--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Peak oil is already upon us. It is…" description: "\"Peak oil is already upon us. It is destroying our banking system, that is, our system for marshalling capital, and that is about to put us out of busin..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/james-howard-kunstler-2886_banking_peak-oil-is-already-upon-us-it-is-destro_833491.png" --- # Peak oil is already upon us. It is destroying our banking… ![“Peak oil is already upon us. It is destroying our banking system, that is, our system for marshalling capital, and that is about to put us out of business-as-usual. So, we have to carry on with business-not-so-usual. This could mean anything from your children finding careers in farming (rather…” quote by James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/james-howard-kunstler-2886_banking_peak-oil-is-already-upon-us-it-is-destro_833491.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/james-howard-kunstler-2886_banking_peak-oil-is-already-upon-us-it-is-destro_833491.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/534/james-howard-kunstler-2886_banking_peak-oil-is-already-upon-us-it-is-destro_833491.png) > “Peak oil is already upon us. It is destroying our banking system, that is, our system for marshalling capital, and that is about to put us out of business-as-usual. So, we have to carry on with business-not-so-usual. This could mean anything from your children finding careers in farming (rather than show biz or plastic surgery) to reorganizing households differently to traveling from New York to Boston by boat.” [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The impending scarcity of cheap oil will disrupt finance and force society to adopt unconventional, localized lifestyles. **In simple terms:** Oil scarcity will upend finance and daily life. Key Takeaway Adapt to local, sustainable practices. Themes energy economics societal change sustainability resilience Mood concerned urgent reflective Type warning analytical When to use this quote - career planning - family budgeting - community building - alternative transport - urban farming Key Concepts resource depletion systemic risk localization Questions to Reflect On - How will you reduce dependence on distant markets? - What local skills can you develop now? A Different Perspective Transition may be uneven and cause short‑term hardship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Banking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banking/) [Banking system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banking-system/) [Boston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boston/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Climate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climate/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Farming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/farming/) [New york](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-york/) [Peak oil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peak-oil/) [Plastic surgery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plastic-surgery/) [Show biz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/show-biz/) [Surgery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surgery/) ## Related quotes > [“Time is the greatest capital for any business”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/time-is-the-greatest-capital-for-any-business/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Of course, the toxic bullshit of incessant advertising and show biz for nearly a century has stripped us of cognitive abilities for dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/of-course-the-toxic-bullshit-of-incessant-advertising-and-show-biz/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [In any other job, they're truck drivers. In show-biz, they're Transportation Captains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-carey/in-any-other-job-they-re-truck-drivers-in-show-biz-they-re/) [Drew Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-carey/) > [I try to please people, to give them a good time, but I refuse to make my act conform to traditional show-biz standards of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-kaufman/i-try-to-please-people-to-give-them-a-good-time-but-i-refuse-to-make/) [Andy Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-kaufman/) > [If we admit it or not, skiing is a little bit of show biz.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willy-bogner-jr/if-we-admit-it-or-not-skiing-is-a-little-bit-of-show-biz/) [Willy Bogner, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willy-bogner-jr/) > [I try to impart this when people say they want to be a writer and they want to go into show biz. I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wilmore/i-try-to-impart-this-when-people-say-they-want-to-be-a-writer-and/) [Larry Wilmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wilmore/) > [I have one show biz picture in my house. It's with Mr. Hope. I have asked for one autograph in my life: Mr. Hope's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cho/i-have-one-show-biz-picture-in-my-house-it-s-with-mr-hope-i-have/) [Henry Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cho/) > [I got to wear pancake makeup because you know I'm a show biz professional and they all wear pancake makeup. I got to drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/levi-johnston/i-got-to-wear-pancake-makeup-because-you-know-i-m-a-show-biz/) Levi Johnston > [I just wanted to be in show biz. I wanted to make music and sing and dance, tell jokes and stories, make ya smile,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee-roth/i-just-wanted-to-be-in-show-biz-i-wanted-to-make-music-and-sing-and/) [David Lee Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee-roth/) > [I grew up in a show biz family and, if you wanted to talk at the dinner table, you'd better be prepared to talk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-orloff/i-grew-up-in-a-show-biz-family-and-if-you-wanted-to-talk-at-the/) John Orloff > [My father when walked into a room, you could tell that everybody loved him. They really did. He was quite a man. My mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-rickles/my-father-when-walked-into-a-room-you-could-tell-that-everybody-loved/) [Don Rickles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-rickles/) > [We're gonna have to sweeten some of these jokes for the CD. You know what sweeten means, right? Sweeten is a show-biz term for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/we-re-gonna-have-to-sweeten-some-of-these-jokes-for-the-cd-you-know/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [Occasionally I play the music for my mother when she demands to hear it and she always just says, 'Who is that singing? I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-greenwood/occasionally-i-play-the-music-for-my-mother-when-she-demands-to-hear/) [Colin Greenwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-greenwood/) > [You might be a redneck if your sophisticated show-biz cousin is a rodeo clown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-foxworthy/you-might-be-a-redneck-if-your-sophisticated-show-biz-cousin-is-a/) [Jeff Foxworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-foxworthy/) > [I'm not a peak oil person. I'm not a biohazard apocalyptic kind of freak. I don't have a supply of weapons or gold bars…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-hecker/i-m-not-a-peak-oil-person-i-m-not-a-biohazard-apocalyptic-kind-of/) [Tim Hecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-hecker/) ## More by James Howard Kunstler > [ The ideas of \[ Le Corbusier \] that actually found their way into practice were deeply destructive - for instance, the tower-in-a-park, which mutated… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-ideas-of-le-corbusier-that-actually-found-their-way-into-practice/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [ “On my way out of \[Atlantic City\] at quarter after seven in the morning, a young pump jockey at the gas station \[...\] mentioned… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/on-my-way-out-of-atlantic-city-at-quarter-after-seven-in-the-morning/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Ahead now, I think you'll see the big nations shrink back into their own corners of the world. I'm not saying we'll see no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/ahead-now-i-think-you-ll-see-the-big-nations-shrink-back-into-their/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [The task we face is reorganizing the systems we depend on for daily life in a way that is consistent with the realities coming…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-task-we-face-is-reorganizing-the-systems-we-depend-on-for-daily/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [White America is tortured by black America's failure to thrive, and all that guilt and anxiety has only gotten worse as a substantial quota…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/white-america-is-tortured-by-black-america-s-failure-to-thrive-and/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [What we face is a comprehensive contraction of our activities, due to declining fossil fuel resources and other growing scarcities. Our failure is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/what-we-face-is-a-comprehensive-contraction-of-our-activities-due-to/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [We're living in a culture that doesn't believe in decorating buildings, or proportioning them properly. And they don't know how to do it anymore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/we-re-living-in-a-culture-that-doesn-t-believe-in-decorating/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Because I believe a lot of people share my feelings about the tragic landscape of highway strips, parking lots, housing tracts, mega-malls, junked cities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/because-i-believe-a-lot-of-people-share-my-feelings-about-the-tragic/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [No amount or combination of alternative fuels is going to allow us to continue running what we're running, the way we're running it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/no-amount-or-combination-of-alternative-fuels-is-going-to-allow-us-to/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Everything we do these days - our lust for ever more comfort, pleasure, and distraction, our refusal to engage with the mandates of reality,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/everything-we-do-these-days-our-lust-for-ever-more-comfort-pleasure/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [There's a lot of wishful thinking that somehow we'll replace fossil fuels with alternative energy sources, but they remain far from reality. We're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/there-s-a-lot-of-wishful-thinking-that-somehow-we-ll-replace-fossil/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [Our twenty-first century economy may focus on agriculture, not information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/our-twenty-first-century-economy-may-focus-on-agriculture-not/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [I think that Obama's failure to reestablish the rule of law in money matters is the most damaging thing that he's done - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-think-that-obama-s-failure-to-reestablish-the-rule-of-law-in-money/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [I'm not against Kyoto. I just think it's a fantasy, especially considering China's energy predicament and their coal supplies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/i-m-not-against-kyoto-i-just-think-it-s-a-fantasy-especially/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) > [The American house has been TV-centered for three generations. It is the focus of family life, and the life of the house correspondingly turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-howard-kunstler/the-american-house-has-been-tv-centered-for-three-generations-it-is/) [James Howard Kunstler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) [Explore all 146 James Howard Kunstler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-howard-kunstler/) ## More Banking quotes > [If I could wave a magic wand, I'd break up the banking system.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-c-griffin/if-i-could-wave-a-magic-wand-i-d-break-up-the-banking-system/) [Kenneth C. Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-c-griffin/) > [Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/historically-usury-was-defined-as-any-interest-whatever-on-an/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I am alive. Up here with the song of the engine and the air whispering on my face as the sunlight and shadows play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-coonts/i-am-alive-up-here-with-the-song-of-the-engine-and-the-air-whispering/) [Stephen Coonts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-coonts/) > [It's not that I have any general aversion to technology but online banking just seems to be asking for trouble. You can have enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-essex/it-s-not-that-i-have-any-general-aversion-to-technology-but-online/) [David Essex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-essex/) > [When a government is dependent upon bankers for money, they and not the leaders of the government control the situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-bonaparte/when-a-government-is-dependent-upon-bankers-for-money-they-and-not/) [Napoleon Bonaparte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-bonaparte/) > [“Suckers think that you cure greed with money, addiction with substances, expert problems with experts, banking with bankers, economics with economists, and debt crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/suckers-think-that-you-cure-greed-with-money-addiction-with/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [My father was in real estate, banking, and land management. As family life, it was very conventional, happy, and comfortable. We weren't wealthy, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-child/my-father-was-in-real-estate-banking-and-land-management-as-family/) [Julia Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-child/) > [I only know one thing: Everything I learned about the banking business, I learned in the banking towers of the Societe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-kerviel/i-only-know-one-thing-everything-i-learned-about-the-banking-business/) [Jerome Kerviel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-kerviel/) > [I have nothing against investment banking, but it's like massaging money rather than creating money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michio-kaku/i-have-nothing-against-investment-banking-but-it-s-like-massaging/) [Michio Kaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michio-kaku/) > [If you've taken Econ 101, you know that the quantity of money rises only when the banking system makes a net loan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-fisher/if-you-ve-taken-econ-101-you-know-that-the-quantity-of-money-rises/) [Kenneth Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-fisher/) > [I want the best people, not just on the banking side but on innovation and technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-patricia-botin/i-want-the-best-people-not-just-on-the-banking-side-but-on-innovation/) [Ana Patricia Botin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-patricia-botin/) > [“Intellectually and compassionately explaining the reason freedom works is required for credibility.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/intellectually-and-compassionately-explaining-the-reason-freedom/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [With post offices and postal workers already on the ground, USPS could partner with banks to make a critical difference for millions of Americans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-warren/with-post-offices-and-postal-workers-already-on-the-ground-usps-could/) [Elizabeth Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-warren/) > [A banking system is an act of faith: it survives only for as long as people believe it will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lewis/a-banking-system-is-an-act-of-faith-it-survives-only-for-as-long-as/) [Michael Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lewis/) > [For my own part, I did not see and did not appreciate what the risks were with securitization, the credit ratings agencies, the shadow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-yellen/for-my-own-part-i-did-not-see-and-did-not-appreciate-what-the-risks/) [Janet Yellen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-yellen/) [Browse all 571 Banking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/banking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Peak oil is already upon us. 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