Social Capital and Peak Oil

The Oil Drum NYC – I am now near the end of my reading of Robert Putnam’s seminal work on Social Capital, “Bowling Alone”. Social Capital is one of those very hard to define subjects, but my interpretation is that it measures the level of trust, connectedness and mutual reciprocity in society. This is important for a wide range of issues from child rearing to economic development to how individuals (or communities) respond to a crisis situations. Social Capital could be the defining characteristic of communities that pull together in the face of high oil prices versus those that tear themselves apart in the ultimate tragedy of the commons.

The Oil Drum – NYC