Excerpts from the film End of Suburbia show that since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life, and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years, so too has the suburban way of life become embedded in the American consciousness. Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream.

But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The End of Suburbia explores the American way of life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, with global demand for fossil fuels beginning to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, say some scientists and policy makers in this documentary.

The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia?

Throughout the program, author and journalist Richard Heinberg -- whose recent book, The Party's Over: Energy Resources and the Fate of Industrial Societies, echoes similar themes -- discusses the film and the issues it raises.

LEARN MORE:
Visit The End of Suburbia's official site to learn more about the film.
Richard Heinberg's Books and Museletter
Life After the Oil Crash
U.S. Government's "Hirsch Report" (PDF)
Energy Bulletin
Post Carbon

View the Environment at Risk program page to learn more about the guests and films featured in this special.