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Table of Contents: Special Events Systems
Thinking and Sustainability
Plan
AheadGeothermal Heating and Cooling The Critical Role that Locally-owned Businesses Can Play in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Oil Dependence The VPON Calendar Under the Golden Dome: Tools: Tracking
Legislation in Vermont
Quote
of
the Month: Contact Vermont State Legislators Live Audio Streaming of VT Legislative Proceedings Tracking National Legislation Editorial: Guest Editorial: VPON Community Pages Articles Culture and Community Rising
oil prices seen as 'peak'
opportunity [an article on Richard Heinberg's Montpelier talk]
EconomyPost Peak Careers Heinberg
speaks with Vermont Business,
Finance, Education and Energy leaders
EnergyTime to Invest in Vermont Fatih Birol interview: 'Leave oil before it
leaves us'
EnvironmentGoing Forward: Energizing Tasks for Town Energy Committees Ways to Save Food Health Rising energy costs and the future of hospital work
TransportationEnergy Bulletin health-related articles Peak Oil Medicine Website As the Crow Flies: Reports from Around the State Everyday Heroes Award... Action! Vermont
Peak Oil Political Action Group
Resources
- Click here
to get there!VECAN Activist Toolkit, and Town Energy/Climate Action Guide Support the Oil Depletion Protocol Idle-Free Vermont Campaign Idle-Not Flyers for Idling Cars Organize a Peak Oil Book Display Write a Letter to the Editor of Your Local Paper Write a Letter to a Representative New this Month on
our VT Resources
page...
Fair
Use NoticeNewsletters and other Resources Energy Bulletin - a fabulous resource on peak energy in the news Special Events Systems Thinking and Sustainability (Burlington) May 7th, 7 PM AT THE FLETCHER FREE LIBRARY. with Lance Polya, Ph.D. How can we make the systems that we work and live in more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable? Sustainable solutions to the pressing challenges of today depend upon our ability to synthesize information from a myriad of sources and perspectives. Systems Thinking is a tool that helps you gain a deeper insight into how complex systems behave, by enabling you to see "the big picture” from all the information that comes your way. In this nontechnical talk, with active audience participation, Dr. Polya will connect the relevance of systems thinking to creating - and living in - a sustainable world. Lance Polya has been teaching Systems Thinking to organizations and educational institutions for twenty years. He currently teaches courses in Systems Thinking and Sustainability at the University of Vermont and Burlington College. He earned a Ph.D. in Systems Science from the State University of New York. Dr. Polya was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to develop and teach Systems Thinking to non-technical students. The Burlington Sustainable Living Network (BSLN) sponsors this presentation. BSLN is an educational project that presents films, speakers and discussions that assist and support us in creating a sustainable future for our families and our communities and the earth. For information, call Sophie Quest, 802-238-4927. Geothermal Heating and Cooling (Middlebury) May 7th, 7:00 p.m. Addison County Regional Planning Commission’s office, 14 Seminary Street in Middlebury. Are you interested in alternative energy? Would you like to know how geo-thermal heating works? What it costs? Whether it might be a good alternative for your property? On Wednesday, May 7, 2008 the Energy Committee of the Addison County Regional Planning Commission will be hosting a FREE educational meeting open to the general public to discuss practical questions regarding when, how and at what cost a home or business owner in Addison County might consider using geo-thermal heating/cooling to regulate space or water temperatures in their home/business. The meeting will include a presentation by Jeff Spafford of Spafford and Sons Water Wells regarding some of the science behind geothermal heating or cooling, how it works, what is necessary on a site for it to work optimally and covering some basic cost calculations for installation. Additionally, the Committee intends to have a homeowner that has installed a geothermal system at their home available to describe their experiences and to help Jeff answer practical questions from audience members regarding whether or how this technology may work. Please join the ACRPC Energy Committee for an informative evening providing practical guidance on locally based alternative energy options for your home or business. Anyone with questions regarding the meeting should call Bob McNary at (802)343-4853 or the Addison County Regional Planning Commission, Adam Lougee, Executive Director at (802) 388-3141 The Critical Role that Locally-owned Businesses Can Play in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Oil Dependence May 21st, 7:00PM - 09:00PM Brattleboro, VT Post Oil Solutions' continues it's third Wednesday of the month forum series on Building Sustainable Communities. Join us this month for "The Critical Role that Locally-owned Businesses Can Play in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Oil Dependence" with Stacy Mitchell, author of Big-Box Swindle and a senior researcher with the New Rules Project of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. This will be a virtual forum linking those of us at the Graduate Center with Stacy Mitchell at her home base in Portland ME, practicing good stewardship by saving the greenhouse gas emissions for travel to Brattleboro. This series is co-sponsored by the Marlboro College Graduate Center and their MBA Program Managing for Sustainability. The forum is free, though contributions to Post Oil Solutions, and its many projects designed to promote sustainability and community in our region, are always appreciated. Light refreshments will be available. Reservations recommended: (802)869-2141. Consult the VPON Calendar regularly for events this month and beyond; updated frequently. Plan Ahead Solar Fest! July 11th through 13th Tinmouth, VT SolarFest! For 14 years, we've been celebrating the power of renewable energy, the arts, and community action to change the world - the time is now. Learn how: 50 workshops on renewable energy, sustainable living, the art of community, agriculture skills, green building, plus two solar-powered stages featuring great music. Learning and inspiration thrive in the volunteer-powered SolarFest community every July. Together we create a world as it might be lived. It's fun... join us! ACoRN members Jeff Jones and Ron Slabaugh are preparing a Transition Town Vermont workshop for presentation at this year's SolarFest... In response to the twin pressures of Peak Oil and Climate Change, some pioneering communities in the UK, Ireland and beyond are taking an integrated and inclusive approach to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their ability to withstand the fundamental shift that will accompany Peak Oil... these communities are using the Transition Town model. Attend the workshop to learn more about how this might work for Vermont towns. Under the Golden Dome For us
to wait for legislation
or technology to solve the problem of how we’re living our
lives
suggests we’re not really serious about changing —
something our politicians cannot fail to notice. They will not move
until we do.
The
Weiss Reports: VT
Energy-Related Legislative Activities- Michael Pollan Dear
Representative Dostis:
The VT senate voted unanimously to "investigate manipulation of the gasoline and diesel markets." The house is yet to tackle this bill. The legislators need to learn that this is a global supply and demand issue. We should use our limited resources (in time and money) to prepare to live with less fuel instead. At $120/barrel, oil is now $2.86/gallon, and that's at the mega-wholesale level, pre-tax, and unrefined. Thus the refineries and distributors are squeezed, making little profit. If gasoline were to catch up with the traditional price relationship it had with the price of crude (until the last year or so), it would be over $5/gallon now. - Moshe Braner Essex, Vermont member: Vermont Peak Oil Network --------------------------- Related story here: http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080422/NEWS01/804220315/1009 "As fuel prices set records, an oil industry economist is expected to testify today against a Vermont Senate resolution that calls on the attorney general to investigate manipulation of the gasoline and diesel markets. "Every senator signed that resolution in 20 minutes," said Robert Starr, D-Essex-Orleans, the lead sponsor. "They said, 'You're darn right I'll sign up.' Everyone is fed up with these people." The resolution, which has yet to be voted on in the Vermont House, calls upon the attorney general to "seek reimbursement for the costs of illegal-price fixing, price-gouging and conspiracy to restrain trade in retail gasoline and diesel fuel." ..." submitted by Vermont Citizen Thomas Weiss Thomas Weiss' legislative updates for the 2008 VT Legislative Session, and this session has been a busy one. Weiss' updates feature announcements of hearings and activities as well as reports on energy and climate change hearings, initiatives and proposals in the Vermont Legislature. Please go to this section of the VPON Community Pages for the most recent announcements and reports, as well as the report archives. You may want to bookmark that page; Weiss updates weekly during the legislative session and also provides a summary after the final week. Thank you, Thomas. Weiss reports that S.350 - Energy independence and economic prosperity bill - was passed by the House in an amended form. His most recent description of the Senate bill is in the report of April 14, 2008. A description of the bill as amended by the House on second reading appears in his report of April 28th. A conference committee has not yet been named. VT Bill Tracker: Keep Track of what's happening with legislation in Montpelier: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/database2.cfm Contact your Vermont State Legislator: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/legdir/legdir2.htm Hear live audio streaming of Vt Legislative proceedings on Vermont Public Radio's "Listen to the Legislature" webpage: http://www.vpr.net/legislature/ And, on the National front, you can follow the trail of activity at: http://www.govtrack.us/ - GovTrack is a noncommercial project unaffiliated with the U.S. Government or any other group. You're welcome to reuse any material on their site. "Transparency in government is key for a healthy democracy. Transparency is achieved through spreading information about government, and making that information accessible to everyday citizens." Quote of the Month "There is a surreal quality to the experience of seeing the unfolding of unpleasant events that one has predicted. Plenty of times over the past few years I've said, 'I want to be proven wrong!' Who in their right mind would wish to see economic collapse and famine? But it was obvious that, given the direction our society is headed, these must be the consequences. Now, with oil at $117 a barrel, the US economy teetering, and food riots erupting in Haiti, Egypt, and Asia, one could perhaps gain some satisfaction in saying 'I told you so.' But what faint compensation that would be. "We are all going to have to share the bitter fruits of our society's century-long growth binge, whether we have criticized it or participated wholeheartedly. The only silver lining is the possibility that now, at last, as the trends (Peak Oil, the failure of growth-based economics, the failure of industrial agriculture, climate chaos, and so on) are becoming so starkly clear, policy makers will begin seriously to contemplate a Plan B ... For those of us who have been lobbying in that latter direction for some while, this is no time to let up, but rather the ideal moment to redouble our efforts." - Richard Heinberg Richard Heinberg spoke recently in Brattleboro, Montpelier, and Hinesburg, Vermont. Visible Hands by Annie Dunn Watson "The
'cheap-energy mind,' as Wendell Berry called it, is the
mind that asks, 'Why bother?' because it is helpless to imagine
—
much less attempt — a
different sort of life, one less divided, less reliant. ... The best we
can
hope for is a greener version of the old invisible hand. Visible hands
it has no use for."
- Michael Pollan A show of hands... visible hands. Could it really be that simple? Three times this week, and everyone knows there is magic in threes, I've been reminded of the usefulness - or lack thereof - of hands. The implication has been that, increasingly, our hands are receiving less of value to do; were they to be asked to grapple with a physical necessity, they wouldn't know where to start. Well, now, that's an exaggeration, you say; and you may be right. Sort of. For many of us, though, our hands have been directed to the limited but reputedly purposeful activity of pushing papers and buttons. By these actions, fortunes are made (and lost), groceries purchased, romances begun, maintained, and even severed. Our relationships to time, money, work, place, and even one another have become increasingly disembodied -- the connection between action and consequence has eroded noticably for many in this hands-off world. As "The Long Emergency" begins to unfold, it's becoming evident that we're going to need to relearn to use our hands to do immediately useful work, become more self-reliant and less dependent on the marketplace to sort things out. We simply don't have time for that kind of sorting on our hands anymore. Is it possible that we might deconstruct our sleight-of-hand present just enough to render the work of the future tangibly real? What would it look like, the work of visible hands? Let's begin with a handshake: an agreement between bankers, investors and citizens to infuse the community with the community's own wealth; to invest in the social, physical and technical infrastructures that allow communities to sustain themselves and flourish. Imagine the projects: community-generated wind, hydro and solar power, biomass; community gardens; energy retrofits for homes and businesses. Local entrepreneurs backed by local philanthropists who themselves will benefit from the local result. Let's break a little ground, secure land for farming and sustainable forestry. Enough with the McMansions already -- let's create affordable, walkable communities - and protect the environment at the same time. This is about building locally-relevant infrastructure from the ground up, linking ourselves and our lives to "place," and giving people work they can look forward to and see the results of their doing long after the work is done. Moving right along, and I do mean that literally, let's re-imagine our ways of getting around and redefine our needs for doing so. Let's get some enterprising young people behind the wheel of a jitney, help them open a bike shop, train them in bicycle repair and safety. "I've been working on the railroad..." -- well, now you can! We're going to need more than a few hands to make that vision a reality. We're also going to need to electrify some of our transport. To make that work, we've got to ramp up renewables -- and learn to curb our driving needs. See "walkable communities," above... A friend of mine liked to say that everything in the world is born of accident or necessity. Not sure into which category he'd place the rising numbers of hungry people in the world; were he still alive, he'd no doubt rip the ethanol lobbyists to shreds. He's not here, so it falls to us to do the right thing -- come on, let's get our hands dirty. Let's grow some FOOD in our own back yards! And while we're at it, let's support emerging efforts to share food knowledge with everyone. These things can and must be taught, learned, and experienced. Gardening is not a pastime for the privileged; it's a survival skill as well as a soothing balm for the weary soul. It's also a hands-on opportunity - a responsibility even -for every school, every family education program, and every health department to better children's lives. When we have a hand in where our food comes from, every cell in our being benefits. Feeding ourselves is a significant part of the template for healthy individuals, communities, and ecosystems, reducing our need for long-distance food transport and lessening the burden on the global food supply posed by ethanol and its ilk. This future doesn't sound too glamorous, you say; where are the iPods? Well, perhaps it isn't glamorous. But neither is the unending unemployment and social unrest that accompany an economic depression. Better to use our remaining fossil fuel resources to "tool up" for the future, and hold as realistic a view as possible about what that future might be. The New Deal involved a lot of hands, and they weren't just pushing buttons. We don't like to admit it, but this Long Emergency may turn out to be similar in its demands. Richard Heinberg's recent Vermont visit re-emphasized the futility of approaching the end of the fossil fuel era by sinking remaining money, time and resources - ours and our grandchildren's - into the current energy and transportation infrastructure (not to mention resource wars). We are suffering from "a failure of concept," as someone said after Richard's talk. "There are so many solutions, if only we would start!" Climate change makes powering down necessary; peak oil deems it inevitable. Let's grasp this looming challenge before it becomes an unmanageable tragedy. Who wants to join in the greatest challenge of our times? Business leaders? Decision makers? Time to join the rest of us. Time for a show of hands. This is Annie Dunn Watson in Essex, Vermont, and I've got to go shovel the manure... Guest Editorial When Thinking about Peak Oil, Population Matters by George Plumb It was a great week for Vermont populationists as four writers spoke out about population. Willem Lange, for you non-Vermonters, is somewhat of a folk hero here. He is a well known author, public radio commentator, weekly columnist and much sought-after speaker. He usually writes about the out-of-doors but he sometimes also writes about political issues. In last Sunday's column in the Times Argus about canoeing on the White River, Lange recounted the old problems of our rivers with pollution, etc., the renascence of how they were cleaned up, and then noted: "But now they're threatened by different enemies: overpopulation and development, posted land, non-point phosphorous pollution and agricultural waste." Paul Schechkel, in an article about biofuels for the Weekly Planet column in the Times Argus last Sunday, said: "The most profound relationships between modern humans and the environment are shaped by our sheer numbers. Human population is increasing exponentially, and we demand more from our natural world each day. More efficient food production is fueling our population growth." Jon Margolis, writing in the popular Seven Days newspaper, questioned some of the reports that have come out recently about Vermont and said that "Vermont's population is not decreasing." He also said, "Not did one consider the possibility that losing population might not be so bad." Wow, what courage! Finally, Richard Heinberg from California and author of Peak Everything, spoke in Montpelier on Thursday evening. Although he did not make the population point as strongly as he makes it in his chapter on Population, Resources, and Human Idealism he did say that "we have to find a kind and humane way to reduce our population to carrying capacity." While exhibiting for VSP at the program I heard from several people who voiced their concerns about population growth. (Many thanks to the Vt. Peak Oil Network for bringing Richard to Vermont!) If people like the above can talk about population, I would hope that every environmental organization would be willing to say something about population growth, particularly on their web site. And for those of you who already have, I ask you to consider providing a link on your web site to our site. If you haven't visited it recently I encourage you to do so. It is particularly fascinating to click on the population clock and watch the population of the U.S. grow right in front of your eyes. With fuel costs rising so dramatically and food shortages beginning to happen, perhaps the public will be prepared to realize how population growth fits in. May is Population Awareness month; I hope those of you who are so motivated will write a letter-to-the-editor or an op ed piece on the relevance of this issue. Thanks for your support. George Plumb Vermonters for a Sustainable Population The VPON Community Pages! The VPON Community Pages offer visitors a chance to read and, if so desired, engage in discussion of ideas and actions pertaining to peak oil, relocalization, and sustainability. Registered users can post comments and create their own contents in the Discussion area; members of VPON Regional Groups are invited to create their own pages, and to store documents that may be of use to individuals and groups around the state - and beyond! - in addressing the consequences of Peak Oil. The VPON Community Pages have their own site administrator. Information about how to contact the administrator and access posting privileges is provided here. Please note that the VPON Community Pages are a separate area from the main VPON site: they look and behave a little differently. Reading the "Purpose" and "Usage Guidelines" will help you find your way around. From a Peak Perspective: None of the Above! - A Letter to Bernie Sanders archived on the Community Pages 2008-Apr-30 by Moshe Braner To Senator Sanders: I've tried to answer your energy "poll" ( http://www.sanders.senate.gov/polls/ ) and found that the right answers don't appear in the choices. E.g.: "Who do you hold most responsible for high gas prices? Exxon Mobil and
other big oil companies
Speculators Saudi Arabia and other OPEC countries President Bush and Vice President Cheney Congress" - None of the above! Who's to blame? All of us! The reason for ever-higher fuel prices are that we are depleting a nonrenewable resource. The only workable response is to USE LESS, and later on, use even less again. "In the short-term, what do you believe Congress and the White House should do to lower gas prices? Impose a windfall
profits tax on big oil
companies so that they cannot gouge consumers at the pump
Crack down on speculators who are manipulating the price of oil Break-up OPEC in the World Trade Organization Make gas price gouging a federal crime Suspend federal and state gas taxes Drill More Oil" - None of the above! We need to INCREASE gas taxes, and invest the money in building up efficient public transit and freight infrastructure, especially electric rail. "In the long-term, what do you believe Congress and the President should do to develop a national energy policy? Increase
investments in renewable energy
Make our vehicles, homes, buildings and appliances more energy efficient Drill for more oil Invest more in coal and nuclear" - What I believe Congress and the President should do is: Tell the people the truth: oil is running out (gradually), and we have to change our lifestyles. The era of the personal automobile is coming to a close. No amount of investments in renewable energy will change that basic fact. Finally, your news release today says: "Demand that Saudi Arabia and other OPEC oil-producing countries increase their production and put more oil on the market. Incredibly, Saudi Arabia is producing less oil today than it did two years ago." - it may seem "incredible" to you, but the Saudis don't pump more oil because they CANNOT. They won't say that, but that's the truth. Their main oil fields are old and tired, mostly used up. There is only that much oil in the ground. Eventually its extraction peaks and declines, regardless of the effort and expense and the claimed size of the underground "reserves". "Eventually" happens to be now. It was in 1970 for the US, and apparently 2005 for the world. This is called "Peak Oil", and is THE issue facing us now and in the coming years. To learn more about it, and the many Vermonters who are concerned about this, please visit http://vtpeakoil.net Sampling of Recent Articles posted on the Community Pages: Peak Oil
Check-In: Time for the leaders to
follow (audio), by Carl Etnier
Legislative Report - April 28, 2008, by Thomas Weiss OVERVIEW: warming, peak oil and what we can do about it (slide show), by Henry Swayze Control Your Energy Costs, by Henry Swayze Peak Oil
Check-In: Peak oil from an Earth
Day perspective (audio), by Carl Etnier
Top-Level
FoldersShades of Green, by George Plumb Discussions - all
registered users are
welcome to
start or join a
discussion thread.
Community
Pages Subscription:
Registered VPON Community Page
members can arrange to receive email
notifications
when content is added to specific areas (articles added to folders, or
comments added to articles, etc.) - look for the "subscribe" link at
the
bottom of each page. Documents - repository of documents of interest that may not be available elsewhere on the site or the internet. Regional Groups - VPON local groups are invited to develop pages for group news, events, minutes, shared documents, etc. Events - although the VPON Calendar itself remains the primary events posting vehicle, some groups may be posting events in this folder. (ed note: The Community Pages are an open discussion area; contents presented are the sole responsibility of the individual authors, and do not necessarily reflect the ideas, beliefs, or actions of the VPON Network, its member groups, or the VPON website/newsletter editor... although they often do! ) Articles PLEASE NOTE: Occasionally, an article referred to in one of our stories is no longer available through the link given. Please contact the original source, or check their archives, for that article. Culture and Community “The
problem is that it is an entirely new situation for never before has a
resource as critical as oil begun to decline without sight of a better
substitute. Oil is central
to the modern way of
life, so the consequences of its decline are immense. It is therefore
difficult for people to accept and react.”
- Petroleum geologist Colin Campbell, one of the founders of The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) Rising oil prices seen as 'peak' opportunity [exerpts from an article on Richard Heinberg's Montpelier talk] By Peter Hirschfeld Vermont Press Bureau Times Argus Article published Apr 27, 2008 MONTPELIER The number of political screeds against "Big Oil" seems to be rising about as quickly as prices at the pump these days. The rhetoric predictably casts local motorists as victims of a price-fixing scheme designed to reap multi-billion dollar profits for companies such as Exxon-Mobile. . . . Then there's Richard Heinberg. All that rhetorical bluster, however well-intentioned, misses the point entirely, according to Heinberg. The high gas prices prompting a shift in consumer behavior, he says, could be the precursor needed to wean Americans off their addiction to a resource in irrevocable decline. "Sometimes crisis is opportunity," Heinberg says. "And I think we'll be all right if we see it that way." . . . Espousing the benefits of early action against the impending fossil fuel crisis, Heinberg believes, may encourage the kind of cooperative planning that brings out the best in human nature. "It could be a great boom for society," Heinberg said at a Statehouse hearing Thursday. "We could have a greater sense of community, more connection with the natural world, more fulfilling work." Historically, of course, increased demand for shrinking resources breeds war, not peace. And after his talk with lawmakers Thursday morning, the Santa Rosa, Calif., resident conceded that the future of energy is likely more apocalyptic than utopian. "The most likely scenario is global war over dwindling resources," Heinberg said. "If we're going to avert the likely scenario, it means we need to act together in ways that are unfamiliar and uncomfortable." . . . "Demand is growing but supply isn't … total available world exports could collapse in the next 10 to 15 years to a very low level." . . . Calling for onerous changes in personal behavior generally doesn't win many votes, a fact Heinberg attributes to politicians' reluctance to attack the underlying problem, rather than its symptoms. "Policy makers tend to shy away from tough decisions," Heinberg says. Heinberg says the situation demands the same kind of multi-billion dollar federal investments used to fight World War II an event he says can be aptly compared with the risk posed by shrinking oil resources. Even with the government-aided proliferation of wind, solar, tidal, geothermal and other renewable energy sources, he says, the crisis will require more austere lifestyles from Americans who have grown accustomed to their largesse. "Even with the development of new technologies, we'll never have as much energy resources as we have in the fossil-fuel era," Heinberg says. More local farming, dramatically less driving and the abolition of things as mundane as plastic bags, he says, are all necessary concessions. [read full story] Richard Heinberg's Top 7 "Post Peak" Careers: In the post peak world, a number of jobs will become outmoded and disappear; this could be cause for alarm, if we don't plan for the necessary retraining and transitions. But there are a few jobs with staying power. Here is Richard Heinberg's Top 7 List: *Farmers (50 million will do...) *Energy Coaches *Insulation and Home Energy Specialists *Solar and Wind Engineers *Railroad Construction Workers *Auto/Pavement Dismantlers *Psychotherapists! And also, a flashback to last month's edition, where we featured a few career development points from the talk he gave on Resilient Communities: We need to create a coherent disaster response plan that draws on the skills of the alternative movement to design low energy, low impact ways of meeting people's needs: * Natural healing (herbalism) * Eco-agriculture, permaculture * Low-energy retrofitting * Carsharing, bicycle advocacy * Extensive literature [and teaching!] re: ecosystems and economies Economy “Business is
about relationships
with everyone we buy from and sell to,
and work with, and about our relationship with Earth itself. .. business
is beautiful when we put our creativity and care into
producing a product or service needed by our community.”
Energy- Judy Wicks, restaurant owner and co-founder of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies and the Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia. Heinberg
speaks with Vermont Business, Finance, Education and Energy leaders
by Annie Dunn Watson It was the middle of a busy day for Richard Heinberg and he appeared to be in danger of losing his voice. But that didn't prevent him from speaking with Vermont educators, business leaders, and energy entrepreneurs at a Roundtable hosted by NRG founders Jan and David Blittersdorf. From this observer's vantage point, it was obvious the information he presented managed to turn a few heads. After giving an overview of peak oil and the possible role of renewables in mitigating the consequences, Richard responded to questions generated by the attendees. Asked why Germany and other countries were moving ahead on solar and other renewables, Richard noted that the policy put into place in those countries supported the development of fossil fuel energy alternatives. Policy could play a role in reducing fossil fuel use here as well, were it applied to the expedient development of renewables and more efficient technology in agriculture, transportation, building and heating. Asked which of today's oil-dependent technologies could be replaced, he emphasized that prospects for replacing liquid transportation fuels are poor, but that alternative bio-feedstocks for plastics are being researched. Attendees noted that although Richard's future jobs list seemed exciting, there would be a tendancy to want to "hold on to what is" - peak psyche! - as current jobs begin to disappear. Opportunity, Richard responded, is a great motivator... people will need and want to switch careers, and they will seek training for the jobs of the future. THESE EFFORTS WILL TAKE ENORMOUS INVESTMENTS of time and money, as infrastructure will have to be built or replaced. The timeframe is too short to manage this without some disruption; we must also learn to live a lower energy lifestyle. Europe was brought into the discussion as an example of how this could be done while still living remarkably well. Richard advocated for channeling money and resources into renewables now; any continued investment in traditional energy infrastructure, generation and delivery was lost opportunity. He also noted that crisis planning should be on the boards. Time to rise above politics, he said, and have a discussion based on genuine interest in collaboratively solving the problem: getting off fossil fuels, and protecting the climate while doing so. Richard also suggested that the Department of Energy be given a new and more appropriate job: evaluating alternative energy options thoroughly, and analyzing the EROEI and scale-ability of projects (taking into account depleting materials, infrastructure, and the need to prevent another ethanol boondoggle). Real assessments for real situations. Real work for a real world. In response to a question about the relationship between population and resource depletion, Heinberg agreed that efficiency gains will be wiped out if population is not humanely reined in. No one size fits all solutions... each region is uniquely challenged, and has unique assets. It's up to the community to assess its consumption, identify its next steps and develop its transition plan. Gas taxes could be part of the approach, as could rationing (tradable quotas). This would use a market mechanism to impact behavior. Vermont is a tiny state.. humans are creative when motivated, and we could do much! Vermont's own planning could provide a template once a tipping point is reached. Although he didn't say it outright, he left the next steps to us. I wonder what those educators, business leaders and energy entrepreneurs will do with this powerful invitation. My
Turn: It's time to invest in Vermont
Burlington Free Press: April 27, 2008 Excerpts from article by Will Patten [original here] One need not be an economist to understand what is happening to both Vermont and U.S. economies. We are spending so much more money to fill up our cars, heat our homes and pay for health insurance that we don't have any money left to spend at the mall. . . . We watch our roads and bridges collapse while we spend $12.5 billion every month in Iraq and we lose all confidence in our government. Consumers have stopped consuming; lenders have stopped lending; we've all stopped believing. The economy has ground to a halt and, this being an election year, politicians are scrambling frantically to crank it back up. . . . Parroting Gov. Douglas' refrain that Vermont businesses are disadvantaged, [some business officials] propose to weaken Vermont's environmental regulations and reduce taxes they have to pay. The recommendations have a central theme: reduce the tax and regulatory burden on Vermont businesses. At a time when Vermonters are really struggling to pay their bills, it took some chutzpah to portray Vermont businesses as victims. . . . Now, a cursory glance at the past four decades makes it pretty clear that "trickle-down" Reagonomics has been a disaster. Disparity of wealth in America has grown at a rate much faster than the healthy growth of the economy. Today, 1 percent of Americans control 38 percent of our wealth, while the bottom 40 percent controls less than 1 percent. It hasn't been that bad since 1928. Top-down economic stimulation won't work. . . . Conventional wisdom says tighten the belt, and the Legislature has been busy paring down the budget. That has always worked in the past but there are good reasons to believe that this downturn is different. The soaring costs of fossil fuels and health care are not mere blips that can be endured. The exportation of jobs is not a short-term threat. The debt that this country has incurred will take a long time to pay off. In this new "flat" world, hunkering down won't work, either. As counterintuitive as it sounds, in these tough times, Vermonters have to invest in our social, physical and technical infrastructures. To compete in this globalized economy, we have to invest in the health care, child care and education of all Vermonters. To offset the impact of peak oil costs, we have to invest in public transportation and renewable energy. To compete with surrounding states, we must have robust wireless and broadband communication. By investing in these foundational assets while still protecting our environment, Vermont can create a truly business-friendly environment in which companies large and small can invest and prosper. Will Patten of Hinesburg is executive director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. "Renewable energy and
energy efficiency can
have the most immediate and
longest lasting positive effect on energy availability, stable prices,
and greenhouse gas emissions."
- from the Congressional letter to President Bush, December, 06 Fatih Birol interview: 'Leave oil before it leaves us' by Astrid Schneider Published on 2 May 2008 by International Politik. Archived on Energy Bulletin 2 May 2008. Exerpts from the Fatih Birol interview: 'Leave oil before it leaves us' Faith Biro, chief economist of the IEA demands a change in policy from the member countries. His motto: leave oil before it leaves us. . . . There are only three ways out of this dilemma: First of all we have to increase energy-efficiency drastically, we have to build more economical cars, trucks and airplanes, to slow down the incline in oil consumption. Secondly we have to use more alternative fuels in the traffic sector. If you take a look at how little governments are doing to help higher efficiency, though, I have little hope that there will be such a change of policy. The third thing is that we need many more oil production projects, especially in the key countries in the OPEC. . . . [This situation] causes great strain on everyone and on our economic systems. When I look at the future, I see three strategic challenges in the energy sector: The first is oil and gas security. Just recently Russia has lowered its gas delivery to the Ukraine by 25 %. The second is climate change. And the third, and one has to admit we don't much talk about this, is the connection between energy and poverty, for example in Africa. Today 1.6 billion people, that is 40 % of the global population, have no access to electric power. Schneider: Will we be able to meet all three challenges? Birol: If you look at the dimensions, I don't think that the markets alone can solve those problems. We cannot leave everything to them. The national governments as well as international institutions have to help to define the rules and follow them. The issue is too important. . . . The conclusion is that we have to be prepared to see very turbulent, tight and high prices oil markets - this will not be good for the economy. . . . The energy supply is becoming less and less an economic enterprise, but instead an economic enterprise plus geopolitics! That's bad news, and I don't like that at all. We need a dialogue between the producers and consumers. . . . [O]ne day [oil] will definitely end. And I think we should leave oil before it leaves us. That should be our motto. So we should prepare for that day - through research and development on alternatives to oil, on which living standards we want to keep and what alternative ways we can find. Going Forward: Energizing Tasks for Town Energy Committees by Moshe Braner When assessing ways to save money and energy, Town Energy Taskforces and Committees would be wise to keep in mind that we are facing a complex and challenging future involving the "four E's": * Economy * Energy * Environment * Emergency * Economy: the economic picture keeps getting worse, and that means that more people will be looking for ways to save money. On the other hand, there will be less money available from governments at all levels to help them out. Maintenance of deteriorating infrastructure (roads, bridges, water, sewer, electric power and communications) will be a very big problem, with rising costs and vanishing funds. Food prices are rising rapidly worldwide. The economic problems are in part caused or triggered by the energy problem. * Energy: due to the peaking of global oil production (probably sometime between 2005 and 2012), and the peaking of North American natural gas production (circa 2001), the high cost of fuels is a permanent problem that will only get worse. Even the price of coal is rising fast. Fuel costs also drive the food crisis. * Environment: climate change and other environmental impacts of the use of fossil fuels are starting to have a major impact, and are another reason to learn to live with less use of fossil fuels. Climate change is also a driver in the food crisis. The two main ways in which we emit greenhouse gasses are home heating and transportation. * Emergency: both weather (ice storms) and geopolitical events (affecting fuel shipments) may cause emergency conditions in our area. Fuel shortages or electricity blackouts may disable heating systems. As the prices of heating oil and propane are now equal to that of heating with electricity, and will rise further next winter, the chances of overloading of the New England grid during a cold snap are rising. Local actions that a Town Energy Taskforce (or Committee) may want to participate in: The local economy should be developed. By which I mean local production, not franchises of global merchandising corporations. Local production of things we use, starting with food, and also production of things we can sell to the rest of the state and the world. The world economy is being re-shaped, away from superfluous consumption, and towards trading in basic necessities. The US dollar is losing its value fast. We will no longer be able to import everything we want, in exchange for paper IOUs. We will need to offer something tangible in return, or produce our needs locally. Things that can be produced in Vermont include: food, wood and wood products, light manufacturing of all kinds. This is a bigger issue than an Energy Taskforce can tackle, of course, but it should be aware of this context as it will affect everything else. Transportation: the Taskforce can engage in education of the public and in advocacy. The era of the personal automobile is drawing to a close. The sooner we change our attitudes about using public transportation, and start investing more money in it, the less we'll suffer in the coming years as fuel prices keep climbing. Same for sharing and combining rides. During the warmer half of the year walking and biking should be encouraged. We will not have the money for a major expansion of the bike paths. Instead, we will need to educate drivers to "share the road". The schools should strongly discourage the individual driving of students to school (whether dropped off or driving themselves), when the students live within walking distance or a bus is available. Transportation is linked to the economy and to land use planning: mitigation of the transport issue must include local jobs and mixed-use zoning. Home heating and cooling: Education and referrals can help people realize where their homes are losing heat, and connect them to services such as energy audits and insulation retrofits. Programmable thermostats should be promoted and their wise use explained. The schools are generally over-heated; lowering the thermostats there (and educating the kids to wear warmer clothing) will not only save public money, but will also introduce the kids to concepts they can apply at home. Opening a window in winter because of over-heating should be considered an obscenity - as is the propping open of exterior doors of businesses when either heating or cooling is in effect. If things get really bad then people will need advice on how to safely close off portions of a house and only heat as much space as is really needed. Although heating is by far our bigger challenge, the Taskforce could help educate people on how to keep comfortable in the summer with little or no air conditioning. Judicious use of window shades (East, South and West), awnings (and deciduous trees) on the South side, window ventilation at night, closing windows in the daytime, fans in occupied rooms, avoiding use of conventional ovens during hot spells, staying downstairs during the day, etc, can make a HUGE difference in indoors comfort (and electrical bills). (I speak from personal experience as well as knowledge of physics.) Even those CFLs (and turning off lights when not needed) are important in this regard: every watt not dissipated indoors is that much heat not added to the living space. Food: the Taskforce can help educate people about the enormous energy use (and climate impact) of eating foods from far away. Buying local produce (or growing your own) can save money (sometimes, and increasingly so) and help the planet at the same time. Being willing to eat what is in season (or is storable) is part of that picture. Cooking from basic ingredients is a skill forgotten by too many people, and re-learning that skill is definitely a big money and energy saver - and healthy too. And while we're gardening more, time to mow less: http://entropicjournal.blogspot.com/2008/04/mow-is-less.html The town (and state) should plan for energy emergencies. Public shelters with independent heating need to be prepared. Schools with wood-chip heating are prime candidates for such shelters, as long as they keep a good amount of wood chips stored on site, and have backup electrical generators to keep the system running. Drinking water should be stored there too. People should be encouraged to store several weeks worth of food in every home. The Taskforce can advocate for such preparations, and educate about what to store, how to safeguard against freezing damage to pipes, etc. (ed notes: And, although it's too late to do anything about it in the legislature this year, the "Right to Dry" legislation, legalizing clotheslines on all properties in Vermont where they do not pose a safety hazard, should continue to be advocated for. Expanding the scope of the work done by Town Energy Taskforces to include consideration of areas where economy, energy, environment, and emergency intersect would help Vermonters more knowlegeably and successfully face the challenges of the future.) Ways to Save (reduce your household energy use and save money, too)* Compiled for the First Branch Sustainability Living Fair 4/12/2008 by Henry Swayze *percentages refer to energy saved Overview: • In the last 10 years oil has gone from $12 to nearly $120 a barrel. This trend is likely to continue as demand is beginning to exceed supply. • In 2006, the average Vermont household was spending $7,317 per year on energy (based on $3.00 gas). • The following tips are based on the assumption that our energy usage for household demands including driving is approximately 1/3 for driving, 1/3 for heat and 1/3 for food, electricity and hot water. Household Energy Usage: Reduce or Substitute Heating represents approx. one third of our household energy usage and our biggest opportunity to save: • Tightening up our houses - save up to 40% • Wood Burning or solar heating gets rid of the rest* *Carbon emitted by burning wood is taken right back up by new tree growth (sustainably harvested) Driving is another third of our energy usage: • Work from home - save about 60% • Combine trips -15% • Carpool - 40% • Share vehicles - 10% • Drive conservatively - 25% • Tune-up your vehicle, inflate tires - 4% • Drive your most efficient vehicle - 20% • Plan ahead for a better vehicle - 30-90% (90% assumes e-vehicle) How about savings in "warming per mile"? • Walking and biking is Zero, the best • Gas guzzler with one passenger, the worst • Gas Guzzler with seats full is actually very good • Prius with 1 1/2 passengers also very good • Bus is even better • Rail is twice as good as bus • Air is like an average car with 1 1/2 passengers Food, Electricity & Hot Water - here's our remaining third: • Eat locally but also economically, it saves on transportation! • Reduce electric usage – Compact fluorescents through-out home saves up to $200/year – Air drying your clothes saves over $50/year – Front loading washers (uses 2/3 less water) – Replace your old showerhead with a low flow model (saves over 3,000 gallons - $60 of water heating per year) • Switch to renewable fuels (like solar and wood) for water heating • Join with others to generate sustainable electricity Consumer Goods have a Carbon Footprint, too… • Manufacturing can require substantial amounts of fossil fuels as well as other resources. • Transportation further contributes to carbon emissions. • Excessive packaging uses more resources and creates more waste. Reducing Warming from Consumerism • $100 spent puts the average adult's bodyweight in carbon into the atmosphere • Ask “Do I really need this?” • Buy long lasting goods • Pay attention to energy star and recyclability • Pay attention to the lifecycle energy cost of your project or purchase We can pull CO2 out of the air! Taking better care of our land will recapture (sequester) carbon. This could = 50+% of our carbon footprint • Actively growing forests do best • Good organic agricultural practices which improve soil also capture much carbon Community actions • Make a plan • Show leadership for others • Publicize demo projects • Make more of our lives happen here (Relocalization) • Commute by broadband – work and learn from home • Community wind, hydro and biofuels Prepared by Henry Swayze First Branch Sustainability Project henryswayze at gmail.com. More details pertaining to this document here. Environment "We're all victims and
beneficiaries of
the
environment. Global warming is an equal opportunity disaster."
- Stephen Morris 10 Ways You Can Improve Earth's Health By LiveScience Staff LiveScience.com Posted Tue Apr 22, 2008 (ed note: Every Earth Day, media feature a number of advice columns. This article from LiveScience lists 10 options for reducing the environmental impact of human activity... beginning with the seemingly benign, and - within each category - moving toward more stringent measures. You will need to view the entire article to catch a sense of that depth - to do so, follow the LiveScience link, above. Our resident critical thinker, Moshe Braner, offers a few editorial remarks, in brackets. Good complement to Henry Swayze's list, above.) The scientific and political arguments surrounding the health of our planet can make the whole topic seem beyond the grasp of the individual. How fast is the climate changing? Exactly what effect to humans have? And what will the government do about it? How we treat Earth also involves trillions of little decisions by billions of individuals. That in mind, on this Earth Day, LiveScience presents 10 ideas for saving energy and otherwise cutting down on your impact on the planet. The list was compiled by the Earth Day Network organization... 1. Change light bulbs Highly efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last for years, use a quarter of the energy of regular bulbs and actually produce more light... 2. Drive differently, or drive a different vehicle [or do not drive at all!] The sad truth is that your car emits as much carbon dioxide as your entire house. The good news is that anything you can do to improve the fuel efficiency of your car will have an enormous impact on climate change. In fact, experts say that paying attention to fuel efficiency in your car may be the single biggest thing you can do to prevent global warming... (ed note: they also recommend non-car alternatives to transportation...) [ A small non-hybrid car is cheaper than a large car/SUV and offers most of the fuel savings that a hybrid does. It's also a myth that automakers could double the current average fuel efficiency of SUVs -- not if they keep them at the same weight. We don't have to wait for the automakers to come through - as if efficient (i.e. light) cars are not available. We should fight the myth that you "need" a heavy car.] 3. Control your temperature The bad news is that half of your household energy costs go towards just two things-heating and cooling. The good news is that means you have lots of room for improvement, and even small changes make dramatic improvements in household fuel efficiency... add two degrees to the AC thermostat in summer, and [subtract] two degrees in winter. [Or, better yet, don't turn on the AC at all! As stated in the article, Ceiling Fans can reduce colling costs by more than half... a lot more.] 4. Tame the refrigerator monster Did you know that your friendly refrigerator has a voracious energy appetite? It is, by far, the single biggest consumer of electricity in the average household, responsible for 10-15 percent of the electricity you use each month [except in households where a lot of AC is being used]. Older refrigerators, as a rule, are far less efficient than the newest ones-as much as 50 percent more efficient in many cases. But buying a brand-new, energy-efficient refrigerator is almost certainly not in the cards for most of us. [Frig's don't last forever, and the really old ones are worth replacing even if they still work. And most people spend far more money per year replacing cars than a new frig costs (around $600).] 5. Twist some knobs The other big users of energy in your household are your hot water heater, your washer and dryer, and your dishwasher. Each, in its own way, can be inefficient. Here are some things to try... [Consider front-loaders, which save more than 50% of the energy AND WATER.] 6. Plant smartly While it is true that planting more trees will help in the short term because they essentially soak up carbon, they also release carbon dioxide when they die. So it just postpones the problem. But there are other reasons to plant trees-as wind breaks to save energy, and as shade to lower cooling costs. And even the short-term help while we get our act together is a good thing... 7. Invest in green energy Imagine if we ran out of fossil fuels tomorrow, what would we do? Well, we'd get our electricity from renewable sources-solar panels, geothermal and wind power sources. Many utilities now give consumers the option to buy "green power." Ask for it! Learn the truth about nuclear power and natural gas as viable "green" options. They aren't... [It's important to bear in mind that there is no current substitute for liquid fuels; demands for electricity will increase as we begin to electrify our transport system. Conservation and curtailment of use, as well as investment in green energy, are also part of the solution.] 8. Go organic Even with our vast reservoir of scientific knowledge about farming, most American farmers still spray a billion pounds of pesticides to protect crops each year. Now here's the kicker: when chemical pesticides are used to kill pests, they also kill off microorganisms that keep carbon contained in the soil. When the microorganisms are gone, the carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. And when those organisms are gone, the soil is no longer naturally fertile and chemical fertilizers become a necessity, not a luxury. But besides going organic-thereby saving the carbon release from soil-there are other simple things you can do with food that will also make a difference... 9. Buy recycled This may sound simple, but it takes less energy to manufacture a recycled product than a brand new one. So if you and every other consumer buy recycled, you'll help create a market, and conserve energy along the way... [Reduce first, recycle last.] 10. Be a minimalist We know it's difficult, but in today's consumer economy, an easy way to conserve energy is to simply use-and buy-less. Every time you buy something, energy has gone into getting that product to you. So the less you buy, the more you save energy-wise. It's a simple equation. This last item on our Top Ten list may, in fact, be the single biggest way to make a dent in the global warming problem. Again, we know it sounds obvious, but buying less things-some of which you just don't need-changes the energy equation across the board, on every single consumer product. If everyone used less, the impact would be large indeed... [Given the current basis for our economy, buying less would leave a lot of people unemployed. We must also reconsider our economic strategy and develop new avenues for employment.] Success on the Home Front Report from Vermont Natural Resources Council on Recent Legislation WE DID IT! Over the past couple of weeks, we asked you to help put the heat on lawmakers to pass three important pieces of legislation to safeguard and strengthen the water, forests, farmland and energy future of Vermont. WE ARE SO HAPPY TO SAY: (Y)OUR EFFORTS PAID OFF! The House took decisive action this April on all three bills, giving their nod of support to: • S.304 A bill to protect Vermont’s primary drinking water source groundwater for current and future generations. • S.311 A bill to strengthen one of Vermont’s most successful forest and farmland conservation tools the Current Use Program. • S.350 A bill that moves Vermont a small, but important step closer to reducing the state’s global warming pollution and generating clean, green, independent renewable energy supplies. [I]n a 125 to 12 vote, the House voted to support the groundwater bill. Moments later, in a unanimous voice vote, House members approved the passage of S.311 a bill to improve Vermont’s tried-and-true Current Use Program. [I]n the second reading of S.350 ‘An Act Relating to Energy Independence and Economic Prosperity’ the House gave its strong support. This modest energy and climate change legislation will likely get final approval ... from the House. From there, it's probable that S.350 will go to a House-Senate conference committee, as the House made significant changes to the Senate-passed version of the bill. We’re hoping, however, that legislators avoid conference committees for S.304 and S.311. Though the House made changes to the Senate’s version of both bills, they remain strong. VNRC is optimistic S.304 and S.311 will move directly to the Governor’s desk … and soon thereafter become law. Help make sure that happens. Please call the Governor’s office and ask him to move swiftly to turn S.304, S.311 and S.350 into law. Call 1-800 649-6825. Also, it’s important to thank House members who supported these important bills. Find your representative here. See how they voted here. If they voted as you hoped they would, please take the time to send them an email or give them a call to thank them for their support. It’s great to let lawmakers know how much you appreciate their leadership on these issues. As these strong votes make clear, hard work and teamwork can really pay off. Because of our persistence and perseverance, these bills will go a long way in protecting and enhancing the environment and economy of the Green Mountain State. So, thank you for all you’ve done and for all you will continue to do. We hope you’ll stay connected, continue to support our efforts, stay active and …. CELEBRATE! Sincerely, The VNRC Team – Elizabeth, Jon, Jake, Johanna, Jamey, Steve, Brian, Kim, John, Steff, and James. Food "Organic foods
seem elitist only
because industrial food is
artificially cheap, with its real costs being charged to the public
purse, the public health and the environment."
Plots
thicken: Small gardens, seedling sales on the rise- Alice Waters Exerpts from article by Joel Banner Baird • Free Press Staff Writer • April 25, 2008 The predictions aren't rosy: Market speculators might keep oil prices high; the cost of food will follow them through the roof. Other spring forecasts offer more appetizing news: Vermonters will eat more meals out of their own gardens. . . . [Phil] Brett [merchant interviewed for this article], who also works a community plot at Starr Farm, said the economy of home gardens is hard to calculate, but he gave it a try several years back. "My wife and I kept careful records that year and, even after accounting for our expenses, we cleared 2,000-plus dollars' worth of groceries for the season, and ate like kings, to boot," he said. "I don't think that the finest restaurants in New York City were any better supplied." ... the three merchants [interviewed] say more Vermonters are placing their trust in plots of fertile earth than in the abstractions of Wall Street. . . . A growing public awareness of links between fuel and food prices has triggered a modest land rush in Burlington, said Lisa Coven, land steward and community garden organizer with the city's Parks and Recreation Department. "There's a huge increase in interest this year," she said. "This is the earliest we've ever filled up; most of the community plots have waiting lists. "The cost of a Mexican tomato is going up," she continued. "People are aware of that, and it's pushing the local food movement along." Jim Flint, who administers the Friends of Burlington Gardens and the Vermont Community Gardens Network, said low- to middle-income Vermonters were in the vanguard of the movement. "They're suddenly realizing that they have to now cut back on their food budgets, with some of the first cuts tending to be in fresh fruits and vegetables," he said. "Producing one's own food is suddenly starting to look like a good investment again," he continued. "It's a way for anyone with a large container, a raised bed in the front yard or backyard, or access to a community garden plot to grow vegetables, pick them fresh, and have the most local food possible grown close to their doorstep." [see original article here.] [Learn more about the Friends of Burlington Gardens and the Vermont Community Gardens Network here.] The Rising Costs of Food by Sara Grillo (courtesy of Vermont Commons - original here.) ... while Vermonters may have to contend with higher prices at the supermarket and fewer nights eating out, residents of developing countries are facing food shortages at a crisis level. There are a number of factors at work here: overpopulation, competition with biofuels, increasing demand for meat in developed countries and nations such as China and India—leading to a spike in the price of grain—high oil prices, which drives up the cost of fertilizers and transporting food, and climate change which, with unpredictable weather changes, has seriously disrupted the harvest and production of the world’s food supply. I make note of this because while our own food problems are important to examine, we must not forget the majority of the world’s population for whom the consequences of price hikes may be starvation and violence... Health Petrochemicals
are used to manufacture analgesics, antihistamines, antibiotics,
antibacterials, rectal suppositories, cough syrups, lubricants, creams,
ointments, salves, and many gels.
~ "Other effects of peak petroleum on health are more speculative, but experience and evidence suggest several concerns. First, higher petroleum prices could trigger a persistent economic downturn, which could increase the ranks of the uninsured. Second, the social disruption and lifestyle changes that accompany peak petroleum may create a substantial burden of anxiety, depression, and other psychological ailments. Third, resource scarcity, including petroleum scarcity, may trigger armed conflict, which poses multiple risks to public health." - Journal of the American Medical Association report on Peak Petroleum and Public Health Rising energy costs and the future of hospital work by Dan Bednarz, PhD Published on 29 Apr 2008 by Energy Bulletin. Archived on 1 May 2008. Presented at the House of Delegates Meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & Allied Professionals (Pasnap) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - April 29, 2008 From the summary remarks: I feel safe observing that the vast majority of insurance companies, medical associations, HMOs and other hospital associations will resist facing the stark consequences of peak oil because they are benefiting from the status quo. On the other hand, those hospitals with a mission for stewardship of the earth and charitable activity are likely to be among the first to recognize the need for radical change in medical care. In the same vein, it’s obvious that nursing is not prospering even though it is in some ways the backbone of the system. Your profession’s main themes for reforming the healthcare system should center –I hate to use the word “should” - around radical resource conservation and efficiency, and the elimination of wasteful and environmentally harmful practices. In other words, reduce, reuse, recycle, and repair. Simultaneously, there will be a political struggle for the soul of healthcare: We will look to other nations with decent health systems where three core values predominate: *no one goes
bankrupt due to medical status;
This means one response to energy downturn leads
to healthcare for all. The
alternative to this is medicine becoming something for the wealthy few,
with the rest of society receiving what amounts to triage –or,
alternatively, home care or “folk medicine.” In some
respects these alternatives represent the familiar themes of the
Jeffersonian/egalitarian and Hamiltonian/elitist traditions. *no one is denied treatment for any reason, and *preventive and treatment medicine are integrated. By forming a coalition with public health and even some of the growing number of doctors who favor a “single-payer” system, nursing can shape the transformation of our healthcare system. [see full report, with citations, at EB.] Energy Bulletin has published several articles on the public health implications of peak oil; see also their general section on peak oil and health-related topics here. Peak Oil Medicine Website Peak Oil Medicine was established by Dr Paul Roth, a medical professional from Australia. He works in family medical practice and also has post-graduate qualifications in western-style (evidence based) acupuncture and integrative medicine. He is concerned about the looming effects of peak oil, and has been environmentally-minded since his teenage years, when he first joined the Australian Conservation Foundation. He invites you to read and comment on his posts, and to use them as a starting point for your own peak oil ponderings. (ed note: It would be great to hear from folks who are working on local health initiatives... contact us with your resources and stories!) Transportation "...making
much greater use of public transportation may be the most effective
strategy to sharply reduce our dependence on foreign oil and make
historic strides in environmental quality." (American Public
Transportation
Association study, Conserving
Energy and Preserving the Environment:
The Role of Public Transportation). Two
Pedals, Three Feet: Give Bicycles
some Space 2008-Apr-16 (archived here) exerpts from an article by Carl Etnier I was commuting home, bicycling up the County Road hill in East Montpelier, a little above Center Road, when a car pulled up along side of me and the passenger side window rolled down. "How come you're cycling in the middle of the lane?" asked the driver. I couldn't tell from his voice or face whether he was letting off steam or genuinely curious. Trying to make it sound like a friendly question rather than a challenge, I asked him, "Do you really want to know?" He said that he did. Keeping an eye out for traffic, conscious that an oncoming car would cut off our conversation very quickly, I explained |