Down to the wire : confronting climate collapse / David - Index of

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24 politics and governance
global economic shifts, and climate change. All in all, U.S. energy
policy over the past 30 years has been a perfect failure, and since
we have had no foresight and precious little leadership, our good
options now are fewer than we would otherwise prefer.
The best course ahead, what Richard Heinberg calls “powerdown,”
requires a rapid shift to energy effi ciency, solar energy
and other forms of renewable energy, and unavoidable changes in
human behavior (Heinberg, 2004). Fuels made from biomass, tar
sands, or coal will not have the same energy return on investment
and will likely be considerably more expensive and environmentally
destructive. 13 With enough foresight, powerdown does not
have to be disastrous, but it does mark the end of a century-long
energy binge powered by cheap and readily available oil.
The fourth challenge is equally self-infl icted. We have entered
a new era in U.S. politics that will be characterized by what political
scientist Chalmers Johnson calls “blowback.” 14 The U.S. global
military presence is maintained by 737 military bases scattered
around the world plus an unknown number of secret detention
centers, training facilities, and surveillance sites ( Johnson, 2006,
p. 138). Total military spending, including costs for wars in Iraq
and Afghanistan, is estimated to be over $1 trillion annually, well
above the offi cial budget of $625 billion ( Johnson, 2008). Whatever
the real number, our exorbitant military expenditures buy us
little safety or security. To the contrary, they ensure economic ruin
at home and resentment abroad, raising the likelihood of future
attacks on the United States and American citizens. Our adventures
in the Middle East will likely trigger terrorist attacks here
and elsewhere that have the potential to cause domestic havoc
quite independent from that caused by climate-driven weather
events or the end of cheap oil. 15 Likely targets include cities, the
utility grid, and the Internet. For some defense offi cials, it is only a
matter of when, not whether, such things will occur. The American
military presence around the world is the result of many factors,
not the least of which is the necessity of maintaining our