Accelerating into the Dark II: The Crisis of Civilization

A particularly apt introduction to the notion of civilization accelerating into the darkness can be found in this recent film version of Nafeez Mosaddeq Ahmed's (2010) A User's Guide to the Crisis of Civilization.  Ahmed's book is one the most succinct and well-researched introductions to the multiple and converging crises confronting civilization and life on earth that I have read in the last year.  This 1hr 17min film version is a useful condensed version of his analysis and argument, which encompasses climate catastrophe, energy scarcity, food insecurity, economic instability, international terrorism and the militarization tendency.  Another excellent documentary, dealing with most of the same issues, is Tim Bennett's (2007) What a Way To Go: Life at the End of Empire.  Bennett's documentary can be located here and a version of the accelerating into the unknown image can be found running throughout this, in this case it is a high speed train on which we awaken.  A realism that is grim and an ecology that is black awaits.