Post Carbon Newsletter #36 February 2008

1. Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Senior Fellow
2. Post Carbon Cities
3. Global Public Media
4. Relocalization Network
5. Energy Farms Network
6. Forthcoming Events
7. March Preview

1. Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Senior Fellow

Post Carbon Institute is pleased to announce that Richard Heinberg is now a full-time, paid, Senior Fellow. Richard has been collaborating with Post Carbon Institute since its inception in 2003. Richard has written four seminal books on Peak Oil and related topics: The Party's Over, Powerdown, The Oil Depletion Protocol, and Peak Everything. At Post Carbon Institute he will be devoting his time to writing, research, thinking, public speaking and the strategic direction of the organization. Watch for Richard's upcoming article in HopeDance and his monthly column in the Ecologist.

2. Post Carbon Cities

Many U.S. cities have plans in place to reduce greenhouse gases, and a growing number are planning for declining global oil production. But the City of Spokane (pop. 199,400) in eastern Washington has become the first to tackle climate change and global oil depletion together, marking a new step in local government responses to these increasingly urgent challenges.

Post Carbon Cities' Daniel Lerch spoke at the February 6th launch of Spokane's new sustainability strategic planning effort focused on climate change and energy security. The city will be forming its citizen task force in the next month.

And in other news, Post Carbon Cities is honored to be among the Top Ten Websites of 2008, as named by the readership at Planetizen.com. Planetizen is one of our favorite sites, too -- it's widely regarded as the web portal for planners and urbanists of all stripes. Thank you, Planetizen, and everyone who voted for us!

Photo credit: Spokane by pgauthier 2005

3. Global Public Media

New this month on Global Public Media:

4. Relocalization Network

Thanks to all those who responded to the offer of complimentary resource bundles for education and action, announced in the last newsletter, courtesy of Post Carbon Books. We've sent more than fifty bundles to groups all over the world, from North America to Ireland to India to Australia and New Zealand. Visit the website to learn about how groups are planning to put them to use!

Big Sur Powerdown will be holding their next community meeting/potluck and movie this Thursday, Feb 21^st at the local grange hall. They've formed a partnership with the local Grange, which is a great way to outreach if there's an active Grange in your vicinity. The Grange was often the community center for farming communities during the late 19th century and into the 20th. Though the movement has shrunk considerably, in 2005, the Grange had a membership of 300,000 with organizations in 3,600 communities in 37 states. For more on Big Sur's partnership with the local Grange, read this article.

If you're a serious gardener, you know it's never too early to start getting ready for the next growing season. Paths to a Sustainable Future in Milwaukee, WI are busy planning for their 2008 Plant and Seed Swap for this coming May. Seed swaps are a great way for people to share heirloom varieties that did well in their gardens the preceding year and keep broadening the number of gardeners and farmers using these precious seeds.

Local Action for a Sustainable Tomorrow (LAST) in Sequim, WA are preparing for their upcoming Making It Last! Sustainability Event that is scheduled for March 21 & 22. The keynote speaker on Friday, March 21 is Eric Corey Freed, an award-winning architect who will be talking on "The Inevitable Future of Our Buildings: The Emerging Field of Green Building." And on Saturday, there will be workshops, exhibits, computer recycling, and a solar-powered car.

If you or your group is interested in joining the Relocalization Network and building a strong and collaborative network of community groups, contact us.

Subscribe to the monthly Relocalize Newsletter and visit www.relocalize.net to stay current with all the Relocalization Network activities!

Featured Post Carbon Group: Methow Valley (Twisp), Washington

Partnership for a Sustainable Methow (PSM), now entering its 10th year, endeavors to weave together the strands of sustainable culture, including renewable energy, resource cycling, a stable human population, and ecological literacy in the local community.

PSM publishes Sustinere – A Practical Journal of Sustainable Community (three issues per year), which addresses all aspects of sustainable culture, from local to global. (see link below to subscribe)

PSM hosts an annual volunteer-driven Community Harvest Dinner with the goals of building community, helping Methow residents connect with local growers, supporting our local economy, and fundraising to support our programs. Our last Harvest Dinner in October 2007 was a resounding success with over 300 people in attendance. All food and drink was produced locally, with the exception of olive oil and salt!

We also run a year-round educational program called "Sustainability Series," offering a broad spectrum of classes and presentations designed to inspire and educate about living sustainably. Upcoming topics include:

• A "State of the World, State of the Watershed" presentation
• A Bee Keeping Course
• An Edible Weeds Class
• Instruction on Pruning Fruit Trees
• and more!

PSM also co-ordinates sustainable home and farm tours and support two community projects – Classroom in Bloom (an organic garden at the local school, which provides outdoor education and fresh produce that is served in the school cafeteria) and Red Shed (an organic garden that provides fresh produce to the local food bank).

Another upcoming project is our Local Skills, Goods and Services Directory, which will catalog all of our local farmers and organic growers, service providers, artisans, builders and other skilled folks – providing them with an opportunity to get the word out about what they offer, and increasing opportunities for residents of the Methow Valley to support our local economy.

Visit our website, www.sustainablemethow.net, for details about our current projects!

5. Energy Farms Network

Brookside Farm

February marks the beginning of the agricultural season for Brookside Farm in Willits, California. Mid-winter rain and snow has soaked the land, yet sunny weather in the middle of the February is allowing the loam soil to drain so that we can begin preparation of our earliest spring crops of peas and spinach. The work we are able to accomplish in the late winter will mean a few weeks of early produce for new subscribers to the CSA at Brookside. We are excited to have made partnerships with Brookside Elementary School and the neighboring pre-school to get our produce to the cafeteria and the students!

With the winter writing and research drawing to a close, we are eager to get back outside and into the greenhouse. No doubt, we will spend some quality time with the GlaserHoe and Broadfork - two tools that we know are up to the challenge of a Post Carbon era. These tools are appropriate for small-scale vegetable production and can be acquired with minimal capital investment. What is also great about these tools is that they are effective for bed preparation and weed cultivation and do not use fossil fuels or create added pollution. Be sure to check out Jason Bradford's latest offering: Ecological Economics and Intense Vegetable Cultivation - you will never think of your lawn the same way again!

Sebastopol Energy Garden

The rainwater system is complete. We have now constructed a branched drain which directs overflow rainwater, and grey water (pending approval), to fruit tree mulch basinswhich will retain the water. This is in preparation for a dry summer. You can see our report on the water system at http://www.energyfarms.net/node/1493. In the coming weeks we will be planting perennials and starting seeds to plant in spring.

6. Forthcoming Events

February 26 - 27
Energy Design Conference and Workshop
Duluth, MN, USA

The 18th annual Energy Design Conference and Workshop will have a selection of quality seminars and workshops on the wise use of energy resources for professionals, educators, students, and homeowners.

February 28
RESET CONFERENCE 2008
The Living Rainforest near Newbury, Berkshire, UK

Humanitarian Impacts of Climate Change and Peak Oil

March 3 - 4
IISD CONFERENCE: A WAY FORWARD: CANADIAN AND INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON POST-2012 CLIMATE POLICY
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The purpose of the conference is to examine the scope and implications of the Action Plan agreed at the 2007 UN Climate Change Conference. The meeting will aim to increase international understanding of key Canadian sensitivities and concerns, and Canadian understanding of international perspectives in regard to the emerging climate change regime.

March 3 - 7
Washington International Renewable Energy Conference
Washington, DC, USA

The U.S. Government will host the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) at the Washington, DC Convention Center on March 4-6, 2008. The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE), and the leading U.S. renewable energy trade associations will host the concurrent Trade Show, which is anticipated to be the largest business to business and business to government conference and exposition ever held on renewable energy in the U.S.

March 5
Massachusetts Environmental Education Society Annual Conference
Worcester, MA, USA

This year's conference focuses on Energizing EE and Going Green. The Conference will help educators plug into Environmental Education with GREEN hot topics, concepts, impacts and solutions. Download the full brochure and registration form. Schedule (view the workshop matrix)

March 11 - 13
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association's BuildingEnergy08
Seaport World Trade Center, Boston, MA, USA

Conference and trade show for renewable energy and green building professionals.

March 12
Green Feast
The Living Rainforest, Berkshire, UK

Food is a hot topic, with consumers advised to make ethical food choices, like 'organic', 'fair trade' and 'rainforest friendly'. Explore the different and sometimes conflicting meanings of 'sustainable food' with leading experts in the field.

March 12 - 14
Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit
Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI, USA

The fifth annual Wisconsin Renewable Energy Summit for 2008 is titled "Green Jobs" Growing Wisconsin's Economy. The focus of the Summit will be on the role that renewable energy, such as wind power, solar energy, geothermal, green buildings and bio-energy technologies will play in supporting Wisconsin's economic well being. Renewable energy in Wisconsin has the potential to produce 35,000 jobs in the next 10 years.

March 12 - 14
GLOBE 2008
Vancouver, BC, Canada

North America's largest international gathering of senior representatives from the public, private and NGO sectors involved in the business of the environment. High level dialogues about pressing environmental issues such as corporate sustainability, energy and climate change, finance, and building better cities.

March 26-30
The Future of Our Shared Environment - Today
The Aspen Institute, Aspen, CO, USA

Participants will begin Day One: Scenes from a Changing Planet by examining the latest research and theories about the environment, move into a discussion of the issues and opportunities in the field on Day Two: Questions, Limits and Challenges, and culminate on Day Three: Environmentally Sustainable Solutions with an in-depth look at the best current approaches to environmental problems.

March 27-28
Bioenergy North America 2008
Chicago, IL, USA

In-depth analysis of the key issues in emerging bioenergy markets including energy security, food security, climate change and sustainable development.

March 31 - April 2
Skills for Sustainability: Putting the Pieces Together
University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

As the key annual sustainability event for UK Further and Higher Education, this important conference will encourage and inspire to identify essential skills and knowledge and go on to equip them to embed skills for sustainability in their own staff and students.

7. March 2008 Preview

Solar-powered car sharing services.