 A year ago, oil prices hit a record high of $147 a barrel. Since then, prices dropped almost 80% before rising to their current levels of around $66 a barrel. Though global oil production likely peaked last July, the first anniversary was largely lost in the fog of continued poor economic news, not to mention debates about important topics like healthcare and absurd ones, like whether or not Barack Obama was born in the United States.
This month Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg urges us to "celebrate" this anniversary by recognizing its true importance, Fellow Michael Shuman explains how some minor legal reforms could fuel re-investment in local economies, and Executive Director Asher Miller attempts to find some meaning in the ridiculous debate over President Obama's birth certificate.
In the meantime, Richard Heinberg's latest book, Blackout: Coal, Climate, and the Last Energy Crisis, is called "the scariest book you'll ever read" by Grist.
And as usual, in this month's newsletter we summarize the most thought-provoking content from Energy Bulletin, plus updates from Transition US.
But first, we want to announce some exciting changes and updates, including new Fellows and staff, an expanded Speakers Bureau, our new online bookshelf, and new features for Energy Bulletin...
Photo: wools/flickr
Contents
1. New Fellows
As part of Post Carbon's new direction, we're adding more experts to our team to help people make sense of the new challenges of the unfolding post-carbon world. We're pleased to welcome the following colleagues as our newest Post Carbon Fellows:
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Bill Sheehan co-founded the Product Policy Institute in 2003 and serves as its Executive Director. After developing, with Helen Spiegelman, an historical analysis that showed how municipal recycling and waste management enables the producers of throw-away and toxic products and packaging, Bill spent the last four years working with local governments, communities and NGOs to bring extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies to the U.S., to spur green product design... |
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Erika Allen is Projects Manager for Growing Power. As the daughter of Will Allen, she has a small farm agricultural background and experience. She spent her formative years involved in all aspects of farm management from transplanting seedlings to managing farm stands and farmer's markets. Ms. Allen has received her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and recently received her MA in art therapy from the University of Illinois at Chicago... |
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Tom Whipple is one of the most highly respected analysts of peak oil issues in the United States. A retired 30-year CIA analyst who has been following the peak oil story since 1999, Tom is the editor of the daily Peak Oil News and the weekly Peak Oil Review, both published by the Association for the Study of Peak Oil-USA. He is also a weekly columnist on peak oil issues for the Falls Church News Press. Tom has degrees from Rice University and the London School of Economics. |
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2. New Staff
As Post Carbon continues to develop its new direction we are delighted to announce the addition of two new members of the team:
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Ken White, Development Director
A graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government's mid-career program, Ken has worked with nonprofits for nearly two decades...He was the executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, a citizen-led organization working for truly representative government. Prior to that, he directed communications for the Annenberg Institute for School Reform and Coalition of Essential Schools, and held similar posts with Oxfam America and the Institute for Defense & Disarmament Studies. |
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Tod Brilliant, Communications Director
Tod brings a strong background in message production and business strategy. As a writer, producer and strategist, he has recently worked on projects for Converse, Scout Productions, Sundance Channel, Microsoft and others. Prior to joining the Post Carbon team, Tod founded Drop City Media, an artisanal production company that specializes in media of all types for screens of all sizes. Before that, he co-founded Roshambo Winery/Gallery. |
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3. Expanded Speakers Bureau
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We're very excited to announce that a number of our Fellows have joined the PCI Speakers Bureau--13 to be exact, with more on the way. Dynamic, entertaining, and informative, they are each excellent presenters. So, if your community wants to learn more about any of a number of critical issues (coal, re-skilling, urban food production, peak oil and health, local government, resilient communities, local economies, and a slew of more), we're here to help. |
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4. New Online Bookshelf
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Between them, our Fellows have written over 50 books on topics ranging from climate, ecological design, ecological literacy, economics, energy, environmental stewardship, health, transportation, water, and more. So we thought to put them all in one place on an Online Bookshelf, along with others from friends and partners, as a resource. Happy reading! |
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5. Energy Bulletin now with media
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An update of Energy Bulletin was released in July. The site now includes multimedia and other new features. View a list of Featured Media content on Energy Bulletin.
Going forward, find new media content from our regular contributors including Reality Report, Peak Moment Television and Crop to Cuisine on Energy Bulletin. The Global Public Media archive will continue to be available. |
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6. Latest Commentaries and Articles
7. Fellows in the Media
 Heinberg's new book 'Blackout' reviewed on Grist
There isn't nearly as much coal left as most people think. "Clean coal" will run down limited reserves even faster. If humanity doesn't begin massive, sustained investment in renewable power sources immediately, civilization could be at risk before the end of the century. And that's without considering the impacts of climate change... Read more
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 Rob Hopkins, a speaker at TEDGlobal 2009
Hopkins outlines the qualities of the transition response: viral, open-source, self-organizing, solutions-focused, sensitive to place and scale, learns from its mistakes and is a joyful process... Read more
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 Anthony Perl interviewed in The Province (Canada)
Perl noted that Vancouver wants to be a green city and to encourage walking and electric cars. Employing a pedestrian advocate who builds pedestrians' needs into city projects and planning — much like Portland does, south of the border — is one solution.... Read more
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8. Energy Bulletin highlights
A selection of articles and media appearing this month at our partner site Energy Bulletin.
Energy Bulletin Featured Articles
 San Francisco peak oil task force report
by San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force
In March 2009 the the San Francisco Peak Oil Preparedness Task Force published its report on the city's vulnerability to peak oil and gas. The report acknowledges the threat to San Francisco from peak oil and gas and includes a raft of recommendations.... Read more |
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 Energy descent and transition in Mexico, part 1
by Holger Hieronimi
"In Mexico nothing happens, until it happens." This is an old proverb here, and it can also easily apply to the current situation. Everything feels tranquilo and smooth, as if it is nothing out of the ordinary... Read more |
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 Debt, oil and healthcare reform
by Dan Bednarz, PhD
Congressman John Conyers recently quipped that most healthcare reform proposals circulating in Washington are a "cacophony of crap" that evade acknowledging medical care as a human right... Read more
Photo: Brooks Elliott/flickr |
Energy Bulletin Featured Media
 Reality Report: Interview with Noah Raford
Noah Raford is an urban planner and the Director of Space Syntax Limited in North America...This show discusses how complex social systems become inflexible, leading to their collapse, and what strategies individuals aware of collapse might use to cope. |
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 Crop to Cuisine: Local Food Resources
In this episode Carol O'Meara provides us with words of wisdom when it comes to growing potatoes. Wendy White introduces the 25th annual Colorado Farm Fresh Directory. Jennifer Olson illustrates the important relationship between farmers and chefs through photography. |
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 Peak Moment 147: A Geodesic Greenhouse — Year-Round Gardening at 6000 Feet
In Colorado it's cold for much of the year, but inside this cozy dome greenhouse, the plants are growing happily. Take a grand tour with Buckhorn Gardens manager and permaculturist Breigh Peterson. |
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9. Transition US update
A monthly update from the US regional hub of the international Transition Towns movement.
| Transition US welcomed two new Official Transition Initiatives in the US, bringing the total to thirty-five: Hardwick Area Transition Towns in Vermont and Transition Whidbey in Washington. Check out the initiatives map and learn more about becoming an Official Transition Initiative. |
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| Throughout the month, stories are posted from Transition Initiatives about some of the wonderful projects they are working on. Below is one: |
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 Transition in Oklahoma Gathering Steam: Ever since our training in Albuquerque, things seem to be gathering steam. Two weeks ago, several of our members met with a local former minister, Kyle Maxwell, now executive director of the statewide group Oklahoma Disciples Foundation, Inc., to brainstorm on the best ways to engage the faith-based community... Read more.
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October 24 - Day of Climate Action
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 Since Bill McKibben's letter has circulated among the transition community, Transition US has been encouraging initiatives to hold "teach-ins" on October 24 -- introductions to Transition in each local community. Teaching about climate change, the significance of the number 350, about peak oil and the combined effect with climate change, about the lifestyle changes necessary to achieve that 350 goal, and how transition relates to all of these areas. Read more about organizing a teach-in. |
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| Job opportunity: |
| Transition US is recruiting for a Director of Development & Outreach. View here for more information. |
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| For more updates on Transition, read our newsletter and subscribe to our mailing list. |
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10. Events
Featured Events
 Climate Change and the Connections that Bind Us
August 14, Berkley, CA
Post Carbon Fellow and board member of the Center for Ecoliteracy David Orr, will discuss his new book, Down to the Wire: Confronting Climate Collapse (Oxford University Press, 2009)...
For more information on this event see www.ecoliteracy.org. |
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 ASPO 2009 International Peak Oil Conference
October 11-13, Denver, CO
Post Carbon Fellow Chris Martenson will be speaking on the final day of the conference. Reflecting on a tumultuous year of major swings in the price of oil and the world economy, the ASPO 2009 International Peak Oil Conference zeros in on the vital links between oil and money.
For more information on this event see www.aspo-usa.com/2009denver/. |
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 Bioneers Conference 2009
October 16-18, San Rafael, CA
The Bioneers 2009 conference brings together social and scientific innovators to focus on solutions inspired by nature and human ingenuity. Among the speakers will be Post Carbon Fellows Bill Ryerson and David Orr.
For further event information see www.bioneers.org. |
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