KUNSTLERCAST

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 independent” through fracking.

A two part conversation between Richard Heinberg and James Howard Kunstler. The conversation covers peak oil, financial dysfunction, political convulsions, generational conflict, techno-grandiosity, the fate of industrial agriculture and the suburban living arrangement. Heinberg also reacts to being labeled a "Doomer.".

James Howard Kunstler says that the airline industry is visibly disintegrating around us and it probably won't be around in the form we know it for much longer. He predicts that air travel will be very different in as few as 36 months: cheap airfares for the broad middle class will not be available; long distance air routes might be temporarily nationalized; eventually, flying will become an increasingly elite activity for the wealthy. Episode 32.

James Howard Kunstler responds to a listener question about the future of water transportation in North America. There is a fabulous inland waterway system in North America that is going to become very important again. But if we want to remain serious about trade in this country, we are going to have to rebuild the infrastructure for water and rail transportation. All of those waterfronts where we've been building theme parks, condominium clusters and picnic grounds in recent times will have to make room for the warehouses, piers and sleazy accommodations for the sailors that are required by water transit.