KunstlerCast - Conversations: Converging Catastrophes of the 21st Century

James Howard Kunstler helps host Duncan Crary define the term "urban," a term that is often misunderstood or confusing to the general American public.Sponsor: http://cnu20.org

In this episode, James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary go through the KunstlerCast listener mail bag. Topics include: David Brooks's recent 180 on the "wonders" of suburbia, the Zeitgeist movement, the fate of ebooks, home maintenance during The Long Emergency, rural Illinois and other topics. Sponsor: http://CNU20.org

James Howard Kunstler speaks by phone with Arthur E. Berman, who is a petroleum geologist and consultant to the energy sector; editorial board member of The Oil Drum; associate editor of the AAPG Bulletin; director of The Association for the Study of Peak Oil. Berman has published more than 100 articles on petroleum geology and technology and has made more than 50 presentations in the last year to professional societies, investment conferences and companies. He speaks to Jim tonight about the history of shale gas "fracking" and a lot of the "magical thinking" surrounding the prospects of America becoming "energy dependent" through fracking.

James Howard Kunstler comments on the rising rates of pessimism in the U.S. in response to Capital cronyism, the dissapearing American dream, and our own entitled wishful thinking.

JHK discusses the growing mistrust for government in the U.S. and the rise of local trust networks in response. The inspiration for today's show comes from The Automatic Earth blog, http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.com

After a tragic death, citizens in the Albany area are clamoring to tear down an old train bridge slated to become a bike-hike trail. JHK & Duncan examine this story and explain why we must save historic infrastructure like the bridge in question.

JHK discusses his forecast for 2012 and shares his New Year's resolution.

JHK shares his take on the GOP candidates for the 2012 US election.

John Michael Greer, author of The Long Descent, The Wealth of Nature and, most recently, Apocalypse Not, joins JHK and Duncan by phone to speak about 2012 apocalypse scenarios, Green Wizardry, politics and techno narcissism. http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com

In this episode, Duncan appears solo on a radio program called Relocalizing Vermont to talk about The KunstlerCast book and podcast and the influence that James Howard Kunstler has had on him. In this half-hour interview by Carl Etnier asks Duncan about the KunstlerCast came to be, why JHK alwasy seems to rip on Amory Lovins, the Y2K thing, and other topics. A caller from Britain asks about the prospects of re-villaging suburbia.