When people do not pay sufficient attention to what the science says, they are not able to consider that science with the seriousness it deserves. From what I can gather, privately, many scientists in various fields of study are terrified about what future holds, especially if they have children or grandchildren.

Leaving out large parts of reality is a sophisticated form of denial by omission. Ignorance is not an excuse.

If we take seriously what's happening in the Arctic and northern latitudes generally, with the climate generally, in terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. destruction of rainforests), in the oceans, with crucial resources like crude oil, and so on, it becomes increasingly harder to believe that humanity will not be toast by the end of this century if we stay on our present course. You have to look at these trends altogether, taking the widest possible available view. Once you've done that, the unknowable future comes into clearer focus, again assuming that current trends continue. The Big Picture is not a pretty picture.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the Era of Procrastination is ending, and the Age of Consequences has begun. First cab off the rank for me will be a permanent food crisis and its resultant consequences, then a permanent energy crisis, followed by economic, social and societal crisis, ultimately collapse of the world as we currently know it, depressing, but a more likely outcome than one solved by politicians and technology and out inherent need to cling to a ‘business-as-usual’ mantra.

Curmudgeon, I love your new cornucopian Peak Oil view, perhaps your blinkers could be removed, read this and tell me how this crisis is being resolved? http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2012-09-16/tar-sands-oil-shale-and-heavy-oil-why-conventional-wisdom-about-unconventional-o

Geoff do you really believe that garbage, or do you have something to gain from those stupid enough to do so? Perhaps if you & Bazz were to read something rather than greeny propaganda you would have a happier life.

Actually if the future turns out as I expect it is not a gloomy proposition.
To live in a more locally orientated community could be a very much
better life than the hour long commutes that many have to suffer now.
Whatever skills you have could be employed in the local busnesses.
Sure you won't be working on the 38th floor of a fully air conditioned
building, but in an office or workshop at the rear of a local business
where locals come to get something made for them or have repaired.

You may not realise but the trend has already started.
Furniture manufacture has left Asia and is being made locally.
Furniture is bulky, but as it gets more expensive to ship smaller and
smaller goods will be made locally.

Notice the fairly sudden appearence of farmer's markets around our
cities suburbs. It is a world wide trend.
People will adapt to new circumstances and hopefully it will not
happen overnight but may be a python squeeze instead of a cobra strike.
Hmmm where did I hear that ?

Curmudgeon and Hasbeen,

Rather than talk about "greeny propaganda", why not look at the historical prices of crude oil? This graph shows crude oil prices in 2010 dollars since 1947.

http://www.wtrg.com/oil_graphs/oilprice1947.gif

If there is plenty of oil out there or if there are cheap, convenient substitutes, then why is the price so high? Note that the price has been high in historical terms for the last 10 years. If it is easy to increase supply, then why hasn't competition brought the price down?

Gord, Hasbeen called me a greeny !

A good essay, positing some optimistic solutions to the catastrophe that is on our heels. However, I am in accord with Geoff of Perth. There's a slight chance that Bazz's future idyll will eventuate, but none of us will live to see it. Humans only respond to catastrophe - when their backs are to the wall and they have no other option, and the response is always bloody revolution, followed by despotic rule of vicious warlords and fire-breathing, guilt inducing priests.

Perhaps after a millennium or two some human societies will fight for a fairer deal, but it's unlikely they'll succeed. We've been cosseted in a societal aberration for the last eighty years, and imagine it has been normal - that this is a natural way for human societies to operate - but it isn't! Only a very few wealthy western countries have provided political and economic freedom and security for their citizens, in a more or less secular society. The rest of humanity have been the pawns of corrupt governments, fear-mongering priests, murderous war lords and obscenely wealthy 'slave owners.'

When the crunch comes it is going to be very nasty indeed so I'm glad I've no children and only a few years to go.