I light up whenever I come across a new article by Dr. Michael T. Klare, a professor at Hampshire College and the author, most recently, of The Race for What’s Left. (A documentary movie version of his book Blood and Oil is available from the Media Education Foundation.)

Top environmentalist Bill McKibben writes: “As Michael Klare makes clear in this powerful book, the heads of our corporate empires have decided to rip apart the planet in one last burst of profiteering. If you want to understand the next decade, I fear you better read this book.”

I would describe Dr. Klare as a brighter and more articulate Craig Shields, insofar as we agree on literally everything associated with natural resource consumption and sustainability—and, where he’s a college professor, I’m not.

In his article Hooked! The Unyielding Grip of Fossil Fuels on Global Life, he makes and supports the claim that we seem to be powerless to beat the addiction to fossil fuels, and that untold misery for humankind is the only possible consequence of our failure.

I would only add that the “heroin dealers” in this case are far wealthier and more powerful than the literal drug lords of our day; here they’re the oil companies.  Historically they’ve been extremely effective at preventing their customers from kicking the habit, and they appear to be redoubling their efforts.

A good read, to be sure.