Review by Scott M. Kruse
Rating:
We are in Peak Everything – the Era of Declines. This is not severely cynical or negative, but a matter-of-fact treatment and comparison of current society with the Romans, Aztecs, Anasazi and other cultures. In particular, we have “burned through” 120 years of ancient sunlight (oil & coal) with little regard for consequences or limits. The video is from the perspective of archaeologists in the year 2210. The archeaologists are looking backward to 2010 and making assumptions about our decision-making processes and the information upon which we made our decisions. Of note is the extraordinary effort and resources we invest in vehicles and transportation.

In each case, the Romans, the City of Phoenix and Aztecs, each culture overshot carrying capacity, resources and water. Politics and short-term decisions trumped long-term sustainability. War and territorial expansion took priority over food, sustainable living and health. As a species we are genetically equipped to deal with short-term crises, but unable to plan ahead for long-term needs and limits. What is remarkable is that each culture has left a footprint of its short-term thinking in denial of climate change, food and water limits, transportation constraints and other factors.

This is good Jared Diamond. As a geographer he further “polished” his perspective in “Germs, Guns and Steel,” but “Collapse” stands on its own. It is not frightening, but sobering. Will we pay attention? Not without limits on human population that keep our numbers below 7 billion, and preferably less than a sustainable 3.5 billion.