 There's no lack of solutions being proposed for the global economic crisis. Ideas similarly abound on how to best solve the energy, climate, food, water, and other various resource crises facing the world today.
No matter what the proposal, however, the devil's in the details. In this month's newsletter we feature a number of articles that explore the complexity of solving these unprecedented global challenges:
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Post Carbon Board President Debbie Cook describes the stark financial realities of desalinating seawater to supply thirsty Southern California. |
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Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg continues a three-part series on the energy it takes to produce oil, ethanol and other fuels: the concept of "energy returned on energy invested" (EROEI). |
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And Executive Director Asher Miller weighs in on the challenging relationship between climate change and peak oil activism, and some recent surprising comments by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. |
But to start off, we'd like to share with you some exciting developments underway at Post Carbon Institute.
Photo: ooOJasonOoo/flickr
 Post Carbon Institute has evolved its mission in response to the rapidly unfolding global economic and environmental crises. We're looking beyond peak oil to the wide diversity of challenges facing humanity: among them, the depletion of fresh water and arable land, the steady increase of global population (and with it, consumption), and of course, the regularly-worsening predictions for climate change. With Post Carbon's new direction, we aim to be the leading think tank for the great transition now upon us — the transition to a post-growth, post-oil, climate-changed world. Read our new Manifesto, which succinctly outlines our view of the problems and solutions at hand. Here's an excerpt: The United States is in the beginning stages of an historic economic collapse. As of early 2009, five million Americans have already been pushed into the unemployment line, while an average of more than 600,000 join them each month. The Federal government has thrown more than a trillion dollars at the financial crisis, but the symptoms only worsen. Meanwhile, an even more profound crisis has been silently gathering for decades and is now reaching a point of no return. This crisis manifests as the twin challenges of global fossil fuel depletion and environmental collapse. Our 21st century dependence on 20th century hydrocarbon energy (fossil fuels) is the root of all the economic and environmental threats we face. Individually, each of these challenges would test us. Their combined force will reshape our planet and society in unimaginable ways. All of the debts for society's century-long industrial fiesta are coming due at the same time. We have no choice but to transition to a world no longer dependent on fossil fuels, a world made up of communities and economies that function within ecological bounds. Thus the most important question of our time: How do we manage the transition to a post-carbon world? Read more...
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As part of our new direction, we're adding more experts to our team and producing new reports and books to help people make sense of the global transition. We're pleased to welcome the following colleagues as our newest Post Carbon Fellows:
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Michael Bomford, Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Organic Vegetable Production, Kentucky State University |
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Gloria Flora, Founder and Director, Sustainable Obtainable Solutions
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Rob Hopkins, Co-Founder, Transition Network (UK)
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John Kaufmann, Senior Analyst, Oregon (US) Department of Energy (John was previously a Senior Associate with our Post Carbon Cities project.) |
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Bill Ryerson, President, Population Media Center
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We're also expanding the leadership of Post Carbon Institute. We're pleased to welcome Allison Quaid as our newest board member. Allison has spent the last fifteen years promoting environmental sustainability by working with more than 500 local governments, non-profits and businesses across the U.S while at ICLEI and Flex Your Power. She is currently Chief Eco-Catalyst of Creative Eco-Catalysts, an environmental consulting and social marketing communications firm.
We'll be announcing more new Fellows and Board members next month - stay tuned.
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 How can we continue feeding humanity in a future of declining resources and environmental crisis? Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg and Fellow Michael Bomford have authored a new report tackling this complex problem. The Food & Farming Transition: Toward a Post Carbon System explores the growing vulnerabilities of the U.S. food system, and the steps needed to transition to a system no longer dependent on fossil fuels. From the report: The American food system rests on an unstable foundation of massive fossil fuel inputs. It must be reinvented in the face of declining fuel stocks. The new food system will use less energy, and the energy it uses will come from renewable sources. We can begin the transition to the new system immediately through a process of planned, graduated, rapid change. The unplanned alternative-reconstruction from scratch after collapse-would be chaotic and tragic... Our new food system will require more farmers, smaller and more diversified farms, less processed and packaged food, and less long-distance hauling of food. Governments, communities, businesses, and families each have important parts to play in reinventing a food system that functions with limited renewable energy resources to feed our population for the long term... Read more...
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Read the latest commentaries by our Fellows, Board and staff anytime on the front page of our website. Here are some selections from the last month:
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Hot, Flat, and Confused
Asher Miller • March 8, 2009
I was invited to a small gathering (about 150 people) on Friday afternoon to hear a presentation by Tom Friedman, based on his latest book Hot, Flat, and Crowded... Read more
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Desalination: Energy Down the Drain
Debbie Cook • March 2, 2009
Make no mistake, California has a serious water crisis. But it cannot be addressed in isolation of our energy crisis. The problem... Read more
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The Climate/Peak Oil Divide
Asher Miller • March 17, 2009
Last Friday I was on a radio program called Terra Verde with Tom Stokes from the Climate Crisis Coalition to discuss whether or not... Read more
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 Transition US continues to break new ground and inspire communities to take action towards addressing peak oil and climate change. Expect a robust new website mid-April along with features in national press, and many activities from new and emerging initiatives... Read more
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A selection of articles appearing at Energy Bulletin this month.The Great Outdoors: Energy depletion.... and camping! by Paul Mobbs  The Great Outdoors arose out of ideas developed from the "Free Range Network's Less is a Four Letter Word" initiative. We had to solve the problem of communicating the need for change encapsulated in the question, "in a world of excess consumption and luxury, how do you develop a means of teaching people to live simply?"... Read morePhoto: msspider66/flickrThe lost art of bodging by Amanda Kovattana  Bodging describes the act of creating things from a mish mash of available materials in a makeshift workshop. Derived from the term to bodge which specifically refers to the turning of tree branches into chair legs using a foot operated lathe. Such free materials as a bodger might use, today, can be found in the form of recyclables left on the curb and the rapidly disappearing "big trash" day... Read moreThe population problem by Michael Lardelli  Population growth lies at the core of all questions of "sustainability". It is growth of the human population and the increasing resources that it requires that drives the destruction of habitats, the increasing levels of pollution (especially CO2), and the accelerating depletion of finite resources. It is impossible to stop exacerbating these problems if we do not stop... Read morePhoto: World Resources Institute/flickr
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MuseLetter: Energy Limits to Growth - Part III: Integrating Energy Sources
A process for designing the energy system to meet society's future needs must start by recognizing the practical limits and potentials of the available energy sources. |
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Terra Verde: Interview with Asher Miller and Tom Stokes
The depletion of oil and other finite resources is often forgotten when pondering environmental solutions. Post Carbon Institute Executive Director Asher Miller and Tom Stokes, Coordinator of the Climate Crisis Coalition, explain why we cannot ignore peak oil. |
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Reality Report: Household and Community Food Security
This show of the Reality Report discusses household and community food security through local granaries and local currency. The guest is Cyndee Logan of Mendo Food Futures, a project funded by the California Endowment that includes the local, food-backed money called Mendo Credits. |
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Peak Moment: Transit on Demand (Have Cell Will Travel)
What if you could make a call at any time on your cell phone and have a vehicle come to you within minutes, take you to your local destination, and cost about as much as a bus ride? Allen Hancock's notion of demand-responsive transit fills the gap between the private automobile and public transit... |
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Crop to Cuisine: Rethinking Local Food
In this episode of Crop To Cuisine, we take a look at a new member of Colorado's sustainable restaurants. Arugula Bar E Ristorante is the creation of Chef Alec Schuler, a mindful, clever and resourceful chef bringing Northern Italy to the Rockies. We talk with Chef Schuler about the restaurant, sustainability, and an unlikely background.... |
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Post Carbon Institute Speakers ScheduleEnergy and the Future of Calgary: Sustaining Robust Cities in an Changing Energy FutureMay 7-8, 2009, Calgary, Alberta, Canada  A Conference for Thoughtful Leaders in Industry, Business, Policy, Governance, Education and Community Post Carbon Program Director Daniel Lerch will be a featured speaker. This unique Gaining Ground conference links the energy future to the key urban topics of land use, economic development, transportation and mobility, and infrastructure. It challenges Calgary—and all cities—to consider their choices and futures as the requirement for urban sustainability intensifies. Freestone Fermentation Festival 2009May 16-17, 2009, Freestone, California  Post Carbon Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg will be speaking at this event, which is a fundraiser for Post Carbon Institute and West County Health Centers. "Artisan Foods, Alchemical Speakers, Hands-on Exhibits, Dynamic Music, Winemakers and Brewmasters of all kinds. Featuring local enterprises and artisans, schools, farmers, neighborhood health care and volunteer organizations. Sample a wide variety of fermented foods including bread, cheese, pickles and drinks from local producers. Learn about the magic of fermentation from displays, exhibits and a program of fascinating talks. Enjoy a festive program of great music."
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