There is a sobering article in the May 2009 addition of Scientific American
"Could Food Shortages Bring Down Civilization? by Lester R. Brown. In this
article are listed 20 failed or near failed states where there is total
breakdown of governance, a Hobbsian nightmare where the only right in force
is the right of might. Problems of overpopulation and environmental
destruction are the causative factors. The author makes the point that not only
should we not be building more coal plants, but we should be rapidly shutting
down existing coal plants. Can anyone see this happening in our global
corporatist world?