Press Release

For Immediate Release 7 December 2009

Tod Brilliant
POST CARBON INSTITUTE
tod@postcarbon.org
707-823-8700 x105

NEW THINK TANK GATHERS 28 TOP GLOBAL EXPERTS TO ADVANCE ENERGY, ECONOMY, ENVIRONMENTAL AGENDAS

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA (7 December 2009) – With the recent additions of sustainable agriculture pioneer Wes Jackson, 350.org founder Bill McKibben, and environmental justice advocate Majora Carter, the Post Carbon Institute (PCI) has finalized its roster of 28 internationally-renowned Fellows. By assembling a powerhouse team of experts whose collective experience provides deep knowledge on the economy, the environment, and energy use, the California-based NGO has positioned itself as the leading think tank working on the transition away from a fossil-fuel based society and toward a world of resilient, relocalized communities.

With a grounding in systems thinking and a mission focused not just on "green" solutions but on building a more resilient society, PCI is one of the only organizations tackling all the major sustainability crises of the 21st century — from climate change and energy scarcity to overpopulation and social justice — with both science-based analysis and hands-on action. The think tank's strong partnerships with the international Transition Towns movement and other leading innovators enable PCI to build bridges between scholars, policymakers, business leaders, and community activists.

“After a full year spent assembling a hand-picked team of thought leaders, we are incredibly well-positioned to address the world’s interwoven economic and environmental crises,” said Asher Miller, Executive Director of the Post Carbon Institute. “The lack of leadership on climate solutions evidenced at the climate talks in Copenhagen show that real solutions have to come from outside government. PCI is here to provide those solutions.”

Post Carbon Institute will be in Copenhagen during this month’s COP15 summit to strengthen ties with local government organizations and related NGOs, and to urge global leaders to accept the full scale of our energy challenges when addressing climate change. PCI’s most recent report on "net energy" (downloadable at http://bit.ly/PCI100) calls into question whether any combination of renewable energy sources can actually provide for the world's growing energy demand.

"With the advent of 'wicked problems' necessitating broad and deep solutions to enable a more resilient society, the Post Carbon Institute is a unique platform providing subject matter experts with both a forum and a tangible means for collective collaboration,” said Warren Karlenzig, President of Common Current and PCI Urban Sustainability Fellow. “PCI will reinforce ideas and research while simultaneously forging new systemic solutions."

“The two most critical issues facing our civilization in the next few years are peak oil and climate change, both of which are energy-related problems," said PCI Government Fellow John Kaufmann. "Even many experts disregard one or both of them. Post Carbon is one of the few voices looking at both issues in an integrated and comprehensive fashion.”

Visit www.postcarbon.org to learn more about Post Carbon Institute.

POST CARBON INSTITUTE FELLOWS
Erika Allen – Urban Farming & Social Justice
Zenobia Barlow – Ecological Literacy
Michael Bomford – Agriculture & Energy
Hilary Brown – Buildings & Design
Majora Carter – Social Justice & Communities
Richard Douthwaite – Economics & Money
Joshua Farley – Ecological Economics
Gloria Flora – Public Lands
David Fridley – Renewable Energy & Biofuels
Richard Heinberg – Senior Fellow in Residence
Rob Hopkins – Community Preparedness
David Hughes – Fossil Fuels
Wes Jackson – Sustainable Agriculture
Warren Karlenzig – Urban Sustainability
John Kaufmann – Government & Peak Oil
Chris Martenson – Economy & Preparedness
Bill McKibben – Climate, Ecology & Economy
Stephanie Mills – Biodiversity & Bioregionalism
David Orr – Climate & Education
Cindy Parker – Health & Climate
Anthony Perl – Transportation
David Orr – Climate & Education
Sandra Postel – Water
William Rees – Ecology & Resilience
William Ryerson – Population
Brian Schwartz – Health & Peak Oil
Bill Sheehan – Products & Waste
Michael Shuman – Local Economies
Tom Whipple – Peak Oil

ABOUT POST CARBON INSTITUTE
Post Carbon Institute provides individuals, communities, businesses, and governments with the resources needed to understand and respond to the interrelated economic, energy, and environmental crises that define the 21st century. PCI envisions a world of resilient communities and re-localized economies that thrive within ecological bounds.
http://www.postcarbon.org

Post Carbon Institute
613 Fourth Street, Suite 208
Santa Rosa, CA 95404
707-823-8700

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