If we don’t live in suburbia, how can we live? Well, the Venetians do rather well, but there is no reason why newer cities cannot work too.

I have long been fascinated by how much money and effort we devote to projects like the development of a new car or a new aircraft or a new missile, yet how little attention we give to the best way to live on a day to day basis. In saying that, I’m not trying to denigrate the value of cars, or aircraft or missiles (you never know when you might need one) but merely to suggest that a certain adjustment in priorities might be in order.

“Balance is everything,” as the bishop said to the tightrope walking actress - under circumstances I am too discreet to comment on further.

I’m prompted to write about all this not only because James Howard Kunstler, author of ‘The Long Emergency,’ thinks that suburbia is doomed, but also because I have lived in a variety of locations where a car was not essential and can confirm that life without a car on a daily basis is entirely possible without the world coming to an end. And, no, I did not suffer. I’m not a masochist. I merely walked (from café to café), took a bus, tram subway or train and typically shared a car with friends when I had to make a longer trip.

The correct balance, at least in my experience, is where a car is not essential for one’s routine activities, like commuting, but where one has access to one for longer trips or something out of the ordinary. Cars are great when necessary, and better yet when there is a trunk to put the mother-in-law in.

Such a compromise, if widely adopted, would have a dramatic impact on both energy usage, and on the gridlock which is currently choking our cities, and our highways, to the great detriment of our health, our children’s health, our general quality of life and our finances.

But, whatever about my personal experiences, the really good news is that there are whole chunks of the world where a relatively balanced existence is being lived right now – so you can go and see for yourself without driving (just take a train through the cities of Europe) – and the even better news is that some extraordinary work is being done by some brilliant people to show that high density living of superior quality – whether in a village, town or city - is eminently possible without the routine use of an automobile; and yet you will still have access to green space, lakes, a reasonable selection of flora and fauna, together with the creatures that roam suburbia these days (my son encountered a bear when he was cycling to school a couple of years back; but what can I say – this is Virginia).

Some of the most remarkable ideas on new city design are contained within a memorable work by J. Crawford called ‘Carfree Cities.’ In it, he not only gives numerous examples of existing pedestrian orientated cities but he also includes detailed work on a new scaleable design for a city which is built around a metro route but where no location is any further than 35 minutes away. In addition, only 20% of the urban are is planned to be built on so green space is everywhere. And to top it all, the book is a work or art in itself.

It’s a remarkable production. Go see it - and order it - at www.carfree.com and feel inspired. There is hope for mankind as long as people like Mr. Crawford are around. And no, I have never met him.

PEOPLE: Truth-teller James Howard Kunstler – Author of ‘The Long Emergency.’ Read it, (panic), then act! It’s not fiction.

Current polls state that not only two thirds of American dissatisfied with the way President George W. Bush is doing his job, but no less than three quarters believe this nation is heading in the wrong direction.

What makes these findings all the more compelling is that, on the face of it, we are in the middle of an economic boom. Growth is heading towards 5%, unemployment, at 4.7%, is low, consumer spending remains high and business profits in most sectors are excellent. Yet 75% of Americans have a queasy feeling in their stomachs. Last night’s Big Mac? Probably not (though don’t underestimate the lethality of Fast Food).

Kunstler, a thoroughly entertaining writer, won’t ease your anxiety, but he will intrigue you as he builds a convincing case that we really are running out of both oil and natural gas, that the touted alternatives from hydrogen to ethanol are not going to provide an adequate alternative, and that the present car based, 11 trips per house per day, American Way of Life is unsustainable.

In particular, he slams suburbia and all its related ills – everything from the lack of public transport and sidewalks to strip malls to the prevalence of fast food outlets (which are, themselves, only sustainable through the availability of the cheap oil which underpins factory farms). He points out that the current pattern of suburban living is only possible if you have a car and cheap fuel – and that just won’t be the case in the future. He also points out something that is really irrelevant to his energy thesis: much of American suburbia is just plain ugly, particularly when compared with the cities, towns and villages which can be seen in Europe.

Kunstler is not all doom and gloom, but he does foresee a long a painful period – hence the title of his book, ‘The Long Emergency’ – while we evolve towards a less energy intensive way of life. He points out that we are going to have to do this anyway or the consequences of Global Warming, and other environmental damage, are going to be catastrophic. Hurricane Katrina was merely an early warning.

Vice President Cheney recently remarked that the American Way of Life was sacrosanct (or words to that effect). Implicit in his remarks is the opinion that Americans don’t want to change – and will not change. Well, Cheney has been wrong before, and, I believe is wrong again. And he is also not doing the job which he was elected to do – which is to inform Americans fully and truthfully about the issues, and then to provide effective leadership so that realistic solutions can be found.

I believe that Kunstler is entirely right in his prognosis though I don’t agree entirely with his conclusions. However, late in the energy day though it is, I do believe that Americans will welcome a comprehensive energy policy, even if aspects of it are initially unpalatable, because anyone, who does not have sawdust between his ears, knows that something has to be done.

But, just like Vice President Cheney, I have been wrong before.

By the way, Kunstler, who can be very amusing, suggests that one reason the Bush Administration seems to be so little concerned about the Energy Crisis – except politically - is because so many of its key members believe the end of the world is coming so they will be saved by the Rapture; which I guess they will drive to in their SUVs.