KunstlerCast - Conversations: Converging Catastrophes of the 21st Century

JHK and Duncan speak about America's small industrial cities with Catherin Tumber, author of The Promise of America’s Smaller Industrial Cities in a Low-Carbon World. Sponsor: CNU20.org

James Howard Kunstler speaks by phone with Catherin Tumber, author of Small, Gritty, and Green: The Promise of America's Smaller Industrial Cities in a Low-Carbon World. Tumber is a journalist and historian and research affiliate in the Community Innovators Lab in MIT's Department of Urban Studies and Planning.Sponsor: http://cnu20.org

JHK talks about his experience being a 97 percent vegan and how the American diet may change in the Long Emergency. Sponsor: http://cnu20.org

James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on the experience of moving through the landscape and built environment on foot, rather than by car. Sponsor: http://www.CNU20.jpg

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.