[youtube=425,350]J2y9BbNjLAY

 

SYNOPSIS

 

Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, The END of SUBURBIA explored the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet enters the age of Peak Oil.

 

In ESCAPE From SUBURBIA director Greg Greene once again takes us “through the looking glass” on a journey of discovery – a sobering yet vital and ultimately positive exploration of what the second half of the Oil Age has in store for us.

 

Through personal stories and interviews we examine how declining world oil production has already begun to affect modern life in North America. Expert scientific opinion is balanced with “on the street” portraits from an emerging global movement of citizen’s groups who are confronting the challenges of Peak Oil in extraordinary ways.

 

The clock is ticking. ESCAPE From SUBURBIA asks the tough questions: Are we approaching Peak Oil now? What are the controversies surrounding our future energy options? Why are a growing number of specialists and citizens skeptical of these options? What are ordinary people across North America doing in their own communities to prepare for Peak Oil? And what will YOU do as energy prices skyrocket and the Oil Age draws to a close?

 

http://www.escapefromsuburbia.com/

 

awesome

I was disappointed to see that this was not available on Netflix yet, though "End of Suburbia" is.

 

Netflix has been underwriting independent documentaries with their "Red Envelope" label. So far, they've presented "This Film is Not Yet Rated," a troubling expose of the MPAA rating board, and a decent documentary about the American credit debt problem called "Maxed Out."

 

Both are worth checking out, though I had higher expectations for "Maxed Out." Props go to "Maxed" for an opening scene offering a terrifying look at the Starter Castle real estate market. Houses with laundry rooms upstairs and downstairs, kitchens with two dishwashers, etc, all construction financed solely against expected future value.

 

Why does that financing sound familiar? Oh yeah: ENRON.

 

 

Americans are generally ridiculously financially illiterate. They look at those two dishwashers and laundry rooms as an "investment" as a way to justify it when its not a wise investment. Credit cards inherently have high interest rates.

 

If you're buying a home at 6.5 percent interest, putting any excess money into a mutual fund to earn 10% will make you better off in the long run. :) I could see adding a bathroom or bedroom to make the place easier to sell but debt is a tricky beast and people just don't know when debt is your friend and when its your enemy.

 

 

If you're buying a home at 6.5 percent interest, putting any excess money into a mutual fund to earn 10% will make you better off in the long run. :)

 

Make sure it's a low-load index fund or ETF to minimize fees!