“ These are daunting and even dreadful prospects. The Long Emergency is going to be a tremendous trauma for the human race. We will not believe that this is happening to us, that 200 years of modernity can be brought to its knees by a world-wide power shortage. The survivors will have to cultivate a religion of hope — that is, a deep and comprehensive belief that humanity is worth carrying on. If there is any positive side to stark changes coming our way, it may be in the benefits of close communal relations, of having to really work intimately (and physically) with our neighbors, to be part of an enterprise that really matters and to be fully engaged in meaningful social enactments instead of being merely entertained to avoid boredom. Years from now, when we hear singing at all, we will hear ourselves, and we will sing with our whole hearts.
—
The Long Emergency : Rolling Stone
The current finanial crisis and soaring gas prices have for some time had me thinking there is a silver lining to all this, that we’re going to have to live more locally, more economically, less wastefully, more healthily…and while that may be true in the long run this scary article points out that it will be a VERY painful process to get there. (via chutry)
