Beyond The Economic Treadmill And Toward True Well Being, By Michael Abrams

Beyond The Economic Treadmill And Toward True Well Being, By Michael Abrams

The unstated premise of our society is that all of us are born at some level on a socio-economic ladder. Our prime directive is that we must dedicate a substantial part of our waking hours and efforts to climb to higher and higher steps on that ladder. At any step on the ladder we can look down to the comparatively diminished lives we had on the lower steps. And at the very top we–or our descendants–will have attained that perfect Nirvana, the frictionless existence that comes in tandem with virtually limitless wealth.

Stimulus Duds, Bailout Blanks, By Richard Heinberg

Stimulus Duds, Bailout Blanks, By Richard Heinberg

There is no “silver bullet,” no magic solution that will turn back the clock to an era of abundant resources and easy growth. For now, all that governments can do is buy time through further deficit spending—ideally, using that time to build infrastructure that will continue to function in the coming era of reduced flows of energy and resources. Meanwhile, we must all find ways to come out from under a burden of debt that will otherwise crush us. The inherent contradiction within this prescription is obvious but unavoidable.

The Era of Cheap Food May Be Drawing To A Close

The Era of Cheap Food May Be Drawing To A Close

ORIGINAL ARTICLE U.S. grain prices should stay unrelentingly high this year, according to a Reuters poll, the latest sign that the era of cheap food has come to an end. U.S. corn, soybeans and wheat prices — which surged by as much has 50 percent last year and...
Oil And Food Prices, By Jason Bradford

Oil And Food Prices, By Jason Bradford

ORIGINAL ARTICLE Several years ago National Geographic magazine published an article on oil that included a stunning photo of mature steer and the barrels of oil needed to grow an animal to that size. I recently went looking for that picture, found it, and post it...