I recently read a most inspiring article: Japan's sustainable society in the Edo period (1603-1867).

I have a tendency to polarity in my thinking on our path - either full-on consumer driven civilization or Chris Kavanaugh's Stonehenge/Whales/Alpha Centauri laid back 'goof off'. However, the above essay describes a large relatively modern society of 30 million people on a small island group living a sustainable manner for over 250 years. Granted this system was very hierarchical and backed by the Samurai's strictly enforced cultural standards - but what else is new - how is that different from today or any other example of social organization in human history?

So despite our considerable pride in our so-called accomplishments, and since we are running on borrowed time, I find it reassuring to see that there is a successful model of a large scale human society that was able to run self sufficiently for a quarter of a millennium.

If anyone feels ambitious and wishes to begin such a sustainable society, I would like to put my name in for Tinker in charge of Swiss Army Knife refurbishment...

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(For those interested in reading more (though imho, the essay linked above provides the best summary of the ideas), there is a translation of the book upon which it was based, "The Edo Period had an Ecological Society? by Eisuke Ishikawa, hosted by the Japan for Sustainability website. Here are the direct links to Chapters 1-8 & Chapters 9-13.)

(...and one further recommendation: The best book I have read which summarizes the "end of oil" idea, but in the context of human history, and with suggested directions for the future is "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" by Thom Hartmann (check out some of the 69 Amazon reviews to get a taste of this remarkable book - and now also available in a 2004 revised edition.)