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KunstlerCast #98: Big Slide - Acts 2, 3

On today's podcast, we present the conclusion of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the White House and local ...

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On today's podcast, we present the first act of "Big Slide," an original three-act play by James Howard Kunstler. Set in the autumn of an unspecified near-future year, at an Adirondack "great camp," this is the story of three generations of the Freeman family who have taken refuge from New York and Boston during a severe national political maelstrom. Though we are never fully apprised of the exact nature of this event, it appears that a coup d'etat has occurred in the White House and local ...

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James Howard Kunstler and Duncan Crary hit the open road to bring you these audio postcards from the NYS Thruway on their way to Rochester. To pass the time, they discuss the American experience of the road trip, the future of the small forlorn cities they pass along the way, the enterprise of downhill skiing, and how life in upstate New York has colored Kunstler's worldview as an author and commentator. Sponsor: Cultivatis, a full service land planning and consulting firm that integrates ...

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JHK and Duncan have returned from their road trip to Rochester and they have tons of stories to tell. In this mini preview episode, you'll here some excerpts from their travels on the highway, around the city and in the theater during a staged reading of JHK's play "Big Slide." The KunstlerCast will return in full next week. Note: This podcast contains some cursewords.

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James Howard Kunstler takes a moment to examine where we're at as a culture at the end of 2009. JHK shares his thought process leading up to his 2010 annual forecast. Topics include healthcare, economics and foreign affairs.

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James Howard Kunstler explains the story behind Disneyland, Disney World, and Walt Disney's legacy on the American built environment.

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James Howard Kunstler discusses the built environment on the American college campus and how modernist ideas about architecture are programming young people to become cynical. Kunstler talks about some of the ugliest campuses in the country, as well as some of the best. Even some of the best beaux arts Ivy league campuses have been thrashed by starchitecture, parking lots, and "diversity monomania." Sponsor: PostPeakLiving.com [Note to rebroadcasters: This show contains one curs ...

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In this in part two of this discussion, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In this half of the discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Great Plains, the Upper Midwest, the Mid Atlantic and New England. He also talks about issues with fresh water scarcity. Sponsor: www.postpeakliving.com

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In this in installment, James Howard Kunstler predicts how various regions of the United States will fare during the coming energy crisis that he anticipates. Kunstler refers to the coming crisis as "The Long Emergency." In the first part of this discussion, Kunstler discusses: the Southern States, the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest and the Rockies. A listener caller reacts to the Happy Motoring podcast and Duncan closes the show with the Esso Happy Motoring song.

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James Howard Kunstler believes that the Happy Motoring project is running out of time. Peak Oil and problems with alternative energy aren't the only issues facing future motorists. He thinks that car ownership will become less democratic in the future as cars become too expensive to buy without the current financing options. Kunstler dismisses Christopher Steiner's "$20 Per Gallon" book for assuming that an orderly procession of events will take us from $3 per gallon to $20. The conversatio ...

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James Howard Kunstler thinks that most modern buildings are not really architecture, they're just manufactured boxes. Whether it's suburban houses, or retail stores, the buildings of our everyday environment send the message that we don't care about ourselves or our surroundings. Kunstler tackles cartoon eateries, reflective glass office buildings, and otherwise good new urban buildings that lack proper ornamentation. We hear from a listener caller in Pittsburgh at the end of the show. Not ...

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James Howard Kunstler speaks about the role of generalists in a world of hyper specialists. Although hyper-specialists are experts in their narrow fields, their work is often disregardful of the larger picture. Traffic engineers, for example, can move huge numbers of cars extremely efficiently, using fine-tuned formulas for curve ratios and grades, but their final product often makes downtowns un-walkable for pedestrians. A sense of hyper-individualism in U.S. culture is another obstacle t ...

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James Howard Kunstler thinks Boston is one of the few healthy major cities left in the U.S. He says gentrification has been a good thing for the city. He is disappointed with the outcome of Boston's "big dig" project, though. When the city finally placed a major elevated expressway underground, Boston squandered a great opportunity to repair the street-and-block fabric that the highway had previously disrupted. Instead, so-called environmentalists succeeded in advocating for a half-assed, n ...

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James Howard Kunstler discusses two major projects that have recently turned 19th century railroad structures into parks: the High Line in lower Manhattan and the Walkway Over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The High Line is a unique park in New York City, built upon a former elevated rail line that used to bring trains through buildings. Although the High Line gives reprieve to New Yorkers, Kunstler finds it to be an accidental freak of urban nature. We would benefit more from the deliber ...

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Inspired by David Owen's book "Green Metropolis," James Howard Kunstler examines the idea of Manhattan as a "green" city. Kunstler believes that, during his lifetime, New York has never been in as good shape as it is now. But he also thinks it will never be in as good shape again. Financial and energy problems in the future may turn our newest skyscrapers into one-generation buildings, outlandish monuments built during the twilight of an empire. Of all the boroughs, Kunstler thinks Brooklyn ...

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James Howard Kunstler believes that urban design will be the next big philosophical battle for the hearts and minds of Americans. One of the most important tasks we will face is determining the size, scale and shape of the 21st Century city. Kunstler says current cities are not scaled to the energy realities of the future. We must downscale, reform and de-automobilze our cities. Urban thinkers and urban planners will serve as our guides throughout that process. In this episode, Kunstler ret ...

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Planetizen, an urban planning website and book publisher, recently conducted a poll about the Top 100 Urban Thinkers. Jane Jacobs, author of The Death and Life of Great American Cities, made #1 on the list. Kunstler explains the story and importance of Jacobs. He also recollects interviewing her in 2000. Although at the time Jacobs was writing a book about the coming energy crisis, Dark Age Ahead, Kunstler said she didn't seem interested in talking about "Long Emergency" issues during their ...

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In this week's episode, listener Frank Aragona of the Agroinnovations Podcast asks James Howard Kunstler to talk about the role of food in Jim's post-peak oil novel World Made By Hand. Although the characters in the novel must overcome many obstacles, the food that they eat is delicious in general and is a vast improvement to the current American diet. Aragona thinks that perhaps food is the triumphant element in the novel. Kunstler talks about how horrendous spectacl and the tragic results ...

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James Howard Kunstler shares his thoughts on Los Angeles, California after a recent visit to Tinseltown. The motoring infrastructure of Los Angeles stretches from horizon to horizon. It is a provisional civilization in which all is subordinate to the car. However, Kunstler believes Los Angeles is more urban than people assume. He was particularly surprised by the pleasant side streets of West Hollywood. But Kunstler wonders how well Los Angeles would fare after even a minor disruption to th ...

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Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary, is advocating for people to paint their rooftops white in order to save on energy and to cut down on global warming. James Howard Kunstler reacts to this idea and also addresses the topic of rooftop gardens, or "green" roofs. This week's podcast is sponsored by New Society Publishers http://newsociety.com

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