Our Flagstaff mission is to help the San Francisco Peaks/Grand Canyon South Rim bioregion make a smooth and prosperous transition to our post-carbon future by relocalizing our economy to reduce our imports of food, energy, water and material goods that must be transported here using fossil fuels.

What effects will peak oil and gas have on Flagstaff and northern Arizona?

Flagstaff imports nearly 100 percent of its energy, food and material goods, often from thousands of miles away. These items are transported here using fossil fuels. We are a little like a Mars colony in this respect. Flagstaff's ecological footprint is far larger than the physical square mileage of the Flagstaff area. If Flagstaff were to lose more than a small percentage of its imports OR if the price for these items were to rise significantly, we could not support our existing population at current levels of consumption.

Also because Flagstaff imports most of what it needs to survive, local dollars must continually flow out of the community to pay for its energy, food and material goods. For example, as the number of big box retailers rises in Flagstaff and replaces locally owned retailers, the percentage of dollars flowing out of the community increases.

Flagstaff's economy is based on two main strategies to earn the lost dollars back (besides the existence of NAU and several scientific research institutions):

1. Tourism. Tourists must travel here using fossil fuels. When the price of fossil fuels goes up, our local economy tends to suffer.

2. Export of products and services, which are transported to their destinations using mainly fossil fuels.

Some potential solutions for the greater Flagstaff area:

• Flagstaff must stop the physical growth of its population and consumption levels and relocalize its economy. Greater support for locally owned businesses (as opposed to multinational corporations and big box stores) will increase our local self-reliance and decrease our vulnerability to outside economic shocks. Flagstaff must produce most of its material goods and energy locally (food, transportation, shelter, etc.).
• We must learn to live within our carrying capacity for natural resources. Water is our biggest limiting factor.
• Because of our poor soils, setting up a viable local food system would require us to compost as much of the organic matter we import into Flagstaff as possible and use the compost to create soil for growing food.
• Local currency and trading systems are very useful tools to help communities implement "import substitution" plans and obtain greater percentages of their energy, food and material goods locally.
• Renewable energy possibilities for northern Arizona include solar, wind, and biomass (small diameter trees).
• We can make Flagstaff an easier place in which to travel by foot, bike and mass transit.
• We can encourage sharing: car coops, tool libraries, appliance sharing, co-housing, etc.