This morning I read with some dismay yet another polarised argument about climate change between a ‘denier’ and a ’scaremonger’. Irrespective of my own view of the subject – which incidentally comes down firmly on the side of pragmatism. I don’t give a monkey’s if I’m proved wrong in 20 years time; let’s not take any risks with our kid’s future right now – I’m particularly disappointed to see this tribalism around the subject. I thought it was clear to anybody paying attention that there is not a single problem that we’re currently facing and there’s certainly not a single solution.
In it he talks about the ‘foregone conclusion’ that the Copenhagen summit was going to fail because our global climate policies (or lack thereof) come about because the global economy is predicated by robust economic growth and no politician that wants to be re-elected dares to introduce policies that force us to reduce this consumption.
He goes on further to detail what he calls 5 game ending issues facing us at present, namely:
Topsoil erosion
Water scarcity
Loss of biodiversity
Potential death of the oceans
Climate change
…plus of course the short-term issues that we face with dwindling fossil fuel reserves and a global financial economy (still) on the edge of collapse.
He suggests (hopes!) – like many others – that any solutions will come about at a local level through initiatives like the Transition movement & Community Supported Agriculture and that fossil fuel based energy needs to be treated as the precious commodity that it is and be priced accordingly.
Will it be enough?
Well, I’m of the opinion that what is very likely to occur if we don’t try and ‘be the change’ doesn’t bear thinking about. It’s simply not a viable option to do nothing or to continue to argue for business as usual whatever your opinions are on the minutiae of the science relating to any one of the many issues that we face.
Yet another fabulous book chomped through last week. The author is the same woman who writes a very inspirational blog aimed at normal family folk like me and you but focused on the annoying fact that we in the rich west must change our naughty power hungry ways.
Sharon Astyk’s book ‘Depletion and Abundance: Life on the New Home Front‘ (or ‘One Woman’s Solutions to Finding Abundance for your Family While Coming to Terms with Peak Oil, Climate Change and Hard Times’) is a great read, an easy read and a truely life-changing read as it enables one to work out a personal transition plan (to a low energy future) with happiness and without hardship.
She’s a great author and I really like her slightly witty style. She’s made a name for herself simply by virtue of the fact that she is one of the only female contributors to the world of Peak Oil writings.
Her blog is great too and despite having a time-depleted lifestyle with the all the low-energy choices she’s now making (growing food, burning wood, not driving too much) and four young children to look after she still writes great posts which as a fellow peak oil worried bloggin’ mama provides huge amounts of inspiration, tips and food for thought.
I’m already looking forward to reading her new book “A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil”
A Nation of Farmers: Defeating the Food Crisis on American Soil, written with Aaron Newton, will be forthcoming in March of 2009. Our present agricultural system depends on heavy inputs of increasingly expensive and scarce fossil fuels, and is exacerbating our current world food crisis. It warms the planet and depletes soil and water and contributes to every major problem we face. Meanwhile, 100 million people have joined the starving and one in every 10 Americans requires food stamps to sustain them. But that doesn’t have to be the case – agriculture could help us regenerate our society. We explore the possibility – and urgent necessity of creating a truly sustainable food system. There is a short excerpt here: http://henandharvest.com/?p=166. The book will be available for preorder shortly.
Oof, punch in the stomach time. Well that’s how I felt after watching What a Way to Go last night. I still have the phrase “There is no happy chapter” echoing in my head…
Initially I thought it was Yet Another Peak Oil Movie but it soon became apparent that it was much more. It’s like a two hour poem with a documentary sandwiched in between that covers not only (what we’re finding to be) standard peak-oil theory but also a great deal on climate change, population growth, water shortage and – this is where it’s unique compared to the other things we’ve consumed on the subject – it goes into considerable detail into the root causes of the problem and likens our collective denials of the evident problems to a herd-like hallucination.
I have seen a number of films on Peak Oil, climate change and the other ills of our society and planet (yes, even Nobel Laureate Al Gore’s Oscar-winning “An Inconvenient Truth”), but none has moved me so much as this one. While it does include some facts and figures, it primarily deals with the human psyche—the emotional and spiritual pain experienced by those living in, or victims of, industrially civilized countries. The film builds a deep emotional and spiritual connection between the viewer and the planet on which we live, and the fellow creatures of all forms with whom we share life on this planet. It becomes clear that the suffering we experience as humans is shared by the entire biosphere. Because of the beliefs which have entrapped us, we are alienated not only from nature, but from each other and, indeed, from our true internal nature. What we have done to our planet we have also done to ourselves.
….
“What a Way to Go” is a two-hour poem of great power and beauty. It is the story of a personal journey, yet a journey that is also deeply universal. A journey that encompasses ignorance, awareness, fear, depression, denial, grief and despair. But when denial can no longer be maintained, and grief and despair can no longer be endured, there remain two options. Once is self-destruction; the other action. The narrator chooses action.
Action. There’s that word again. Soon we’ll finish the sitting on ass preparation phase of our coming journey and get into action. I tell you it can’t come soon enough.
“If we don’t change the direction we’re going, we’re likely to end up where we are headed.” -Chinese Proverb
p.s. If you do watch it then see if you can spot the most unfortunate jumper ever. Trust me you’ll know it when you see it.
Thanks to the continuing wonders of Twitter I stumbled across EnergyBulletin.net today. The offending tweet (thanks Ed) contained a link to one of its articles (which is superb) but it’s the peak oil primer that really caught my eye.
Of all the reading we’ve done I’d say that this was the most succinct and easily accessible I’ve seen. It’s an excellent place to start and is packed full of links to continue research afterwards.
I couldn’t help but note this under the What can be done? section:
Intentional Community (IC) is an inclusive term for ecovillages, cohousing, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives and other related projects and dreams… ICs represent one of the sanest ways of dealing with energy peak.
If you’re looking for a quick intro to the subject, this is it.
I stumbled across the PowerSwitch website this evening which seems to have a well supported forum and lots of UK specific Peak Oil background information.
When confronted with the implications of the decline of global oil supplies, it can initially be terrifying to any individual. With the foreknowledge of this scenario, you can take steps to minimise your exposure to the problems that will come.
PowerSwitch has put together this Personal Energy Descent Plan to help you develop your own approach for preparing for the oil and gas decline. We have kept it simple, enough to give you ideas and directions on what to do with your knowledge of Peak Oil. You can’t expect yourself to implement this all in a hurry, but you will be at an advantage by preparing early. It will not be easy, but it will be rewarding.
A lot of this will involve measures not absolutely necessary now, but which will get you ready for when it is. You may even wonder why you should start ‘doing without’, especially since any pressure you relieve off the system will be used up by others. It is all about preparing yourself and your expectations.
This is all presented as a list but an entire book on this subject can be written. No such specific book exists yet, but the good thing is that there are many books out there that cover the different aspects of this plan.
There are many people taking the Energy Descent Road, willing to offer help and advice. You may find them in your family, your local community or even on the Internet in places such as the PowerSwitch forum.
It’s an excellent document. I think we should try the no power for 24 hours one soon, though that does sound *really* hard.
Unsuprisingly the trailer conveys a positive message and uses words like local, hope, resiliance & solutions. The movie premieres on Friday 22nd May as a live web broadcast which is, incidentally, the same day that we’re hoping to be in Bristol attending @robeam’s The Age Of Stupid screening at a pub in Totterdown.
A great 25 minute interview (edging towards diatribe) by David Holmgren co-originator of the permaculture concept. He is very eloquent and succinct in his summary of peak oil & where permaculture fits in though you’ll probably get most benefit from watching this if you’ve already a grasp of the basic concepts.
Of particular interest is his comparison between now and the 1930’s depression (around 4:45). He goes against the accepted wisdom that artificially increased economic activity (lets call that spending) in a Keynsyan-like orgy will pull the world out of depression much like it did in the 30’s where – arguably – the 2nd world war dragged the US back from the economic brink. He argues that back then it was in a context of massively increasing energy availability and that now the direct opposite is true so we can’t rely on things panning out the same way.
Last night we watched by far the most positive video we’ve seen on energy decline called How Cuba Survived Peak Oil. It describes how Cuba survived a sudden huge reduction in available oil when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990.
It’s really well produced, I urge you to watch it.
Albert Bates has produced a well written, very accessible and positive book. It gives an excellent summary of the accepted peak-oil theories but, more importantly, the majority of the text provides solutions and suggestions. The recipes don’t get in the way as they appear in the margins but they are interesting nonetheless. Though I’m not sure whether I’m ready to make grasshopper quesadillas yet.
Recommeneded if you’re looking for a positive and well-rounded introduction to peak-oil theory and permaculture.
He has a wealth of experience in the Intentional Community scene and has a lot of practical knowledge to share. But, most importantly to me, he’s also very positive about what may happen in the coming years. For example:
Q: I wanted to start by asking about something I’ve heard you say in other interviews.A lot of other people, even some of the cheery folks, tend to talk about peak oil specifically in really gloomy, sad terms.You tend to talk about it as a potentially positive development for humankind, and I wondered if you could talk about why.
A: There are a few reasons behind that I think everybody at some point has to go through the process of having the realization.That may come as kind of a rude awakening, or it may come as “Aha, I told you so!”, but at some point everybody goes through it. It tends to deepen as time goes on, and people have their own periods of weeping and gnashing the teeth, but then you have to cope, you have to get up and do something about it. I think the more important thing is to have an attitude that something can still be done. You can’t exclude the possibility that the future is still malleable, that there is still an opportunity for positive change if we exert our capacity or our abilities to do that.
I need to buy a tent with enough space for a 6 footer and rucksack. Was thinking cotton/canvas. Any recommendations other than army surplus? 1 week ago
