A very important book that changed my life and my thinking is “The Crash Course, The Unsustainable Future of Our Economy, Energy, and Environment” by Chris Martenson, PhD.  The author explains how the 3 Es (Economy, Energy, and Environment) are tightly woven together, and how there are some very hard times ahead of us. Our whole economic system is not in line with reality and will become increasingly unstable and may possibly collapse. Our global economy is dependent on inexpensive supplies of energy, especially oil, which is running out. Our economic system is based on the myth that the Earth has unlimited natural resources. The author explains “Our economy must grow to support a money system that requires growth, but is challenged by an energy system that can’t grow, and both of these are linked to a natural world that is rapidly being depleted.” He says our challenge is to carefully manage the resources we have left. He states there is not much time remaining to educate ourselves, plan, and take action. We need to align our individual actions with the truth of the situation. He advocates that we develop personal “resilience” by reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, and begin using alternate energy such as solar power. He recommends buying food that is locally grown, and investing in our local communities.  We can grow more of our own food, become more self-sufficient, and learn more survival skills. He advocates emergency readiness including having supplies of food and water on hand. He also warns against putting our money into “paper investments” such as stocks & bonds. He states that the overall goal is “is to create a world worth inheriting.”

You can watch a one hour summary of this book at  http://www.peakprosperity.com/crashcourse/accelerated