Collateral damage...? 
Dow Chemical raises prices in response to increases in petroleum-related costs
USA Today
May 28 2008
Dow Chemical (DOW) says it's raising product prices as much as 20% to offset the soaring cost of energy and raw materials.
. . .

"For years, Washington has failed to address the issue of rising energy costs and, as a result, the country now faces a true energy crisis, one that is causing serious harm to America's manufacturing sector and all consumers of energy," Chairman and Chief Executive Andrew Liveris says in the company's press release.  ... [read article]

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Fuel costs close the gap for farmers' markets
By GORDON DRITSCHILO (Time Argus)
May 18, 2008
. . .

Rising food prices, driven at least in part by increasing oil prices, have been referred to as a global crisis in recent months. The American Farm Bureau, an agricultural lobbying group, reported in March that the total cost of 16 basic grocery items went up 8 percent from the fourth quarter of 2007 to the first quarter of 2008.
. . .

Greg Cox of Boardman Hill Farm in West Rutland said many local farmers are insulated from a number of the factors driving up prices.

"... [W]e don't have the transportation costs from A to B," he said. "That certainly helps us out. Small farmers, we're not as big energy hogs. Our caloric input is a lot less per acre than the big guys. Our machines are more efficient — a lot for us is labor."
. . .

Emmett Dunbar of Anjali Farm in Londonderry said he has not escaped the rising expenses facing farmers.
. . .

From seeds to plastic bags for holding salad mix, Dunbar said farmers are seeing across-the-board cost increases. Dunbar also said he is going to have to raise prices on all his animal products because grain prices have doubled and tripled.

... "None of us produce a lot of grain in the state of Vermont. Unless the animals are grass fed, you're going to see a rise in meat and eggs and milk and cheese prices."
. . .

Prices [at farmers' markets] fluctuate "partly by season and by location in the state," [Rene] De Geus [agricultural research chief at the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets] said. "Food in Stowe costs a lot more than at a farmstand in the Northeast Kingdom. … It's all over the place. A lot of times of the year, fresh local produce is the same (price) as what's in the store."
. . .

"People of more modest means, like myself, can't afford [farmers' markets]," he said. "A lot of us who are watching this trend have tried to keep our prices reasonable, and we're taking a hit."
. . .

"If you assume that a lot of the increasing cost of food is the fuel cost of transporting food great distances … presumably, if you're buying as close to the farm as possible, you're reducing that expense," [NOFA director Enid] Wonnacott said. "I think, in general, local food production is going to become cost-competitive with conventional agriculture."
. . .

"It makes economic sense that if food prices go up in the supermarket, the farmstand can price slightly under the supermarket and capture sales," De Geus said. "You don't need to way-underprice the supermarket."

At the same time, Vermont's farmers markets are growing. The number of markets in the state has almost doubled since 2000, from 37 to 64, and NOFA recently helped in the creation of the Vermont Farmers Market Association.
. . .

In the long term, Dunbar said, the organization wants to build a stable infrastructure for the state's markets, 90 percent of which he said operate on year-to-year leases. Dunbar said Vermont has more farmers markets per capita than any other state and that more money per capita is spent on local food products in Vermont than in any other state.

"We've always had to make our argument on supporting the local economy of the nutrition of food that's fresh," Wonnacott said. "We haven't had the argument to shop locally to save money. It would be a welcome development." [full article here.]

Stopping Oil's Assault:
Ever-rising fuel prices are a monstrous supply-demand problem. Here are five possible solutions.
excerpts from article by Reid Kanaley, [Philadelphia] Inquirer Staff Writer
original here.
What would it take to stop the madness of rising oil prices?

Shocking increases in crude-oil costs - which spiked above $135 a barrel at one point last week - are now pushing airlines and truckers to the brink, forcing many consumers to say they are staying home this holiday weekend, and recharging fears of recession in the face of $4-a-gallon gasoline.

It's a supply-demand problem on steroids. Here are five possible solutions, along with the outlook for each.

Solution No. 1:

Reduce world demand for oil.

Outlook: Very unlikely.
. . .

Solution No. 2: Pump more oil out of the ground.

Outlook: Not likely for decades.
. . .

Solution No. 3: Pop the speculation bubble.

Outlook: Try changing human nature.
. . .

Solution No. 4: Strengthen the weak dollar.

Outlook: This could happen in coming months.
. . .

Solution No. 5:

A big, bad recession.

Outlook: Sadly, this could happen, regardless of the efforts of the Fed, stimulus checks and anything else.

And it is oil that could finally tip the economy into recession.

Experts say gasoline prices have yet to catch up with the spike in crude, and $200-a-barrel oil, which some officials say is possible in the next two years, could cost $6 per gallon at the gas pump.

Chances are, that'll do the trick.  [read full article here.]

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Vermont's new Energy Plan may not go far enough...
State releases draft energy plan
excerpts from article by Candace Page, Free Press Staff Writer
published May 28, 2008
The Douglas administration released a draft plan Tuesday to help shape Vermont's energy future. Critics immediately lambasted the 267-page document as inadequate to reduce the state's dependence on petroleum, to increase energy efficiency or to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

The plan, drafted by the state Public Service Department, calls for continued reliance on electricity from Hydro Quebec and Vermont Yankee while utilities find more diverse, preferably in-state, sources of renewable power.

It also foresees Vermonters buying more efficient, less-polluting cars and trucks, particularly plug-in hybrid vehicles after 2010.
. . .

The draft plan released Tuesday [...] calls for a continuation of many existing state policies, while others among the 150 action recommendations call for additional study or for the state to "encourage" changes by utilities and consumers.

For example, the plan says the state should "encourage more renewable energy investments through established incentives and programs" and "continue to foster sound investment in electric energy efficiency programs" for which Vermont is well-known.

The plan does not call for any new mandates on utilities, businesses or consumers, nor does it call for expansion of investment in electrical energy efficiency in homes and businesses.

It anticipates a move by consumers to vehicles powered in part by electricity from the power grid. It says the state should "encourage" that technology and "encourage" utilities to research the effects on their systems of many plug-in vehicles.
. . .

At VPIRG, [James] Moore said he was disappointed that, after the plan lays out Vermont's energy challenges, it does not proceed to make meaningful recommendations to cope with those issues.

He was particularly critical of what he described as the plan's failure to expand investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
. . .

"The Department of Public Service has put in a lot of time and energy in coming up with this document. It clearly needs a lot of work, but it gives Vermonters an opportunity to be heard, and I hope they take it," he said.

**The Douglas administration's draft Comprehensive Energy Plan released Tuesday recommends what it describes as more than 150 action steps. Some highlights:

**The draft of Vermont's Comprehensive Energy Plan 2009 can be found here.

**Five meetings will be held around Vermont this summer to gather public reaction to the plan. A schedule will be announced in coming weeks [watch your local news source.]

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Montpelier hosts energy town meeting
by Carl Etnier
Published on Vermont Commons 05/30/2008 
While Congress passes legislation raising the vain hope of bringing down oil prices by suing OPEC, OPEC dwindles in numbers.
. . .

It's possible that they're just trying to evade the long arm of US law, which our representatives in Washington seem to think can force Indonesia to squeeze more oil from its rocks and then sell it to us. But I doubt it.

Meanwhile, back in Montpelier, many in the city are serious about the only real leverage we have over how much we pay for energy: Not trying to force rocks or their owners to yield more oil, but reducing our demand for energy.
. . .

[some highlights from the meeting]

Colin Gunn of FreeRide bicycle collective showed off the first model of their new set of loaner bikes, cobbled together from old bike parts and new accessories like fenders and racks. The bikes will be lent out to individuals and businesses on a model akin to a lending library, though a deposit may be required.  

Tim Maker of the Biomass Energy Resource Center described the work of the district heating committee, which is investigating a way to build and finance a central, biomass-fired combined heat and power facility for Montpelier businesses and residences.  

Cheryl King Fischer and Johanna Miller reported on the scrumptious doings of Central Vermont Localvores.

Paul Markowitz reported that the Lighten Up Montpelier initiative had resulted in 12,000 compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) being sold in Montpelier since November 1, both by students going door to door and by Aubuchons. He estimated that the combined effect would be $500,000 in savings for the users of the bulbs, and he reminded CFL owners to take dead lights to Aubuchons or another authorized recipient, so the mercury in them is properly cared for.

The big new initiative announced was the 80% Challenge for fuel oil. Using a combination of weatherization through Central Vermont Community Action Council and installation of pellet stoves or boilers, Ken Jones announced work to reduce carbon emissions from heating in Montpelier by 80%.  [see Carl's blog for full story.]

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Energy in the News
Sampling of Headlines from Energy Bulletin
Wall Street Journal... "Peak Oil in Paris" (International Energy Administration)... It's been a big month for peak oil and energy in mainstream news.  Paul Roberts quoted on NPR's Marketplace, Michael Klare interviewed on BBC's The World... what's next?  An intelligent response would be wonderful.

Here are a few headlines:

Wall Street Journal May 29th, 2008
 "The world's top oil producers are proving unable to put more barrels on thirsty world markets despite sky-high prices, a shift that defies traditional market logic and looks set to continue."

Peak Oil in the News...
Peak Oil in Paris: International Energy Agency Now Skittish Too
Keith Johnson, Environmental Capital (WSJ blog)
Peak oil is contagious: even the International Energy Agency is getting the rash. ... the Paris-based IEA will slash its forecasts of global oil supplies, after years of rosy predictions that oil output would rise in lockstep with developed countries’ appetites. The IEA’s latest project? A close look at 400 of the world’s biggest oil fields to figure out how much oil is really left, and how much production is declining. 

IEA Plans to Lower Oil Supply Forecast in Next Annual Report
Tara Patel and Grant Smith, Bloomberg
The International Energy Agency, the energy adviser to 27 nations, plans to reduce its long-term projection for crude oil supply after studying depletion rates at the world's 400 largest fields. The IEA will present a "more realistic supply potential'' estimate following criticism previous forecasts have been "optimistic,'' IEA head Nobuo Tanaka said in a television interview today.

The Wall Street Peak Oil Journal
Andrew Leonard, Salon
Page A1: The Wall Street Journal, Thursday, May 22, 2008:
A growing number of people in the industry are endorsing a version of the "peak-oil" theory: that oil production will plateau in coming years, as suppliers fail to replace depleted fields with enough fresh ones to boost overall output. All of that has prompted numerous upward revisions to long-term oil-price forecasts on Wall Street.  -- today's front page story is the most pessimistic piece I've seen the newspaper publish.  

Drilling

Rep. Bartlett, in reversal, backs drilling in Arctic refuge
Associated Press via SF Examiner
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett, a conservative Republican with an unusually green reputation, said Thursday he will co-sponsor a bill to allow oil and natural gas drilling in part of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge after years of opposition.

Fuel crisis makes drilling top priority for America
Robert Samuelson, News-Press (Florida)
... The truth is that we're almost powerless to influence today's prices. We are because we didn't take sensible actions 10 or 20 years ago. If we persist, we will be even worse off in a decade or two. The first thing to do: Start drilling.

It's a delusion to think drilling will help ease current oil crisis
Sen. Bill Nelson, News-Press (Florida)
... I want to make clear that any oil still deep in the ground has no direct link - none - to today's pump prices. Any oil in the ground won't be in the marketplace for some ten years. Further, the oil companies that want to drill much closer to our shores already have leases on 33 million other acres where they haven't even started drilling yet. More importantly - no matter what anybody says or writes - the U.S. has only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves while it uses 25 percent of the global supply. In other words - and I'm using Samuelson's terminology here - it's "sheer stupidity" to think the U.S. can drill its way out of an energy crisis.

Speculators:
Some wonder if speculators are fueling oil run-up
David Ivanovich, Houston Chronicle
Crude prices have rocketed nearly $70 a barrel in the past year. Some energy experts suggest speculation could account for $20 to $30 of that run-up.

Oil insiders say investors driving up prices by banking on fear of low supply
Jim Landers and Elizabeth Souder, Dallas Morning News
You're paying way more for gasoline than common sense would suggest, and you might be surprised by who's to blame.

Not the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. It lost control of the markets 20 years ago. Not Big Oil. It contributes only a sliver of global oil supply. Not the government. The U.S. investment in oil is relatively small.

Each of these former powerhouses influences the market sometimes, but these days what's driving prices higher is a rush of new investors.

[read more at Energy Bulletin.]

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EIA (US Energy Info Admin) Annual Energy Outlook 2008
From the EIA website
The Annual Energy Outlook presents a projection and analysis of U.S. energy supply, demand, and prices through 2030. The projections are based on results from the Energy Information Administration’s National Energy Modeling System. The full [2008] publication, to be released at the end of May, 2008, will include complete documentation and additional cases examining energy markets.

Trends in energy supply and demand are affected by many factors that are difficult to predict, including energy prices, U.S. and worldwide economic growth, advances in technologies, and future public policy decisions both in the United States and in other countries. As noted in ...2007, energy markets are changing in response to readily observable factors, which include, among others: higher energy prices; the growing influence of developing countries on worldwide energy requirements; recently enacted legislation and regulations in the United States; changing public perceptions on issues related to emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases and the use of alternative fuels and; and the economic viability of various energy technologies.

Projections in the ...2008 reference case have been updated to better reflect trends that are expected to persist in the economy and in energy markets. For example, the projection for U.S. economic growth, a key determinant of U.S. energy demand, is lower in ...2008 than it was in ...2007, reflecting an updated assumption for productivity improvement. Other key changes in the ...2008 projections include:


Coal, liquid fuels (excluding the biofuels portion of total liquids supply), and natural gas meet 80 percent of total U.S. primary energy supply requirements in 2030—down from an 85-percent share in 2006, reflecting the incorporation of EISA2007 provisions, slower economic growth, higher energy prices, lower total energy demand, and increased use of renewable energy when compared with ...2007.  [visit EIA website for more information]

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Bernie Sanders wants to hear Your Story:  "How are gas prices affecting you?"
Issue May 14, 2008 - http://sanders.senate.gov
The Senate on Tuesday [May 13th] passed a measure cosponsored by Senator Bernie Sanders to suspend oil deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The measure would increase supplies and lower prices for gasoline and other fuels. Sanders said the vote to suspend the shipments until the end of the year was a first step by Congress to confront the gasoline price crisis. "The Senate voted to stop the Bush administration from continuing the absurd policy of adding 70,000 barrels of oil a day to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which already is 97 percent full," he said. "This is a small but important step forward in providing some relief to consumers who are paying record prices at the gas pump." 

Sanders, a member of both the Senate energy and environment committees, added that a comprehensive approach is needed to resolve the current energy crisis. “Long term, we must aggressively transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and foreign oil into energy efficiency and sustainable energy.  Short term, we must take some very immediate steps to protect the American people against the soaring prices of gas and oil.”

Bernie wants to hear your story.  Please take a moment and click here to watch a message from the senator about gas prices and you. [ed note: even if you are on dial-up, you can send the Senator your comments; the video, however, is harder to "enjoy."]

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Brattleboro Selectboard cuts Peak Oil Task Force
excerpts from article by BOB AUDETTE
Wednesday, May 7
BRATTLEBORO -- After thanking the Peak Oil Task Force for a job well done, the Selectboard disbanded the group with the caveat it might call on the members to pursue mitigation strategies to reduce the town's dependence on fossil fuels and cut down on its production of greenhouse gases.

The task force was formed in 2007 by the Selectboard to research the issue of peak oil and present a report to the town, which it did in March.

The original mandate for the task force was a two-step process, said Tim Stevenson, its chairman. The first step was to present its report. The second step was to develop mitigation strategies "In various areas of civic and public life," he said.
. . .

"If the Selectboard did nothing more than become a very vocal spokesbody for sustainability, energy efficiency, conservation, weaning ourselves away from fossil fuels and building a strong local economy, I would say bless you."

"I can see your group continuing to come up with mitigation strategies and educational information for the town," said Selectboard Chairman Dick DeGray. "But working in conjunction with (Brattleboro Climate Protection Director) Paul Cameron."
. . .

He suggested peak oil [task force] members meet with both Cameron and Post Oil Solutions to determine what steps should be taken next.
. . .

"It would be a big mistake and disservice to the citizens of this town if we were to do anything other than to encourage this group," said [Selectboard member Richard] Garant.

The board asked Sondag to invite Cameron to its next meeting on May 20 to discuss how the town can integrate the task force's findings with the work already being done. 

Environment

"We're all victims and beneficiaries of the environment. Global warming is an equal opportunity disaster."
- Stephen Morris  
 

- Robert Walker can be contacted through SERG - Sustainable Energy Resource Group

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Food

Water: It's what's for dinner
Food Security Requires New Approach to Water
By Thalif Deen [submitted by Jeff Jones of ACoRN]
UNITED NATIONS, May 23 (IPS) - The ongoing food crisis, characterised by growing shortages and rising prices of staple commodities, has far reaching implications for the world's scarce water resources, says a new study released here.

"More food is likely to come at a cost of more water use in agriculture," according to the report titled "Saving Water: From Field to Fork".

The emerging challenges facing the food sector include growing water scarcity; unacceptably high levels of under-nourishment; the proliferation of people who are overweight or obese; and of food that is lost or wasted in society.

"All these challenges mean that a narrow perspective on food security in terms of production and supply is no longer sufficient," the study notes.

It's time to take a broader perspective incorporating the steps from growing crops in the field to consuming a meal at home: "A field to fork perspective."

Jointly authored by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), in collaboration with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), the 26-page study points out that water will be a key constraint to food production -- "unless we change the way we think and act about water resources."
. . .

[read full article here.]
[see articles on water shortages/water as the "new oil" on Energy Bulletin]

It will take a lot more than gardening to fix our food system...
excerpts from article by Stan Cox
published May 30, 2008 on Common Dreams.
[. . .] A nationwide grow-your-own wave would send good vibes through society, ripples that could be greatly amplified by community and apartment-block gardening. But front- and backyard food, even if everyone grew it, would not cover the country’s produce needs, much less displace our huge volume of fresh-food imports.

We could, instead, plant every yard to wheat, corn, or soybeans, which would account only for a little over two percent of the US land sown to those crops. Other policies, like dispensing with grain-fed meat and fuel ethanol, would free up far more grain-belt land than that.
. . .

Essential for providing vitamins, minerals, and other compounds, a highly varied diet is important, and home gardens around the world help provide such a diet. But with a world population now approaching seven billion people and most good cropland already in use, only rice, wheat, corn, beans, and other grain crops are productive and durable enough to provide the dietary foundation of calories and protein.
. . .

[A]gribusiness’s attempts to defy natural rhythms and achieve industrial efficiency have been ecologically devastating. The biofuel craze, encouraged by subsidies that continue in the new Farm Bill, compounds the problem.
. . .

To repair the broken system that supplies the bulk of the nation’s diet will require Americans to step out of the garden and into the public arena. Beyond working to get a better Farm Bill passed five years from now, we have to work together to break the political choke-hold that agribusiness has on federal and state governments.

With land and wealth being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands (and with more prisoners than farmers in today’s America) we have actually reached a point at which land reform is as necessary here as it is in any nation of Latin America or Asia. Only when we get more people back on the land, working to feed people and not Monsanto, will the system have a chance to work. Most home gardeners know that the root of the problem is political, but the agricultural establishment would like nothing better than to see us spend all of our free time in our gardens and not in political dissent.  [read article here]

Why NOFA?
NOFA-Vermont's programs address agricultural education, social action, certification of organic producers and promotion of their products, community food security and technical education. Here's what they're doing to contribute to healthy, socially-just food systems in Vermont:

The FEED Program: integrates ag curriculum and organic foods into the public school systems.
Vermont Farm Share: brings fresh fruits and veggies to low-income Vermonters.
Technical Assistance: for gardeners, farmers and consumers interested in organics.
Dairy Technical Assistance: helping conventional farmers transition to organic.
Revolving Loans: lown interest loans to organic farmers.
Promotion: local organic produce, CSAs, farmers markets, and products.
Social Action: on ag issues
Apprentice and Willing Workers: helping apprentices connect with Vermont organic farms.
Vermont Organic Farmers: over 480 farms and processors were certified in 2007.

Consider supporting this vital work by becoming a member.  Contact info@nofavt.org for more information.

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Vermont community and school gardens in the news
from our friends at Vermont Community Garden Network/Burlington Friends of Gardens
As gardening season begins, local and statewide news stories are helping to grow the garden movement in Vermont. Here's a sampling of links to news articles and a letter to the editor:

http://www.7dvt.com/2008/quot-permaculture-quot-takes-root-burlington
"Permaculture takes root in Burlington"
May 7 - Seven Days - by Suzanne Podhaizer

http://www.fox44.net/Global/story.asp?s=8274248
"Stretching Your Dollar: How Your Garden Can Grow You Savings" -a feature on Burlington Area Community Gardens
May 5 - Fox 44 news - Burlington

http://www.vermontagriculture.com/Agriview/extra/2008/communitygardening.html
"Community Gardening in Saint Johnsbury"
April 28 - Agriview Web Extra - published by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080428/NEWS02/804280308/-1/NEWSWEEK&template=printart
"Old North End gardeners raise beds"
April 28 - Burlington Free Press - by Joel Banner Baird

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080418/NEWS02/804180310
"Burlington community garden hits block"
April 18 - Burlington Free Press - by John Briggs

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/OPINION/805090316/1006
"Thanks for story on community garden"
May 9 - Burlington Free Press letters to the editor
by Carol Ann Wooster

Health

 

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: We'd like 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."

Vt. bus ridership, carpooling rise with gas prices
published May 19, 2008, Times Argus
RICHMOND (AP) — The state's Park & Ride lot in Richmond was built for 105 vehicles, but on a typical morning, 130 or so are squeezed in.

Meanwhile, ridership on the Chittenden County Transit Authority buses is up 41 percent from five years ago.

Officials say the two trends are tied to one other: rising prices for gasoline and diesel fuel.
. . .

The state is hoping a temporary, gravel lot near the existing one in Richmond, big enough to handle another 60 cars, will take some of the pressure off.

And it's eyeing two possible sites for a new commuter lot near Exit 12 along Interstate 89 in Williston, [John] Zicconi [Agency of Transportation] said.

Karen Duguay, marketing manager of the Chittenden County Transit Authority, said that service's Link Express routes to Montpelier, Middlebury and St. Albans have grown increasingly popular.
. . .

Idle-Free VT update
from Wayne Michaud, Director of Idle-Free VT
On May 20 at University of Vermont's Farrell Hall, a meeting that could be a big step forward in the Vermont idle-free movement took place. The meeting was organized by Karen Glitman of the UVM Transportation Research Center. In this capacity, she heads the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition whose commitment is advancing "the economic, environmental and energy security of the U.S." through cutting back on "petroleum consumption in the transportation sector." Ms. Glitman called this meeting to brainstorm ways to move the idle-free movement forward.
. . .

The discussion centered around forming a coalition among the [attending] organizations... (and possibly others) to run a funded Vermont idling education campaign.
. . .

Mr. Wayne Michaud [Director, Idle-Free VT] read a statement about Idle-Free VT's latest strategies which included:
1) Getting a state agency to create and implement an anti-idling marketing and educational campaign similar to Canada's federal Idle-Free Zone, Don't Burn Vermont and Click It or Ticket.  

2) On a more grassroots, local level, notifying town energy committee organizers or the like to get town meeting article petitions placed on town warnings to pass no-idling resolutions. (This is the idea of Bob Walker of SERG. See more information and view a sample petition.)

Based on the feedback from this meeting, Ms. Glitman agreed to start the ball rolling on creating a funded Vermont idling education campaign!

New Idle-Free VT Advisor. Welcome to Bob Walker of SERG (Sustainable Energy Resource Group)  

Business Idle-Free. Our efforts were rewarded recently when Merchants Bank implemented an idling policy that includes notices posted at all branch drive up windows requesting that customers shut off their engines during a transaction to save gas and promote cleaner air. The notice mentions a referral to Idle-Free VT to learn more about idling.

Idle-Free VT online petition. Please sign the petition for the 2009 legislative session.  

Bring on the Bikes!
Some 130 million bikes were produced worldwide in 2007 -- more than double the number of cars rolling off assembly lines (52 million). Bike production took off in the 1970s, and after a brief dip, has been soaring since 2001, according to an ''Eco-Economy Indicators'' report issued Monday by the Earth Policy Institute.

Every Day Heroes Award
_{Mad River Valley Localvores}
Hats off to Mad River Valley Localvores for their "outside the box" thinking -- turning American Flatbread's Truck Sales into Benefit Buy Opportuntites, benefitting the entire community. Support for local business supports community sustainability. Three cheers!

Exerpted from a message from MRVLP: With the rapidly rising costs of food ingredients, local food producers are getting squeezed.  American Flatbread is no exception.  This well-loved organization with a heart of gold and unconditional generosity found itself with a warehouse of Flatbread due to recent weakening business conditions.  Out of necessity, they held a truckload sale on May 10th and another on May 24th at Lareau Farm - Home of American Flatbread.

The Mad River Valley Localvores turned this into an opportunity to say thank you to their wonderful American Flatbread neighbors. MRVLP said: "We all are familiar with the Benefit Bakes that Flatbread holds throughout the year to support local community organizations.  Let's think of this sale as a BENEFIT BUY and give something back to our Flatbread friends... stock up on Flatbreads for your freezer and tell George to 'keep the change' when you pay for them."

George Schenk wants to thank EVERYONE for the outpouring of support American Flatbread has received during these truckload sales! And special thanks to the MAD RIVER VALLEY LOCALVORE PROJECT for passing the word along.

Hearts of Gold all around... actions such as these are the foundations of sustainable communities.

As the Crow Flies:  Reports from Around the State
(If you are working on peak-oil related relocalization and sustainability efforts in Vermont and would like to network with other communities that are doing so, please contact us; you may also contact a regional group directly by using the information given below.)

ACoRN - Addison County Relocalization Network
ACORN is a cooperative response to an energy-constrained future. Our mission is to revitalize our local economy to help our communities provide sustainable sources of food, water, energy, employment and other essential resources, and to promote conservation and a healthy environment. (Mission Statement, Ratified January 2006)
ACoRN Localvore Potlucks continue, with topics often including info on sourcing local foods and supporting local producers.  The ACoRN Energy and general membership committees meet regularly.

ACoRN's energy committee has been largely focused on a farmer-directed oilseed production and processing initiative with several organic grain and dairy farmers in the county.  

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.

Visit ACoRN on line at acornvt.org  to find out about scheduled meetings, current projects, and Addison County resources. See their Local Food page!  ACoRN has also posted a  directory of Addison County's farmers, and a project catalog, where you can view their emerging and on-going relocalization projects.  Read about ACoRN's Community Generated Energy project and other energy initiatives here.  And, visit the ACoRN READING ROOM!

Bennington Sustainability Outpost
Bennington Sustainability Outpost: http://www.benningtonoutpost.net   Contact Scott: benningtonoutpost (at) gmail (dot) com
The BSO has public meetings on the third Thursday of the month.  There is usually a presentation relating to energy, sustainability and/or the Bennington region at our meetings. The BSO has been working with the Bennington County Regional Commission (BCRC) to look at energy depletion as it relates to county planning for commerce, transportation, zoning and more.  

Brookfield (formerly Route 12) Energy Group
A local energy group that is concentrating on working on reducing energy use of all kinds-electricity, home heating, transportation, etc in our community.  Conact Anita at:  anita (at) innevi.com
The group recently sponsored a well-attended energy efficiency workshop for members of the greater Randolph community.

CPON:  Cabot Peak Oil Network
CPON is focused on developing interfaces between farmers in Cabot.
Organic dairy farmers are aware of peak oil. Grass-fed dairy, beef and poultry are, from beginning to end, "sustainability."  This raises the question of what we feed chickens when "all you have is what you have."  CPON recommends Non Violent Communication training, a skill they feel we will need to facilitate good relationships in hard times; members of the larger community are engaged in this training.  For more information about CPON, contact Lee Blackwell:  leeb (at) pivot.net.  Lee is experimenting with Devons, a breed of cattle he feels are well-suited to Vermont, and welcomes your questions. Lee's "Blackwell Roots Farm" opened this fall... offering winter storage root veggies.  See blackwellroots.com for more info.

First Branch Sustainability Project (Tunbridge)
Meeting 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month.  Mission statement:  "Work together to maximize quality of life as we reduce dependency on oil."  Contact Henry at:  swayze (at) pngusa (dot) net  and visit the First Branch Sustainability Project on the VPON Community Pages.
First Branch organized a well-attended Sustainable Living Fair in Chelsea on April 12. You can keep abreast of First Branch developments on the FBSP pages.

Mad River Sustainability Group
Meets third Tuesday of the month at 5:30 p.m., with a topical discussion or event to kick off each meeting. For more information:  dennisd (at) hastingshill.com, or sign up to receive MRSG's announcements on topical events and news here.

Newbury/South Ryegate/Wells River Group
Come talk with us about local agriculture and energy, energy efficiency, and more.  Contact Brad & Linda: permabrooks (at) fairpoint.net
Brad and Linda have opened a Solar Store: Green Works, in Groton, Vermont. Route 302 in the village center. Visit Solar Stores website.
 
Plan C - Chittenden County Peak Oil Group
A group with representatives from Burlington, Charlotte, and Essex welcomes your input and participation.
Burlington area folks have joined forces with the Vermont Earth Institute to give rise to the Burlington-area Sustainable Living Network, embracing a wider focus (sustainable living, while promoting peak oil awareness). Burlington SLN members have offered a series of educational events this winter and early spring. See the VPON Calendar for details. Members from other Plan C communities often arrange events in their towns, or collaborate on existing local initiatives. Essex and Charlotte members are tabling for Vermont Peak Oil Network in Chittenden County Sustainability Fairs. Moshe Braner and Annie Dunn Watson have begun presenting a slide show with interactive component on Peak Oil and implications for Vermont; Braner also offers a presentation on Exponential Growth, its relationship to resource depletion, and the case for a steady state economy. For more information about Plan C events and presentations, please e-mail Plan C, or sign up for email announcements.

Post Carbon Sustainability Network (formerly Greater East Montpelier Peak Oil Group - GEMPOG)
Monthly open meetings. Film screenings and discussions frequently offered in the community; collaborative approach in regards to local sustainability efforts. Contact Carl Etnier at 223-2564 or email carl (at) etnier.net  for more information and travel directions. PCSN events are generally listed on the VPON Calendar. To sign up for email announcements about information and events of interest to PCSN members, go to GEMPOG email sign- up.
Carl Etnier's new radio show Relocalizing Vermont airs 8:30 – 10:00 am on Thursdays. If you can’t pull in WGDR on 91.1 FM, streaming is available.  Archived radio segments here. Carl promises to keep things interesting, current, and relevant. Tune him in on WGDR! Carl's blog Relocalizing Vermont (hosted on Vermont Commons) focuses on relocalizing the Vermont economy in a time of energy constraints brought on by peak oil and other factors. To "relocalize" is to return to local production of food, energy, and goods. Carl is also now writing an Energy Matters column for the Sunday Times Argus and Rutland Herald.  Archived Energy Matters columns can be found here.

Post Oil Solutions (Windham County)
POS is a Windham County group working to advance cooperative, sustainable communities in an age of global climate change and declining fossil fuels. Meeting in Brattleboro on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday evenings of the month, 7 p.m. 1st Wednesday: Rm 211, Paramount Bldg, Main St., Brattleboro; 3rd Wednesday: Rm 2 East, Marlboro School Grad Center, 28 Vernon, Brattleboro. Contact: info@postoilsolutions.org  Visit Post Oil Solutions at  www.postoilsolutions.org
Since early last fall, POS has been in the process of some major changes, all of which revolve around an understanding that we need to expand and grow if we are to have a decent chance of realizing our vision of becoming a region that can largely feed itself. Food sustainability, self-sufficiency, and security has always been at the core of what POS has been about, notwithstanding the projects we are also involved with around energy, transportation, education, and, very recently, a major initiative around developing a comprehensive post petroleum community health project.  See POS website for info about initiatives.

Although the Brattleboro Regional Peak Oil Task Force was recently disbanded by its Selectboard, the committee has issued its initial report. Read the report here.

POS has applied for and received its non-profit corporate status from Vermont, and is currently filing documents for 501 (c)3 status, which will help bring many more of its projects to light.

On-going POS and related community projects:
    Building Sustainable Communities (monthly forum)   
    Community Gardens
    A CSA in Every Town 
    2008 (Re)learning to Feed Ourselves workshops
    Windham Localvore Challenges
    Regional Food Sustainability Campaign
        - expanding current POS projects to regional level
        - food security
        - multi-purpose regional food sustainability center
    Winter Farmers' Market
    Windham Energy Group (WEG)
    Council of Elders/Mentoring/"Growing Local Children" Project
    Post-petroleum health project

Rutland Peak Oil Concerned
Meet with area folks who want to discuss Peak Oil and/or develop strategies to address the consequences of an oil depleted future - Contact Mike: SJF468 (at) aol (dot) com
Collaborating with RAFFL and the Rutland Sustainable Living Network.

St. Albans Peak Oil Aware
Looking at local food and sustainable lifestyles, increased self-sufficiency - contact Kelley:  kelleybilodeau (at) msn.com 

Vermont Peak Oil Political Action Group
Statewide membership from VPON as well as the community at large.  If you would like to receive notice of peak oil action opportunities (ranging from participation in "letters to the editor" flurries to engagement in legislative education efforts, and more), please sign up for future mailings here.
Members of the VPO-PAG have been working to craft a Vermont Peak Oil Report; see story, VPON January edition.

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