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National
Links and
Educational Resources INDEX
Peak
Oil Related Links (international)
Sustainability Organizations/Projects Educational Resources Environment Food, Farm, and Garden Fossil Fuel Depletion: Education and Response Group Process Health Reading Rooms Additional Documents on the VPON Community Pages A Documents
Folder
on the Community Pages serves as a repository of
documents of interest that are not available elsewhere. It contains
Vermont-specific audio files, or other relevant audio that may be
unavailable; made-in-Vermont slide shows related to peak oil,
relocalization, etc.; and reports that are not otherwise easily
accessible on the web. Additionally, there are folders for handouts,
fliers, and other educational materials.
There are also
examples of letters
to
editors, town officials and legislators.
FEATURED: Energy Bulletin Energy
Bulletin -
a clearinghouse for
current information regarding the
peak in global energy supply: current situation and
trajectory,
innovations or partial solutions to this crisis, and other issues which
assist our understanding of the broader implications of the peak.
ASPO (Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas) - International site. Dry Dipstick - Peak Oil Meta-Directory. Global Public Media - Public service broadcasting for a post-carbon world. Hubbert Peak of Oil Production - Named after the late Dr. M. King Hubbert, Geophysicist, this website provides data, analysis and recommendations regarding the upcoming peak in the rate of global oil extraction. Oil Depletion Analysis Center - The Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) is an independent, UK-registered educational charity working to raise international public awareness and promote better understanding of the world's oil-depletion problem. The Oil Drum - A community that discusses ideas related to peak oil, sustainable development and growth, and the implications of these ideas on politics, economics, and more ... Peakoil.com - Peak Oil News and Message Boards. Post Carbon Institute - assisting societies in their efforts to relocalize communities and adapt to an energy constrained world. Sustainability Links FEATURED: The Transition Handbook Transition
Handbook: from oil dependency to local
resilience, by Rob Hopkins.
The book has three sections, the Head, the Heart and the Hands. The Head explores the issues of peak oil and climate change, and how when looked at together, we need to be focusing on the rebuilding of resilience as well as cutting carbon emissions. It argues that the focus of our lives will become increasingly local and small scale as we come to terms with the real implications of the energy crisis we are heading into. The Heart looks at where we find the personal tools for responding to what can feel like overwhelming challenges. It argues that key to our success will be our ability to generate positive visions of future, to harness the power of engaged optimism, and overcome powerlessness. The Hands offers a detailed exploration of the Transition model, setting out its principles, its origins, the 12 Steps of Transition, how they were applied in the first year of Transition Town Totnes, as well as offering a taste of how the model has been applied in a range of other settings. The book also contains lots of ‘Tools for Transition’, exercises and activities that can help to deepen this work in your community. Deep Economy - Vermont author Bill McKibben invites us to "think in new ways about the things we buy, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the money that pays for it all. Our purchases need not be at odds with the things we truly value." E. F. Schumacher Society - Linking people, land, and community by building local economies. The Guide to Post Peak Living: ... we are all going to be living the Post Peak Life. Since you are reading this, you're probably interested in knowing how to do that the best way possible. Not only will we teach you how to reuse your greywater and grow your own food, we'll even recommend a good chianti — but you'll have to make it at home. You can read the Guide straight through, or you can jump directly to a chapter. Did we miss something? Become a member and you'll be able to add comments below the pages. We'll continually incorporate the best suggestions we receive. Kinsale Energy Descent Plan - “Rob Hopkins and the students of Kinsale are to be congratulated. Not only on being the first to act when most of us are still just becoming aware of the problem, but also for the quality of their work. I recommend their plan to people everywhere who would like to see some positive action happen in their own commuity. The challenge of implementing a plan of this kind is huge, but the cost of not doing so would be much greater”. - Patrick Whitefield, Permaculture Magazine. Path to Freedom - Path to Freedom strives to inspire individuals to "think globally, act locally" by motivating them to live a simpler and more fulfilling life on the path to eco-stewardiship. Part of Path to Freedom's mission is to educate individuals and families to integrate sustainable living practices and methods into their daily lives. Our focus is on: organic gardening, permaculture, solar cooking, composting and other back-to-basic, sustainable technologies and practices relating to the home environment. Population Media Center Population Media Center (PMC) strives to improve the health and well being of people around the world through the use of entertainment-education strategies, like serialized dramas on radio and television, in which characters evolve into role models for the audience for positive behavior change. Our mission is to collaborate with the mass media and other organizations worldwide to (1) bring about stabilization of human population numbers at a level that can be sustained by the world's natural resources and to (2) lessen the harmful impact of humanity on the earth's environment. The emphasis of the organization's work is to educate people about the benefits of small families, encourage the use of effective family planning methods, elevate women's status and promote gender equity. Sustainable Energy Coalition - The Sustainable Energy Coalition (SEC) brings together more than 60 national and state-level business, environmental, consumer, and energy policy organizations. Founded in 1992, the Coalition promotes increased federal support for ENERGY EFFICIENCY and RENEWABLE ENERGY technologies and reduced federal support for unsafe or polluting energy resources. Site hosts energy facts, reports, papers. Transition Primer - In response to the twin pressures of Peak Oil and Climate Change, some pioneering communities in the UK, Ireland and beyond are taking an integrated and inclusive approach to reduce their carbon footprint and increase their ability to withstand the fundamental shift that will accompany Peak Oil. This document provides an overview of these initiatives for transitioning to a lower energy future and to greater levels of community resilience. This document comes to us from the Transition Network, a charity recently formed to build upon the groundbreaking work done by Kinsale, Totnes and other early adopters of the Transition model. Some additional helpful links:
Vermonters for a Sustainable U.S. Population - Formed in 2005 by a group of Vermont residents who are very concerned about the population-driven environmental degradation taking place in Vermont and across the nation. Dealing with population issues is a non-partisan effort... With an already unsustainable U.S. population of over 300 million and growing by at least 3.3 million people per year, it is going to become more and more difficult to either reduce green house gas emission or adjust to a lifestyle without cheap fossil fuels. The conversation about population size and growth must begin with us. No matter what our story, we put aside any differences to work together to bring attention and action to this important issue. See also: "Peak Oil, Carrying Capacity, and Overshoot: Population, the Elephant in the Room," here. Willits Economic LocaLization Project - The mission of Willits Economic LocaLization (WELL) is to foster the creation of a sustainable, local economy based on the principles of sufficiency, responsibility, and life promoting actions. WELL is made up of a network of citizens and community organizations that meet regularly to create a common vision, foster education, plan work, and carry out projects. Educational Resources Environment Ecological Footprint Quiz - Ever wondered how much "nature" your lifestyle requires? You're about to find out. This Ecological Footprint Quiz estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard. After answering 15 easy questions you'll be able to compare your Ecological Footprint to what other people use and to what is available on this planet. CAUTION: THIS QUIZ MAY SURPRISE YOU, SHOCK YOU, OR MAKE YOU THINK. PLEASE REMAIN CALM...BUT NOT TOO CALM!! Idle-Not Fliers - Like many of us, Mad River Sustainability Group's Robert Riversong is "driven mad" (pun intended) by the sight (and smell) of an idling, empty parked car. In response, he offers these fliers (pdf) for placement on windows of said cars. Feel free to copy them and use them yourself. They just might make a difference! Learning Landscapes - Learning Landscapes uses 150 years of images to help students understand how Earth's surface works. Here, you'll find a collection of richly illustrated units, each containing a series of modules to help your students understand how different parts of the landscape behave and change over time. (To test drive Learning Landscapes, register with the codeword "development") Our Climate, Ourselves power point - Vermont Earth Institute has received two copies of the Sustainability Institute's Our Climate, Ourselves power point presentation on climate change. Beth Sawin, the developer is working with VEI and four other non-profits across the country to pilot this program. It would take some preparation to be able to give the talk, but Beth has provided very user-friendly materials. To get your own CD with OCO slides and supporting materials contact Sustainability Institute, 3 Linden Road, Hartland, VT 05048 --- Phone 802-436-1277x103 Sierra Club of the Upper Valley Film Library - updated catalogue - for information, contact: Denis Rydjeski at DRR@Dartmouth.edu VPIRG Library - The Vermont Public Interest Research Group's library has everything you ever wanted to know about clean energy and global warming, environmental health, clean water, GMOs, and consumer health hazards. Food, Farm and Garden FEATURED: Land, Bread and History Land,
Bread
and History: A
Research Report on the Potential for Food Self-Sufficiency in Vermont
(1976) by George Burrill
and James Nolfi. Consider that back in 1880, Vermont produced 3,742,280
bushels of oats.
By 1970 that had fallen to a mere 144,410 bushels. In 1850 we yielded
535,955 bushels of wheat, but that had dropped to 19,912 bushels by
1970. The same pattern holds true for other grains such as barley;
420,761 bushels in 1890 but down to 2,640 bushels by 1970, and rye,
230,993 bushels in 1840 but a minuscule 650 bushels by 1970! This
pattern was not confined to grains however. It held true for
livestock; 266,296 hogs in 1850 but only 3,780 by 1970, and sheep;
1,681,819 in 1840 but only 6,715 by 1970. The same was found for fruit
and vegetables with potato production
falling from 8,869,751 bushels in 1840 down to 279,566 by 1970,
pears-20,763 bushels in 1910 but only 1,030 in 1970 and plums-10,756
bushels in 1920 but a mere 60 bushels in 1970. The same holds true for
most of the other categories in the data tables. What could we hope to
gain by reclaiming such food self-sufficiency? Additional
reports
by Burrill/Nolfi:
Energy Utilization in Vermont Agriculture Developing a Community Level Natural Resource Inventory System Food for Thought Tool Kit - Got media education? Re-inventing a more sustainable relationship to our food first means questioning the stories told about food in our 24/7 corporate commercial media culture. McDonald's: Are you REALLY loving it? Is steak REALLY what's for dinner? The FOOD FOR THOUGHT tool kit, co-produced by the Vermont chapter of the Action Coalition for Media Education (ACMEVermont) and Rural Vermont uses a media literacy education approach to raise vital questions about food-related stories, and provides a host of useful classroom and community activities and multimedia resources for any Vermonter interested in growing a more sustainable alternative to our current unsustainable corporate commercial model. Download it for free, and use it in your classroom or community! Download Food for Thought pdf Organic Industry Structure - Comprehensive chart, last updated June '05, detailing corporate ownership of various "organic" product lines. Sigh. The 100 Mile Diet Website offers a locus where 100-milers can get the information they need to try their own lifestyle experiments, and to exchange ideas and develop campaigns — turning an idea into a movement. Find your 100 Miles here. Timmons Report (2006) - Can Vermont Feed Itself? The Wisdom of Small Farms and Local Food: Aldo Leopold’s Land Ethic and Sustainable Agriculture, By John E. Carroll. Suggested for its focus on food security and the role that land grant universities might play in supporting sustainable agriculture, small-scale farming, and local food. Fossil Fuel Depletion: Education and Response FEATURED: Vermont Specific Slide Show Vermont-specific
Peak Oil
Power Point Presentation
- The Post Carbon Sustainability Network (formerly Greater East
Montpelier Peak Oil Awareness and Discussion
group) has used this
power point in discussion/presentation sessions with Vt.
Representatives, planning commissions and
other officials (report from meeting with legislators/officials appears
on May 06 VPON Monthly News and Views
Page - archived).
The Citizen Powered Energy Handbook: Community Solutions to a Global Crisis, by Greg Pahl of Addision County, VT (Chelsea Green Publishers). It is available through CGP, or at Amazon and most other on-line booksellers, and (better yet!) in a locally-owned bookstore near you. Greg is happy to speak with anyone who is interested in Community Supported Energy. You can reach Greg at: "Greg Pahl" <gpahl@sover.net>; Website: www.gregpahl.com The End of Oil Booklet - a synopsis of Richard Heinberg's The Party's Over (pdf), published 2004 The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream (documentary, DVD/VHS) The Hirsch Report (summary) - "The Inevitable Peaking of World Oil Production: Impact, Mitigations, and Risk Management" - a report by Robert Hirsch, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Liquid Natural Gas: Existing and Proposed LNG terminals in the United States (as of July, 06). Robert Newman's History of Oil - This innovative history programme is based around Robert Newman's stand-up act and supported by resourceful archive sequences and stills with satirical impersonations of historical figures from Mayan priests to Archduke Ferdinand. Quirky details such as a bicycle powered street lamp on the stage brings home the pertinent question of just how we are going to survive when the world's oil supplies are finally exhausted. Kilowatt Ours documentary available for loan: Kilowatt Ours filmmaker Jeff Barrie takes viewers on a journey from the coal mines of West Virginia to the solar panel fields of Florida, as he explores solutions to America's energy related problems. There are two versions of the film available on the same DVD: a 38 minute version and a 64 minute version. To reserve the film, contact Mary Jane Ohlson (802) 522-3507 maryjaneohlson (at) verizon.net Oil Poster - Peer juried. The history of the Oil Age from its beginnings in the hills of western Pennsylvania in 1859 to its rise as the engine of global industrial economies. Year-by-year rendering of worldwide oil production from 1859 to 2050 with projections of future production based on Colin Campbell's Oil Depletion Model. Historical annotations as well as detailed data on production, trade and reserves. (Ed note: Excellent educational tool - free copies donated to schools. Keeps current.) PEAK OIL: ALTERNATIVES, RENEWABLES, AND IMPACTS Clifford J. Wirth, Ph.D., Associate Professor, UNH www.peakoilassociates.com This paper examines scientific and government studies in order to provide reliable conclusions about Peak Oil and its future impacts. North American natural gas production has peaked, importation of natural gas is limited, and the U.S. faces shortages of natural gas within a few years. Because U.S. coal production peaked in 2002 (in terms of energy provided by coal), the U.S. will experience significantly higher coal and electric prices in future years as coal production declines. The U.S. government is unprepared for the multiple consequences of Peak Oil, Peak Natural Gas, and Peak Coal. (this paper archived on the VPON Community Pages... here.) Peak Oil: Imposed By Nature (documentary, DVD) Personal Sustainability Checklist - steps toward personal energy conservation The Power of Community – How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (documentary, DVD/VHS) Relocalization Chart - Colorful, informative. Good curriculum tool for all ages groups. Welcome to Peak Oil Video CD (pdf) - an introduction to the issue from various experts on the topic. To find out more, use the URL provided in the pdf, or contact Alex Sendzimer for more information. World Without Oil Interactive Gaming lesson plans - There are 10 lessons in all, covering: energy sustainability, energy policy, alternative fuels, oil dependency among nations, food security, civic order, and elasticity in our systems and lives. They're mirrored on the PBS Independent Lens resource pages for teachers. Group Process Open Space - a process for eliciting ideas, strategies, and breakthroughs in the most egalitarian manner you would imagine. A wonderful tool. Health FEATURED: Where there is no doctor. Where
There is No Doctor - an online
version of the acclaimed - and very
much so in peak oil circles - international health guide
American Botanical Council - breaking herbal news from controlled studies Center for Disease Control - conventional approaches to the flu, sponsored by the government Flu Wiki - a highly acclaimed resource on Avian Flu. User-edited. Contains a section on complimentary/alternative approaches King's American Dispensatory - classic 1898 eclectic medicine overview of plant medicines, compiled by H.W. Felter and J. U. Lloyd Herbal Antiviral Therapy - this section of med-owl.com is for discussing herbs, foods and supplements that have antiviral properties, presented from a naturopathic perspective Reading Rooms ACoRN (Addision County Relocalization Network) has developed a Reading Room. Drop by and view their list of recommended resources on peak oil and sustainability. Books on Peak Oil and related issues can be found by linking to Dry Dipstick site. |
