The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream (2004)

The modern suburbs have ultimately become an unsustainable way of living. They were originally developed in an era of cheap oil, when the automobile became the center of the way people ... See full summary »

Director:

Gregory Greene

Writer:

Gregory Greene

Stars:

Barrie Zwicker, James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview:
Barrie Zwicker	...	Self - Host
James Howard Kunstler	...	Self
Peter Calthorpe	...	Self
Michael Klare	...	Self
Richard Heinberg	...	Self
Matthew Simmons	...	Self
Michael Ruppert	...	Self (as Michael C. Ruppert)
Julian Darley	...	Self
Colin Campbell	...	Self
Steve Andrews	...	Self
Ali Samsam Bakhtiari	...	Self
Kenneth Deffeyes	...	Self

Storyline

The modern suburbs have ultimately become an unsustainable way of living. They were originally developed in an era of cheap oil, when the automobile became the center of the way people lived and an era when people wanted to escape the inner city to a more pastoral or rural way of life. However the suburbs quickly evolved into a merely a place to live that had neither the benefits of rural or urban life, and where one was reliant on an automobile both to travel elsewhere and even travel within the neighborhood. The suburbs are not only dependent upon cheap energy, but also reliable energy. The reliability of energy is becoming less so as demonstrated by the multi-day blackout of the North American Eastern Seaboard starting on August 14, 2003. Part of the problem of getting out of the suburban mentality is that a generation has grown up believing it to be a normal way of life, and a life of entitlement, which they will not give up without a fight. But many developers and planners and ...

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Plot Keywords:

suburb | energy | oil | automobile | fuel | 

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Taglines:

We're literally stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV without a fill-up

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Genres:

Documentary | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

The producer/editor makes a cameo appearance. He can be seen eating a watermelon in the 8mm home movie footage.

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Quotes

James Howard Kunstler: Now we're stuck up a cul-de-sac in a cement SUV with an empty gas tank.

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Connections

Followed by The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (2006)

User Reviews

the truth in a not so bitter pill

I have the good common logical sense to know that oil cannot last forever and I am acutely aware of how much of my life in the suburbs revolves around petrochemical products. I've been an avid consumer of new technology and I keep running out of space on powerboards - so I know that even the energy crunch associated with Peak Oil will change my life appreciably.

The End Of Suburbia shows, in a rational and entertaining manner, just how much my whole family's lifestyle will have to change in my lifetime. I am particularly concerned for the future generations who will have to pick up the tab for our excesses, however the film-makers do offer a glimmer of hope in that they acknowledge human resourcefulness and determination - and the sense of community that tends to be engendered by shared hardship.

There is no point in trying to pretend that Peak Oil is baseless propaganda - or in treating it like the approaching radioactive cloud in "On The Beach" (i.e. with suicide pills at the ready). Even with our best efforts, times will get harder all over, and I'm hoping there's enough compassion and humanity to go around.

Details

Official Sites:

Electric Wallpaper Company [Canada] Official site

Country:

Canada USA France

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 May 2004 (Canada)

Also Known As:

The End of Suburbia

Filming Locations:

Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Electric Wallpaper Co.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Color:

Color