Living in the Long Emergency - Essay Example

Living in the long emergency Summary This report examine and intents to describe the American life according to Kunstler’s vision. It majors its discussion to chapter seven of his book “The Long Emergency” and also other chapters. The thoughts put in this paper are organized according to the Rubin’s framework (Rubin). Introduction Chapter seven constitute about 20 % of the entire book and is a broad speculation on what life may look like without cheap energy. Kunstler focuses on the united state with specific sub-section on a few large regions. The author stipulates that his musings are inescapably limited and personal. He states that there will be comprehensive downscaling, rescaling, downsizing and re-localizing of all activities (Kunstler 249). Consequently, it will foster a radical reorganization of the way people live in their most fundamental particulars. The main argument is that the United States will fragment into autonomous regions. The southwest and the major cities nationwide will ultimately near depopulation. He attributes such factors due to the lack of respect for these regions and that the northeast and Midwest are best suited due to their maintained geography and respect for diversity (Kunstler 256). The next economy He stipulates that the next economy will be subject to lots of dysfunctions. It will collapse in the event of even a few disruptions. These disruptions would be minor if they occurred in isolation. Per se, the economies that rise from the ashes will be characterized according to the factors below. One of their characteristic is that they will be intensely localized and will be operational in much smaller scale (Kunstler 267). The main focus of these economies will be on food production due to the deteriorated rates of food production across the United States. Food is basic for human existence and if the supply will be low in the urban centers, people will depopulate to other regions where they can have better means to getting food. Much of the land available will only be used for farming purposes hence people will also be required to relocate in order to develop agriculture. Agriculture will form the backbone of the economy necessitating people to learn and re-develop learning skills and support agricultural trade (Kunstler 269). Due to the exhaustion of fuel fossils, people will be forced to re-learn how to work in harmony with the lands and master the seasons. Forcing their will with fertilizers and pesticides will no longer be applicable. People will be forced to learn to enjoy the food that is available during particular seasons. Storage will be a basic factor for securing the time between harvests. The United States will face a larger number of unskilled peasants and feudalism or sharecropping will also reemerge. The author continues to argue that the level of upheaval and disease will increase and as a result will thin the ranks to an alarming rate (Kunstler 271). However, he also foresees a positive side to all the raptures brought by extinction of fuel. Cooperative farming could rebuild a social infrastructure of craft trades and local commerce resembling the country living many try to deny in their suburban décor (Kunstler 275). Transportation in the Long Emergency He fosters that the rate of transportation will enormously reduce to very slow levels. Goods and people will move at very slow rates from one point to the other. This era will re=-define the community and place different capabilities within different groups. Only the few elite members of the community may be privileged to own electric cars. But even so, the problem lies with the lack of funds to maintain the roads (Kunstler 286). The highways will run to a point of being near useless band that they will be damaged such that using them will only damage the cars. Therefore, the author anticipates a looming crisis that will see a total failure in the transportation system. He argues that the railroads can be revived but the revival process will require steel. The trains will require electricity and fuel to run them hence creating even more dilemma. Riverboats will be on the rise to complement the means of transport but the disadvantage is climatic changes that cause cyclic flood problems. The sea rising levels will put many existing ports and other infrastructure out of commission. Airlines will only exist in the past due to the escalated fuel prices (Kunstler 290). Education Kunstler forecast that for most, the 8th grade will be the highest level of education attainable (Kunstler 298). The overall shift of education will lean to more practical and vocational training of various kinds. During the long emergency, predictions are that every available hand will be put to task in order to complement production. College education will only be sensible to very few members of the community. Even so, the need for adult education will escalate in order to retain services and technical workers (Kunstler 301). Regional issues The United States is categorized to six broad regions. The climatic characteristics of the six regions will change and differ completely. The characteristics will be dominant factors in how they fare and the mix of advantage and disadvantages will greatly change (Kunstler 308). The greatest attribute to these changes will be the global warming factor. The social and cultural makeup of the residents will play an important role in molding the regions. There is great doubt that the United States will continue to function as a unified region. The national government is most likely going to lose influence and credibility and regional coalition of states. Some parts such as the desert southwest, from southern California to western Texas will pose harsher conditions for living due to the changes in climatic conditions (Kunstler 312). Racial conflicts/ ideas, morals and manners The author is hesitant to discuss these issues of race relations in America. The separateness of the black subculture will prove counterproductive. The main reason is the simmering resentment and aggression possibly erupting to riots and destruction as the poor in the society become truly poor by all world standards (Kunstler 317). Much of the human advancement that went beyond the human racial issues came at a time that unprecedented prosperity. The industrial age has yet not made any mark to the human nature. The world is already on the track of abandoning the ethos of hard work. This path is the best to long-term security in favor of a get rich quick mentality and in most cases luck leads that mentality leads to getting something for nothing (Kunstler 321). Conclusion Epilogue The author wrote an epilogue in late 2005 where he looked at the major events since completing the original text relate to his conclusions and prognostications. He states that “We are the zone’ marking the start of the Long Emergency. One of the evidences is pointed out to the infrastructure failure after hurricane Katrina. The second evidence is on the daily increasing fuel prices and the fragility of the modern systems and the emergency response capabilities. Works Cited Kunstler, James Howard. The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century. New York: Atlantic Monthly, 2005. Print. Rubin, Beth A. Shifts in the Social Contract Understanding Change in American Society. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Pine Forge, 1996. Print. Read More