Environmentalists often predict an Apocalypse is coming. The earth will heat up like a greenhouse. We will run out of energy. Overpopulation will lead to starvation and war. Nuclear winter will kill all plants and animals. During the past fifty to one hundred years, there have been many such prophecies of doom, such as the Club of Rome report predicting the world economy would "crash" about the year 2020. These do not come as complete surprises without any warnings. Sometimes governments simply ignore the threats, but other times they make plans to prevent them. This provocative book begins by asking whether planning is different for dangers that are truly apocalyptic - ones that could end life on the planet or at least modern economic prosperity. Focussing on planning in the U.S., it goes on to ask why the government ignores so many problems like the greenhouse effect or an oil shortage or nuclear war, problems that have been forecast many times. And on those occasions when plans are made, why do they so often go astray?