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CREATED:20041101T054300Z
DESCRIPTION:Richard Heinberg  will speak on his new book,     Powerdown:  Options and 
 Actions for a Post-Carbon World     Power-down \ \ n. 1.  the energy famine 
 that engulfed industrial nations in the early 21st century 2. the 
 deliberate process of cooperation, contrac-tion, and conversion that 
 enabled humanity to survive . . .     Author, journalist and educator 
 Richard Heinberg speaks on Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon 
 World (New Society Publishers, July 2004)         Powerdown is an 
 exploration of the realistic options that will be available to industrial 
 societies, and individuals in those societies, in the dawning era of oil 
 and natural gas depletion. It is a starkly frank look at our prospects as 
 the industrial period winds toward its inevitable conclusion, and a 
 discussion of what we can do to build a truly sustainable culture for our 
 children and grandchildren.    If the leadership of the US continues with 
 current policies, the next decades will be filled with war, economic 
 collapse, and environmental catastrophe. Resource depletion and population 
 pressure are about to catch up with us, and no one is prepared. The 
 political elites, especially in the US, are incapable of dealing with the 
 situation, and have in mind a punishing game of “Last One Standing.”    
 The alternative is “Powerdown,” a strategy that will require tremendous 
 effort and economic sacrifice in order to reduce per-capita resource usage 
 in wealthy countries, develop alternative energy sources, distribute 
 resources more equitably, and humanely but systematically reduce the size 
 of the human population over time. The world’s environmental, anti-war, 
 anti-globalization, and human rights organizations are pushing for a mild 
 version of this alternative, but for political reasons they de-emphasize 
 the level of effort required and play down the population issue.   
 Meanwhile the vast majority of the world’s people are in the dark. They 
 do not understand the challenge facing us, or the options realistically 
 available. Politicians and the media offer denial and scapegoats while the 
 world teeters on the brink of collapse.      Powerdown offers no facile 
 answers to these dilemmas.  Its purpose is not to persuade but to inform.  
 It dares to speak frankly about our condition, but avoids cynicism and 
 despair.      Richard Heinberg is the author of five previous books 
 including The Party's Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies 
 (New Society, 2003). He is a journalist, educator, editor, lecturer, and a 
 Core Faculty member of New College of California, where he teaches courses 
 on “Energy and Society” and “Culture, Ecology and Sustainable 
 Community.” His monthly MuseLetter was nominated in 1994 by Utne Reader 
 for an Alternative Press Award and has been included in Utne's annual list 
 of Best Alternative Newsletters. His essays and articles have appeared in 
 many journals including Z Magazine, The Futurist, Earth Island Journal, 
 Wild Matters, Alternative Press Review, and The Sun.       $5-10 (no one 
 turned away for lack of funds)     Co-sponsored by New College Center for 
 Education and Social Action, Post Carbon institute, and Global Exchange.  
 For more information: 415-437-3425.     
 ___________________________________________________  \n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/10/31/50863.php
SUMMARY:Richard Heinberg - Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World
LOCATION:New College Theater  777 Valencia Street, San Francisco
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2004/10/31/50863.php
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