[Barry]

THE END IS COMING!
------------------------------

The price of natural gas is soaring. Next it will be oil.
The North American Way of Life as we know it may be doomed by an imminent energy crisis.

With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, "The End of Suburbia" is the first documentary to explore the prospects for the American Way of Life as the planet approaches a critical era - as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. "Global Oil Peak" and the inevitable decline of cheap fossil fuel are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.

The consequences of continued inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous.

What does Global Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburban sprawl react to the collapse of their dream? Are today’s suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow?

This long-awaited documentary is now available on DVD.

Featuring James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe, Michael Klare, Richard Heinberg, Matthew Simmons, Michael C. Ruppert, Julian Darley, Colin Campbell, Kenneth Deffeyes, Ali Samsam Bakhtiari and Steve Andrews.

The END of SUBURBIA:
Oil Depletion and The Collapse of The American Dream
http://endofsuburbia.com

[stu]

A great visual introduction you can give someone to the concept of Peak Oil.

End of Surburbia shows how the American Dream was created around the consumption of oil and how that dream will soon turn into a nightmare as oil peaks and society gradually begins a decline into economic crashes, resource wars and police state rule.

Featuring contributions from all the usual PO crowd, Matt Simmons, Richard Heinberg, Colin Campbell et al.

Something that you must show to your family and friends.


RATING = *****

[cmlek]

I've heard a great deal about said DVD, but I was wondering, as someone who's a little more familiar with the peak oil scenario, do they include any plans/suggestions/ideas for transitioning? Perhaps toward the end? As I cautiously begin to talk to family and friends, I find that I get much more interest in books/sites that take the tone of "We have a big problem. Here's what it is, and here's how we're trying to fix it," versus the blacker, somewhat nihilistic dieoff crowds.

(And for no good reason, just because this made me happy: About two weeks after easing into the topic with my best friend (whose father happens to work for Exxon), a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry came to our humble Purdue University, and his speech topic was peak oil! He laid out the basics, then laid out all the avenues he personally wanted to see expanded into for us to transition/grow beyond oil. I was practically purring--having someone so respected speak on the topic managed to convince my friend that I wasn't just spouting some conspiracy theory bs.)

[Such]

hey, fellow Purdue man... of course... i graduated 5 years ago.

Was that Prof. Richard Smalley from Rice? The bucky ball guy giving the peak oil speech? He's been talking about it for a while now.

End of suburbia tries to end on an upnote. It has alot about global relocalization and redesigning our cities and towns for a post-peak lifestyle.

[mgibbons19]

Hey,

Just moved away from ND a year ago July.

Just wanted to say hi to feloow michiana-ns

[stu]

DOH

Quoted myself instead of cmlek.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cmlek', 'I')'ve heard a great deal about said DVD, but I was
wondering, as someone who's a little more familiar with the peak oil scenario, do they include any plans/suggestions/ideas for transitioning? Perhaps toward the end? As I cautiously begin to talk to family and friends, I find that I get much more interest in books/sites that take the tone of "We have a big problem. Here's what it is, and here's how we're trying to fix it," versus the blacker, somewhat nihilistic dieoff crowds.

(And for no good reason, just because this made me happy: About two weeks after easing into the topic with my best friend (whose father happens to work for Exxon), a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry came to our humble Purdue University, and his speech topic was peak oil! He laid out the basics, then laid out all the avenues he personally wanted to see expanded into for us to transition/grow beyond oil. I was practically purring--having someone so respected speak on the topic managed to convince my friend that I wasn't just spouting some conspiracy theory bs.)

[Mower]

Where to order this from please.

[stu]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Mower', 'W')here to order this from please.

[zed]

I finally shelled out the money for this and it is a excellent video presentation of what "Peak Oil" really means. For people who are not aware of Peak Oil (or even oil in general) it provides a nice packaged presentation of the issue that will shape their future more than any other.

This documentary focuses particulary on the peculiarly American/Canadian living arrangement of suburbia, hence the title. Specifically it examines why suburbia exists, what problems it was designed to solve, why it flourished, and why it is doomed. The analysis of why suburbia is unsustainable leads to talk of oil depletion. James Howard Kunstler is the prime guest discussing the malaise of modern suburbia, articulating the distaste many residents feel but never examine. Colin Campbell, Matt Simmons, and Richard Heinberg are key guests discussing the world oil situation in 2004 and beyond.

What this documentary does well is tie the somewhat academic debate about oil depletion into a concrete issue: "Your way of life is doomed. What do you want to do about it?". It provides ample evidence supporting its position and the total length (78 minutes) is reasonable and definitely not too long. It also discusses some possible solutions and adaptations to a post-cheap-oil world, but this discussion is not as compelling (nor can it be, in my opinion). This film also does not focus on Peak Oil specifically, so don't expect an exhaustive treatement. However the key points are all made and presented well.

In summary, this is a great vehicle for introducing viewers to the perils of suburban sprawl and some of the consequences of oil depletion. I give 4.5 stars out of 5!

[julianj]

The End of Suburbia –a dissenting view

I’ve only just seen this documentary. I was quite disappointed. Perhaps this is because I now know lots more about PO, plus the inadvertent hype surrounding it, as the classic must-see PO vid, made me overly expectant as though it was a veritable Citizen Kane of documentaries.

At first the narrative goes on far too long with quaint old films of the growth of suburbia, and didn’t engage my interest till about half way through when Peak Oil was introduced. Then it softpedals the subject, finishing off with various ideas on reurbanisation which in my view aren’t remotely capable of dealing with such a large crisis.

While it was nice to put faces to all these Peak Theorists such as Heinberg and Campbell, and I warmed to JH Kunstler’s dry sense of humour, I don’t think I could show it to anybody here in the UK. Many non-peaker people would shrug it off with “Urbanisation? Public transport? We’ve got those. No problem then.â€

[mastroid]

don't worry julianj

there will be a sequel to ''the End of Suburbia''

it will be called ''Escape from Suburbia'' !
bit like ''escape from L.A.'' mind you ...

they will cover :
- post-peak ''adjustments'' such as what cuba went through after the soviet collapse
- the very energy-intensive and ecologically devastating aspect of oil sands
- ... ?

i'll try to get more hints from Greg greene (writer of the doc), since i'm supposed to meet with him on march 19.

[dduck]

This DVD is the ideal mechanism for introducing the peakoil problem to groups who are unaware and not particularly technically oriented. It is already reviewed at the link below but deserves placement here because of its value for organizing interest groups, preparing them for thinking about what they can do. I bought 5 copies and they are being lent out to groups ranging from university classes to government offices. It can be used as a mechanism for recruiting potential activists in your own neighborhood http://www.peakoil.com/review2.html

[Yavicleus]

I agree, this film is a great intro to the subject of Peak Oil for people who don't know much about it.

I was able to download an mpeg version of it awhile back, and I gave a few copies of it out to friends. For anyone not patient enough to read a book on PO, this is what to show them.

[Ryan]

This was my first introduction to peak oil in any real sense. I'd heard bits and pieces without any clear picture (didn't know about Hubbert or anything). Then I read about the dvd on the Path to Freedom site and decided to pick up a copy. At the same time I was exploring options of doing an EV conversion and biodiesel, possibly as a hybrid.

I thought it was a great way to start. It is clearly targeted at the majority of Americans who are likewise asleep. Who don't think about where their food, lights, material goods, etc. come from. But it raises the issue in a way that won't panic them either. Too much panic and they'll just reject the whole notion because they can't face it and go back to sleep. In my case it was enough information to get my wife and I busy finding out more information. We'd already planned a more self-sufficient future but as we've read more and learned more we feel a bit of a time crunch.

Anyway, the DVD is a good start for many people.

[jimmyz]

here is a video link i found.
http://911busters.com/video/IQ1_20_END_ ... 24.2_.html

[HarvKilljoy]

I too have watched the DVD in question- and I feel it's an excellent primer for the uninitiated. It's good to see faces attached to the names I've read about too- dunno why, it just helps to make it all the more real...

I've also been arguing for peak oil, trying to warn others of it, in a forum I'm more near and dear to, www.blizzforums.com- I argue in their "Serious Discussion" section, on the "Peak Oil" thread. Another in the same forum, "Dark Magneto", was one who's been a very strong advocate about warning of peak oil- he's also the guy who sent me a copy of the DVD.

If you haven't seen it already, and you're interested in peak oil and in learning more about the subject, go find a copy or buy one. Watch it and share it with others- it's enlightening and informative.

On that issue of being overly-alarmist, or about how the video's topic isn't so doom-and-gloom that folks will just shut their minds out to it entirely- I think that this will manifest itself in different ways to different people- the whole subject of peak oil, of the end of suburbia, may be too harsh for some to accept, and they're typically the ones who seem to argue so loudly against peak oil's reality.

Neurosis, anyone?

HARV

[Revi]

We showed the dvd last night and had 15 people discuss it afterwards. It is a great way to get the message across. I think it is the perfect way to intro peak oil. If it was full strength peak oil, like dieoff website, they would turn off. As it is Matt Simmons is pretty scary. "No growth is possible" It's obvious, but it runs so counter to the consensus trance we live in that it is a hard concept to grasp if you are not peak oil aware. Highway planners, car manufacturers and the general public haven't gotten it yet. We've got to work together to get through this. I can't wait for Escape From Suburbia, which may contain the community solution.

[Leanan]

I finally got around to watching this last night. I was thinking about giving it to my parents, to introduce them to peak oil. (Well, my dad accepts peak oil. He just doesn't accept the consequences. He thinks life will continue, except gas will be more expensive. In his view, the worse that could happen is that he'd have to trade in his SUV for a Prius.)

I was a little disappointed it, to tell you the truth. I felt the beginning was awfully slow. I don't know if people would stick around to the more-interesting second half.

I kind of wish they'd left Ruppert out of it. Maybe he'll be proven right in the end, but right now, mainstream America sees him as a conspiracy nut. Really, did they have to put the name of his book across the screen so often? Crossing the Rubicon: 9/11 and America's Descent into Fascism at the End of the Age of Oil. Makes it awfully easy for people to assume that peak oil is just more tinfoil-hattery.

I also wish they'd bleeped Kunstler. You know, when he said cluster**** and $#!+storm. I know, he meant it to be shocking. But I don't think I can show my mom something with that kind of language in it. She's a bit old-fashioned.

Minor nit: those tears in the archival films were really annoying. It would be pretty easy to fix these days, with digital video techniques. Heck, I could probably do it for them, with my old copy of Ulead MediaPro.

[RickTaylor]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Leanan', 'I') kind of wish they'd left Ruppert out of it. Maybe he'll be proven right in the end, but right now, mainstream America sees him as a conspiracy nut. Really, did they have to put the name of his book across the screen so often? Crossing the Rubicon: 9/11 and America's Descent into Fascism at the End of the Age of Oil. Makes it awfully easy for people to assume that peak oil is just more tinfoil-hattery.

[Revi]

I agree completely! The political stuff can turn off anyone who is not whatever party it is identified with. I know I turn off to anything that smells like right wing ranting, and I'm sure that they are turned off with any kind of left wing ranting. Bartlett's speech went a long way towards convincing the republicans among us. I have found that if you show End of Suburbia from about 15 minutes to 45 minutes it is the perfect 1/2 hour to intro the issue of Peak Oil. It avoids the political parts of the film and misses most of the suburban footage. End of Suburbia gets the message across very well. It's the best documentary so far.