the Earth Summit in 1992, George 
H.W. Bush forcefully declared, “The American way of life is not 
negotiable.” That way of life requires a highly disproportionate use of 
the world’s nonrenewable resources. While only containing 4% of the 
world population, the United States consumes 25% of the world’s oil. The 
centerpiece of that way of life is suburbia. And massive amounts of 
nonrenewable fuels are required to maintain the project of suburbia.

The suburban lifestyle is considered by many Americans to be an accepted 
and normal way of life. But this gluttonous, sprawling, and 
energy-intensive way of life is simply not sustainable. Few people are 
aware of how their lives are dependent on cheap and abundant energy. Are 
these Americans in for a rude awakening? In a fascinating new 
documentary, The End of Suburbia – Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the 
American Dream, the central question is this: Does the suburban way of 
life have a future? The answer is a resounding no.

The film opens with the quote, “If a path to the better there be, it 
begins with a full look at the worst.” You’d think from that opening 
we’re in for a very depressing flick. Not so. Despite the serious 
subject matter the documentary is actually quite engaging and 
entertaining. Not only is it informative for those already familiar with 
the issues but it’s also quite accessible and enlightening for the 
uninitiated. It serves as great introduction and a real eye-opener for 
people who are largely unfamiliar with the topic of energy depletion and 
the impact it will have on their lives and communities.

full: http://www.pressaction.com/news/weblog/full_article/wheeler07282004/


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