Crises Convergence

My housemate, Mia, recommended that we watch "The End of Suburbia" (I am constantly tempted to call it the "Story of Stuff" which is another documentary about America's consumptive lifestyle.)

The film was wonderful because it was eerily accurate. Even though it was made in 2004 the film's stark predictions about problems regarding our energy use, economic strength, infrastructure, and lifestyle patterns have already come to our immediate attention.

Moreover it was a visionary film. The film showed that the energy-scholar community has reached consensus that our lives will fundamentally change within my lifetime. We have depended on exhaustible resources for too hard for, too long, so that our transition into the new economic and cultural era will be even more challenging. Most important is that Americans address the heart of its cultural problem: our attitudes toward access and use. At least a new progressive era has a chance to mitigate the worst damage by finally telling the truth and taking action.

The End of Suburbia also did an exceptional job weaving several stories into a single narrative critiquing America's way of life since World War II. It's more than about energy access, or consumption, sprawl, or poorly planned infrastructure, or the failed suburban dream, or bad policies, or our weakening economic engine, or localization, or trends toward new urban planning. It's about the detriments of unaccountable power.

Here I wanted to convey a few messages to specific people inspired by the film:

Dear Mom.
I love you and worry about you the most. I can imagine the housing industry quickly evaporating further limiting your opportunities within the next ten years. Soon I will finish school. I will support you if you should return to school, seek out training, or pursue your dreams. I know it has always been your plan to live with me once I have a home. You are always welcome. I do not think a global transition will be difficult for you. All in all you live very simply, and have always done a lot with few resources--like so many people are forced to do, even within our Rich Land. Your passion for nature and living things may soon become economically valuable. You've experienced much bigger hardships.

Dear Dad.
Your life curve has peaked at just the right time. Any major global shifts will hurt you as your lifestyle epitomizes Suburbia. I know you don't like change either. The next 10-15 years will be hard if you remain in Centreville. But since you become eligible for retirement a year ago, you should be able to retire in the near future. You've been a proud and accomplished public servant for which you deserve a restful retirement. I think retirement may offer you a different sort of wealth than the suburban affluence you enjoy now. I can see you in a city. City-life will keep you at the center of vitality and provides easy access for your children and other loved ones. It may also allow you to have a more healthful life, in which you can continue to greatly contribute to your local community. I encourage you to embrace the many changes that you will encounter soon.

Dear Little Bro.
Enjoy your SUV while you can! The future holds a culture shock for you because all we have ever known has been hyper-suburban life. You'll be OK going with the flow. Soon, when your music career launches, you'll be separating from dad and experiencing a great deal of change, anyway. Just remember how your "hippie" sister may have been right about a few things.

Dear Friends.
Most of you share the vision shared by The End of Suburbia and like-minded films, so I will be brief. I do have a few friends attached to their cars. This will change. Most of you, however, are under 30 so you will easily find your lifestyles more active within "walkable communities" assuming that either your neighborhoods are converted or you re-locate to one. For my fellow city-dwellers I would expect more white-affluent-influx (we are currently seeing this in Columbia Heights). More gentrification, increased segregation, unless we speak-out. As we see crises converge we have to demand that our solutions converge as well. We cannot enter 21st century American Life by trading one set of evident problems for another.

Indeed, we have a lot of work to do!