http://jameshowardkunstler.typepad.com/clusterfuck_nation/2006/04/desperation.html#comments

The more I follow the news on this issue and several others the more I see a convergence of several enormous problems--all of which have been successively put off by generations of citizens, policymakers, and governments.

1. The ongoing energy crisis. Everyone agrees it will happen, really more an arguement over how bad it will be and when.
2. The possible effects of global warming. Again, consensus about GW--only arguments are when, who/what caused it, and how bad.
3. US Federal debt and budget deficits. This one is easy-Americans caused it, but the world will suffer. When the US can't pull any more credit for itself out of thin air (unless the US forgives its own foreign debt-haha) this will negatively effect anyone and anything who uses/owns dollars.

These three problems have several things in common; they have massive scale, they're well-known, they're poorly understood, and everyone has used procrastination as the preferred modus operandi.

So, the real problem is not just a world-wide energy crisis--it's the convergence of three global problems in the areas of energy, climate, and finance. One of these problems by itself is a handful, but three is simply unworkable.

That's why I'm worried.