09-26-07 Class Work

Discuss the documentary, "The End of Suburbia"


1.What's the documentary's main claim

The documentary's main claim is that the trend of living in suburbia come to end.


2.What's the background of the problem?

The necessity of using energy is greatly increasing because of the industrial revolution, rapidly economic growth, improving living standard.


3.What reasons dose the film-maker provide in support of the claim? Which reasons do you find the most convincing? Which ones are not so convincing?

Although people living in suburbia inevitably need using a automobile to go to their office or shopping, the people will hardly use automobile because the oil deposit become scarce and oil price has skyrocketed.

The film predicts that the governments will not be able to maintain every highways that is necessary for people to live in suburbia to go to work and shopping.


4.What's evidence dose the film-maker provide in support of these reasons? Which evidence do you find the most convincing?


5.What counter-arguments dose the film-maker deal with?(You should be able to name at least 3).

One expert insists that people can substitute bio energy for the oil energy. Other expert, however, point out bio energy can not substitute because of shortage of land to grow up crops for bio energy and insist that we need more energy to grow up a lot of crops for bio energy.

One expert argues that people can substitute hydrogen for the oil energy. Other expert, however, point out the problem of hydrogen. First, hydrogen automobile put out a lot of water, so it becomes foggy in a city. Second hydrogen automobile is more dangerous than oil automobile. Third, hydrogen automobile is much expensive than oil automobile.

One expert said that amount of consumption of oil pass the peak, because amount of consumption of natural gas is substituted for oil. Other experts, however, said that in America, natural gas depend fifty percent more on Canada, so if the amount of consumption of natural gas increase in Canada, we could use natural gas.


6.What are some of the implications of the problem? In other words, what is the cost of inaction?


7.Dose the author discuss any solution to the problem?

The author suggests that people should change their lifestyle. One example is that instead of using automobile, people use public transportation such as a bus or subway. Other example is that people should make a small community which consists of all necessities to live such as school, mall, hospital, and workplace.