In this twelfth video in the series “Peak Oil and a Changing Climate” from The Nation and On The Earth Productions, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics of the University of Missouri at Columbia John Ikerd argues that humans cannot wait much longer to address the reality that economic growth is unsustainable—because the world is running out of energy resources. “We simply can’t continue to grow at the rate we’ve been growing in the past.”
Ikerd calls for a decentralized energy system using wind, solar or photovoltaic energy. As he outlines the problems of energy as they relate to economic prosperity, he says that we don’t have to have continued economic wealth to have progress and happiness.
Finally, Ikerd says we “have to paint a vision for future” that can give people hope. We must show there is at least a possibility we will be able to tackle the impending peak oil and climate change crises.
You can learn more about “Peak Oil and a Changing Climate,” and watch the other videos in the series, here.
—Kevin Gosztola
The NationTwitterFounded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cultural life, from the debut of the telegraph to the rise of Twitter, serving as a critical, independent, and progressive voice in American journalism.
On The Earth ProductionsOn the Earth Productions (OTE) is a media production company that is dedicated to informing the public about important educational, environmental and political issues that affect our everyday lives. Our Educational Video Series is available from any library in the world through WorldCat.org. The series is housed at UW-Madison. The team at OTE is led by owner, Karen Rybold Chin.