March 27, 2005: Open Lines | The Coming Gas Crisis

Art Bell opens the program by reading a lengthy Rolling Stone article by James Howard Kunstler titled "The Long Emergency," which outlines the looming global oil production peak and its potentially devastating consequences for modern civilization. The article argues that no combination of alternative fuels, including hydrogen, solar, wind, or biomass, can adequately replace cheap fossil fuels at the scale required to maintain current lifestyles.

Art poses five provocative questions to callers: whether they believe the oil crisis is real, whether Americans can handle this level of reality, at what pump price their lifestyle becomes unsustainable, whether they would steal or kill to feed their families, and whether they support going to war for energy supplies. Callers respond with striking honesty, with answers ranging from deep skepticism about the crisis to frank admissions about potential violence.

An organic farmer from Southern California warns that petroleum-based agriculture means food security is directly tied to oil prices. She notes that only two coastal farms remain in San Diego County, and rising transportation costs will eventually cut communities off from distant food sources.