Fukushima Meltdown

SUBHEAD: A nuclear meltdown is a self-sustaining reaction. Nothing can stop it except stopping the reaction.By Dr. Tom Burnett on 27 March 2011 in Hawaii News Daily - (http://hawaiinewsdaily.com/2011/03/when-the-fukushima-meltdown-hits-groundwater)Image above: What people's attention in Fukushima should be turning to this spring - cherry blossoms. From (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19750114).

KIUC 25 Years after the Crash

SUBHEAD: Without a clue our suburban power company drives into the future searching their rear view mirror.By Juan Wilson on 27 March 2011 for Island Breath - (http://islandbreath.blogspot.com/2011/03/kiuc-25-years-after-crash.html)Image above: A Toyota truck crash on NASCAR circuit. From (http://www.autoracing1.com/).This week we learned the results of the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative board

Fed tests banks for more recession

SUBHEAD: The Federal Reserve tells U.S. banks to test their capital for a continued recession with 11% unemployment.By Craig Torres & Hugh Son on 17 February 2011 for Bloomberg News - (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-17/fed-tells-banks-to-stress-test-capital-for-recession-with-11-unemployment.html)Image above: On the way through the Great Recession. From (http://nwgasbdc.blogspot.com/2010/

Third Time's a Charm

SUBHEAD: Price-forecasters are predicting oil at $150/barrel in 2011. That will put the final nail in the U.S. coffin.By Guy McPherson on 22 January 2011 for Nature Bats Last - (http://guymcpherson.com/2011/01/third-times-a-charm/)Image above: The last coffin nail? From (http://art-n-pics.blogspot.com/2010/11/creative-photography-typical-life-of.html).Kurt Vonnegut often described World Wars I

The Grid

SUBHEAD: A single-source for 24x7x365 5kwatt electric service to every residence in Hawaii is not possible.By Juan Wilson on 19 January 2011 - Image above: Control room of TVA nuclear power plant. From (http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/v38_1_05/article11.shtml).To save ourselves we must downsize, decentralize and reduce consumption. The providers of the Grid have another mantra "Centralization

Cool food, fuel and climate

SUBHEAD: Permaculture seems to be indispensable for anyone trying to bring about broadscale collapse-proofing.By Albert Bates on 8 January 2011 in The Great Change - (http://peaksurfer.blogspot.com/2011/01/cool-food-cool-fuel-cool-climate.html)Image above:Plenty Belize and Maya Mountain Research Farm workshop on photovoltaic electric-generating systems. From (http://www.plenty.org/pb25_1/

Six Predictions for 2011

SUBHEAD: How will the economy affect average Americans this year? No so kindly.Ryan McCarthy & Amy Lee on 3 January 2011 in HuffPo - (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/03/economic-predictions-2011_n_803413.html?page=1)Image above: Harvey Lesser, 58, about to pass his possessions laid in the snow after he is evicted from his home. From (http://www.theblackurbantimes.com/2009/12/

The Tarpaper Shack Principle

SUBHEAD: Its only useful if you can build it from readily available materials, and put it to work, while living in the an old fashioned tarpaper shack.By John Michael Greer on 5 January 2011 for ArchDruid Report - (http://thearchdruidreport.blogspot.com/2011/01/tarpaper-shack-principle.html)Image above: A tarpaper shack during winter in Nova Scotia, Canada. From (http://www.flickr.com/photos/

3 Ways Without a Car

SUBHEAD: Three car-free ways of existence to choose from. By bus, by bike or by foot.By Jan Lundberg on 23 December 2010 for Culture Change - (http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/692/1)Image above: Stock photo of night traffic over a bridge.We have the winners for our Lifestyles #1, #2 and #3 depicted for our Three Car-Free Ways of Existence. Joining Greg Jalbert's successful entries

The Future of Government

SUBHEAD: We are trapped in a very complex civilization that is rapidly losing the sources of energy and numerous other raw materials that built and maintained it.Image above: The Titanic slipping under the icy Atlantic. From (http://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-495832.0.html).By Tom Whipple on 8 December 2010 in Falls Church News-Press - (http://www.fcnp.com/commentary/national/7980-

Should Americans Cut & Run?

SUBHEAD: Sharon Astyk answers Kollapsenik's case for abandoning America and moving on.By Sharon Astyk on 30 November 2010 for the Energy Bulletin - (http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2010-11-30/should-americans-cut-and-run)Image above: Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock on 11/13/1620. From (http://www.mayflowersteps.co.uk/mayflower_index.html).The following quote is from a post by Kollapsenik

Gross All Over

SUBHEAD: There's a lot to feel uncomfortable about. But, what will be there when we break on through to the other side?Image above: Mashup by Juan Wilson of Thanksgiving-Football hat ad and the plasma TV alter on Turkeyday.By James Kunstler on 22 November 2010 in Kunstler.com -(http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/11/gross-all-over.html)I was kind of relieved to be leaving the country again this week

Chance of Economic Chaos

SUBHEAD:Leaders in Washington DC have consistently chosen to delay climbing down the consumption mountain.Image above: "Fantasy Sailing" by Timmy Wang. From (http://media.photobucket.com/image/kauai%20economic%20chaos/timmytwang/FantasySailing.jpg).By Juan Wilson on 1 November 2010 -You may have noticed the increase in our blogs focus on the issue of economics. In time like these economics is a

Ragnarok - a post-collapse novel

SUBHEAD: Interview of Tony (“Tuna”) Cole, author of Ragnarok, A Plausible Future, 2009.Image above: Painting by Eckersberg (1817). Norse god Baldr lays dead in front of his father Odin, before the time of Ragnarok. From (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Baldr_dead_by_Eckersberg.jpg). By Jerry Erwin on 6 October 2010 for CultureChange.org -(http://www.culturechange.org/cms/content/view/