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The End of Suburbia comes to Los
Angeles
The beauty of the Pasadena urban farm gave little
forewarning of the serious nature of the documentary the guests were about
to see. The title of the documentary, "The
End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream"
gives you a good idea of the alarming nature of the subject. The researchers
and scientists interviewed discuss how we are now facing what would could
be described as the greatest challenge to humanity, and will likely be
the greatest catastrophe facing the human species. It is made clear in
this documentary that the peak in oil production is a reality, the effect
of which we are feeling already with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
This is our leaders response to the imminent peak in oil production and
the oil shortage that will follow.
 On
Sunday, May 9th, at 6:30 PM, 56 people gathered at Path
to Freedom, an urban farm and resource center, to view the documentary.
It was a pleasant surroundings with edible flowers, herbs growing in the
front yard and vegtable filling most of the backyard. The tables were
lit with cancles and the ground covered with straw as the guests enjoyed
the potluck dinner and socialized. The Path to Freedom founder, Jules
Dervaes, and four of his children were very friendly and pleasant and
more than willing to answer questions about Path to Freedom, urban farming,
bio-diesel and solar panels.
Below are some responses from people who attended
the documentary screening.
 This
information is quite shocking. I think many people who thought they
had sufficient knowledge concerning the energy crisis will be left
in rethinking mode. - Jim, Los Angeles
The film
was quite frightening and I am sure many will say these scientists are
just alarmists -- but it's so true that petrol and our American way
of life cannot and will not last forever, especially since we are so
oil dependent and energy hungry. Over the ages other great empires fell;
but this time there will be greater, far-reaching consequence because
of globalization. - Anais, Pasadena
 End
of Surburbia is a perfect tool for introducing people to peak oil. Just
enough humor to sugarcoat the bitter pill. Image and sound convey forcefully
what can otherwise be a somewhat abstract issue, often couched in lots
of confusing numbers and charts and theories. It felt good to have the
documentary screened at a place like pathtofreedom, where people can
see a practical alternative all around them as they're digesting the
rather bleak message. At least people can get a glimpse of what they
can do to minimize the impact of oil depletion in the scope of their
own lives. Once you start to look deeply into the peak oil picture,
it gets very depressing very quickly. And a lot of pessimists and misanthropes
are attracted to it, adding to the vibe of hopelessness--which is, of
course, paralyzing in itself. I think as Peak Oil kicks in it will be
a kind of "dark night of the collective soul." We need to be able to
look deeply into the worst possible outcomes (resource wars, "dieoff"
etc.) and yet fashion a creative and human way through it all. - Jason,
Van Nuys
Thanks
for having us over last night and sharing. We enjoyed ourselves though
the subject matter of the film was a little frightening (and heartening
as well, since without cheap energy this culture will have to give up
its wasteful ways). Anyway its good to see people like you making a
difference. " - Suzy
If you missed this screening, you have another chance
to see it on Friday, May 14th (information below), or subscribe to the
Los Angeles Peak Oil Action Newsletter by sending an email to subscribe@peakoilaction.org.
The documentary may also be purchased from www.endofsuburbia.com.
If you are interested in hosting a screening and
would like help with planning, promoting or hosting, contact eric@peakoilaction.org.
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