Post Carbon Newsletter #38 April 2008

1. Post Carbon Institute
2. Fellows
3. Post Carbon Cities
4. Global Public Media
5. Relocalization Network
6. Energy Farm Network
7. Forthcoming Events

1. Post Carbon Institute

The Day The Gas Dried Up
Julian Darley
Global Public Media, April 30, 2008

“You know what’s worse than a slow computer?” a professor in Texas once asked his class. “No computer.” He was telling the class about his son who was complaining that his processor wouldn’t go fast enough. Now many Americans are complaining that gasoline prices are too high as they crest the astronomical price of four dollars a gallon. They might spare a thought for the Scottish who would be grateful to pay $8.30 a gallon, if only they could get it. For rationing and actual dry gas stations have arrived in what was once an engine of the Industrial Revolution, while the government warned against the spectre of panic buying and hoarding. more....

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2. Fellows

From the Pump to the Plate: Rethinking & relocalizing our food and fuel systems
Julian Darley
HopeDance, May/June 2008

‘Fasten your seat belts, it’s going to be a bumpy night’. It looks like the severe food problems long predicted by some agriculture, climate and peak analysts are arriving more or less on cue, with tragic results. Some of the problems are more obviously connected to the growing energy crisis, some apparently not. But the underlying drivers of all the problems are energy and population, and that means there is something the West can do about it, provided we make the right connexions between our dinner plates, the gas pump and plight of the global poor. more....

What Car Do You Drive?
Richard Heinberg
Ecologist May 2008

The question inevitably arises soon after readers or lecture audiences first become acquainted with global oil depletion and climate change. I must be asked it at least once a week. Sometimes I reply by reciting how I didn’t buy my first car till age 40, how I later drove an old diesel Mercedes while belonging to a local biodiesel co-operative, how I scrapped that fume-belching heap of metal and replaced it with a Toyota Yaris to protest the Brontosaurian dimensions of the typical American SUV, and how I now often get around town on an electric scooter. But that answer, while respecting the query’s intent, fails to advance the conversation. The question presumes a continuation of car-centered culture, and that is precisely what must be called into doubt.

In many parts of the world (especially North America), automobile ownership is a given. Throughout the last century, the petroleum, automotive, and road-building industries amassed and exerted enormous political power, systematically foreclosing all other transport options through efforts either to starve rail and public transit infrastructure of funds, or to buy them up and dismantle them. Bucking the current massive system of highways and short-lived personal dream machines often requires courage, dedication, and planning. Very few individuals are sufficiently motivated.

Thus it’s understandable that the first policy response to depleting petroleum reserves and the climate threat has been a rush toward biofuels and coal-to-liquids technologies—rather than a questioning of the auto-centric system itself. Yet if either of these alternative fuel sources is expanded enough to replace oil, the car (rather than the atom bomb) may end up being the invention that destroys the world.

Our transition away from fossil fuels will require a societal effort at a scale and speed never before seen; given the limits on our time and money, we cannot afford to waste both investment capital and precious years pursuing false solutions like alternative fuels. Electric cars may be a better idea, since there are lots of promising renewable sources of electricity. But when we step back and compare auto-based transport systems with rail-based options, even electric cars come out looking like resource gluttons. We don’t need alternative cars; we need alternatives to cars, starting with ways to reduce our need for travel in the first place.

Perhaps those of us who have arrived at this conclusion may be forgiven a less-than-joyous response to the recent unveiling of Tata Motor Company’s $2500 Nano, an auto being marketed to tens of millions of previously car-free Asians who can now afford a scaled-down version of the object that half-a-billion inhabitants of wealthier countries take for granted.

Doesn’t everyone deserve the comfort and convenience enjoyed by Americans and Europeans?

It’s an insidious question. Like the title of this essay, it presupposes a great deal. Only by unpacking and ruthlessly picking apart our assumptions about the future of transportation can we hope to overcome the sinister logic of universal car ownership—a logic that leads to universal destruction. Are biofuels a bad idea in every single instance? Probably not. Should car owners be demonized? That’s neither polite nor helpful. But until we collectively, through coordinated policies, reverse course and stop both building roads and looking to alternative fuels for a solution to environmental problems, we’re all on a highway to hell.

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3. Post Carbon Cities: Preparing for energy and climate uncertainty in Ireland and the UK

Post Carbon Cities Program Manager Daniel Lerch recently returned from a two-week trip to Ireland and the UK, sharing information and strategies from his book Post Carbon Cities: Planning for Energy and Climate Uncertainty. He also met with a wide variety of local officials, planners and citizens working to prepare their communities for a future of expensive energy. Here's a quick look at what some of these leaders are doing to push Europe further and further in its preparations for peak oil and global warming.

In his opening address to Dublin's Convergence 13 conference, Irish Minister for the Environment John Gormley captured an increasingly common theme in smart government approaches to sustainability: the need for citizens and elected officials to work together on solutions. "Don't tell me what's wrong -- I know what's wrong," said Gormley. "Tell me how to change it." Showing how relatively small government actions can help address big issues like local food security, Junior Minister for Food Trevor Sargent, followed with an example of how Ireland is "skilling up" for a future of expensive energy and global food scarcity: To help spur gardening and self-sufficiency in a country that has decisively turned away from local agriculture over the last few decades, Sargent has overseen the distribution of potato-growing kits to every primary school in Ireland.

Deciding how to change what's wrong in the big picture is no easy matter, of course. Peak oil and global warming are indicators of much deeper system problems in our global economy and environment. One model for tackling this complex challenge is The Natural Step (TNS), an organizational management framework that integrates sustainability and systems thinking. TNS has already proven successful as a tool for local governments, with over 100 municipalities around the world (largely in Sweden and a few U.S. states) having adopted it in recent years. A new consulting firm called RealEyes Sustainability Ltd. is helping the City of Dublin adopt TNS as a framework for city planning and governance, positioning Dublin as one of the first major cities outside Sweden to fundamentally reorient itself for sustainability. (American planner Sarah James and Swedish Natural Step organizer Torbjörn Lahti are the lead advocates helping U.S. communities adopt the The Natural Step and become "eco-municipalities"; learn more in their book and their upcoming trainings for city officials and staff.)

Actions large and small are of little use without vision and goals -- and the UK in particular is fortunate to now have an excellent roadmap that is serious about both the challenges ahead and the solutions we need to pursue. The Zero Carbon Britain report, produced by the very impressive Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), details how Britain can eliminate emissions from fossil fuels in 20 years and break its dependence on imported energy -- by halving energy demand and installing massive renewable energy generation. CAT Development Director Paul Allen described their straightforward approach: "Instead of forecasting from within existing attitudes, trends and approaches, we 'backcasted,' looking at where we need to be, then seeing what policies and technologies we need to get there."

The result is a sobering call for quick and decisive moves to electrify the transport system, retrofit buildings for top energy efficiency, and invest in a renewables-powered electricity grid with a strong role for local energy production. The centerpiece of the plan is an international "contraction and convergence" strategy which transitions the nations of the world to an equitable global per-capita carbon emissions cap. The 105-page report can be downloaded for free at zerocarbonbritain.com

Daniel's time in Ireland and the UK included a keynote presentation at the Convergence 13; presentations to local government officials and staff in Dublin and Kilkenny in Ireland, and Belfast and Bristol in the UK; and a important meeting with the UK's Local Government Association, introducing that organization to the challenges that peak oil is creating for cities. Daniel also attended the second annual Transition Network conference, where he spoke to citizen activists about approaching local government officials on peak oil and relocalization.

Watch for Post Carbon Cities weekly blog.

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4. Global Public Media

	Gail Tverberg: The Expected Economic Impact of an Energy Downturn Gail Tverberg is known on the website The Oil Drum as Gail the Actuary. She created this presentation for a public health program called "Converging Environmental Crises: A Teach-in on Energy, Climate Change, Water, Agriculture and Population." It explains the large economic changes that even a minor energy downturn could bring about.
	Deconstructing Dinner: Global Hops Shortage / Biodynamics and Microorganisms Beer was one of the first industrialized food and beverage products. The first segment is on the recent global shortage of hops. The second on Biodynamic agriculture is a method of organic farming that treats the farm as a unified and individual organism.
	The Reality Report: Mary Wood on Government as the Trustee of Common Assets Law professor Mary Wood will explain how the government, acting as trustee of the atmospheric commons, is obligated to deal realistically with climate change science. She is authoring a forthcoming book, The Dawn of Planetary Patriotism: A Citizens’ Call to Climate Defense.
	Crop to Cuisine: We welcomed our first episode of Crop To Cuisine. This show is produced by Dov Hirsch at KGNU Community Radio in Boulder, Colorado. • Why Localism Matters Learn more about why localization of our food supply is so important, including the historical context, environmental impacts, and even economic benefits. • SPIN farming In this episode a local restaurant making it a point to utilize locally grown and raised ingredients. They also speak with Roxanne Christenson, the President of the Institute for Innovation in Local Farming in Philadelphia. And Kipp Nash joins us in the studio to talk about his experiences with SPIN Farming in Boulder, Colorado.
	Kunstlercast Duncan Crary’s latest interviews with Post Carbon Fellow James Kunstler. In his irascible but ever engaging style, Kunstler talks with Crary about the plight of children raised in suburbia, answers questions from some of the urban planners (a profession he regularly skewers), and critiques energy guru Amory Lovins for his obsession with keeping the world motoring in hydrogen-powered cars. Children of the Burbs Urban Planning Fate of Flagstaff

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5. Relocalization Network

Post Carbon Institute is pleased to welcome Asher Miller as the newest member of the Relocalization Network team. As Relocalization Network Manager, Asher will work closely with Coordinator Shelby Tay to support existing members of the Relocalization community and grow the network. Asher has worked in various capacities in the nonprofit sector for over twelve years, most recently as founder of Climate Changers, an organization that inspires people to reduce their impact on the climate by focusing on simple and achievable actions anyone can take. Asher shares a little of his story in this blog entry. You can learn more about his professional experience on our Network Team web page.

Local Groups: SustainaBundy Goes to Press!
Congratulations to SustainaBundy, the Relocalization Network group in Bundaberg, Australia, which has just released a wonderful guide to their region. Printed on recycled paper with vegetable-based inks on a waterless press, the SustainaBundy Directory and Guide has it all:

• a directory of local businesses to help residents be more environmentally responsible at home and in the office

• how-to articles on reducing consumption and waste, harvesting, storing and conserving water, natural resource management, eating fresh, and local food

• calendars for keeping tabs on regional, national and worldwide environmental events

• a local produce availability guide provided by the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers

• a guide to the various markets in the region.

For more information about the guide or other Sustainabundy projects, visit sustainabundy.org.

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6. Energy Farm Network

2008 will be a very important year in the creation of healthy local food systems. More and more, citizens are choosing to acquire their produce from local sources. Seasonal Farmer’s Markets are beginning to open. Here in Sonoma County, nine new Community Gardens are experiencing their first busy spring. People are planting their front yards with vegetables, flowers, and perennials. Cities like Petaluma are committing to developing sustainable food systems. Every day, we receive requests at the Energy Farm Network from people wanting to use their backyards, lawns and neighborhood open lots to acquire nourishment for their families with out dependence on fossil fuels for fertility, pest-control, transport, processing or storage.

Sebastopol CA - Energy Garden
Spring at the Sebastopol Energy Garden brings with it the initiation of our Volunteer and Harvest Exchange programs. Thursdays the community is invited to work along us doing the seasonal tasks associated with sustainable food production.

We have introduced 10 new (baby) hens to the garden so that we can accommodate the launch of our Harvest exchange program. More chickens will mean more eggs, and more calories that we are able to produce onsite. Supporting a flock of chickens; however, requires energy as well. Each chicken needs at least 200 calories/day to survive, and while the chickens can get about 30% of those calories by foraging, we must supply the other 70%. We give our chickens access to the compost piles and recycled food scraps, but this is still not enough feed for all 15 chickens. We are producing some chicken feed onsite from our last summer’s harvest . Our goal to achieved full independence from off-site sources.

At the Sebastopol Energy Garden, eggs account for a large portion of the calories that we produce. Of the estimated 1,476,765 calories that we can produce over the next growing year, 408,654 of that will be in the form of eggs. Not only do chickens provide a source of calories for the suburban land user they also provide nutrient rich manure. It is estimated that each hen produces 140 lb of excrement each year. For the Energy Garden that means that 2100 lb of manure will come from our flock of 15! Because of their relatively minimal space requirements and valuable contributions to the garden and gardener, chickens are great for the suburban landscape.

Willits CA – Brookside Farm
At 1400 feet elevation, Willits has been sunny and cold. As a result of over-night lows in the 30’s, the growth of transplanted and direct seeded spring veggies has been quite slow. We are tending hundreds of starts in a makeshift greenhouse, and they are making markedly better growth than those outdoors.

Brookside Farm has accomplished an initial goal of getting our veggies to young children and into a local institution! North Coast Opportunities pre-school has agreed to purchase two shares from the CSA at Brookside Farm. The school’s kitchen staff is looking forward to utilizing fresh farm produce and cooking according to the harvest season. The kids will have a direct experience of fresh, organic food. They will get to see first hand that a relocalized food system, not dependant on synthetic fertilizers, pest controls, long-distance transport or even diesel for tractor power is possible.

Frankfort KY - Kentucky State University
The Kentucky State University Energy Farm project is just beginning its first field season. Our project will incorporate both food and energy crops: Our energy crops — sweet sorghum, sweet potato, corn, and soybean — are all warm-season crops that will be planted in late May. Each of these crops is high in carbohydrates, making them either high-calorie food for humans or a source of sugars, starches, or oils that could be used for biofuel production.

We will grow our energy crops at three different scales. The smallest scale will be a biointensive system, in which only hand tools are used. Our medium scale will be a market garden system, using a combination of hand tools and a walk-behind tractor with attachments.
The largest scale system will be tractor-based. We will measure the land, labor and energy use efficiency of energy crop production at each of these scales.

The data collected from this experiment will allow us to analyze effects of farm scale on input use efficiency, and to answer questions about farmer motivation to dedicate multi-use crops to food or fuel production under a range of possible future scenarios for land, labor and energy pricing.

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7. Forthcoming Events

Post Carbon Institute Speakers Schedule

May 3 & 4, 2008
Maker Faire
San Mateo, CA
Julian Darley will be presenting and Post Carbon Institute will be exhibiting at this exciting DIY fair.

May 10, 2008
Nevada Union High School
Grass Valley, CA
Richard Heinberg presentation.

May 30-31
International Conference on Peak Oil and Climate
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Richard Heinberg and Julian Darley will be presenting via video link.
*when possible we are trying to reduce our speakers fuel usage by using a video link.

Post Carbon Events Participation

May 2, 2008
Sustainable Enterprise Conference
Rohnert Park, CA
Meet with Post Carbon Institute during this regional sustainability event.

June 6, 7 & 8, 2008
Harmony Festival
Santa Rosa, CA
Post Carbon Institute will have a booth in the Eco-Village at the largest cultural event in Sonoma County.

Featured Events

May 3 & 4, 2008
Living Green Expo
St. Paul, MN
The Living Green Expo is a free, annual event that provides information and products to help Minnesotans improve the environmental and social impacts of their day-to-day living.

May 15-16
Navigating the Carbon World
San Diego, CA
This conference is the California Climate Action Registry's 6th annual conference, this year in collaboration with Point Carbon. Over 1000 policymakers, businesses, academics and NGOs from across the globe will gather in San Diego, CA for this two day event that focuses on providing a complete understanding of the climate programs being built around the world.

May 17 - 18
Green Festival
Navy Pier, Chicago, IL
Hosted by Co-op America and Global Exchange, this green festival showcases more than 350 diverse local and national green businesses displaying and selling eco-friendly, fair trade and sustainable products. More than 150 visionary speakers appear for standing-room-only panel discussions, presentations and main stage speaking events.

May 19-21
In Safe Hands – Agricultural Biodiversity Fair
Bonn, Germany
This event, organized during the ninth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, aims to show the importance of genetic diversity for food sovereignty and food security and how agricultural biodiversity is linked with cultural diversity. Presenters will argue that “the only safe place for the diversity of our farm seeds and animals is in the hands of local people and communities worldwide.”

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Post Carbon Newsletter #37 March 2008

1. Post Carbon Cities
2. Relocalization Network
3. Global Public Media
4. Energy Farms
5. Forthcoming Events
6. April 2008 Preview

1. Post Carbon Cities

We were happy to read Erica Etelson's review of the Post Carbon Cities guidebook in the Spring 2008 issue of Permaculture Activist. Although it's not currently on their website, we've been given permission to share the article: read it on our site.

"Spend a few minutes surfing most of the peak oil websites, and you will quickly arrive at the grim conclusion that civilization is doomed, or worse -- we oil-addicted humans are all going to die of starvation or be killed in the violence of a society in its death throes. Time to close your web browser and open Post Carbon Cities, a reference manual that offers a cautiously optimistic and pragmatic assessment of the looming twin crises of peak oil and climate change."
   — Erica Etelson, in Permaculture Activist, Spring 2008

And while you're there, check out the current state of the local government peak oil responses map and table, which are updated regularly. In late February, we learned that a peak oil task force in Haines Borough, Alaska had just released its final report for public comment. At 2,241 people, Haines Borough is the smallest local government that we know of working on peak oil.

Even further afield, Post Carbon Cities' Daniel Lerch will be in Ireland and the United Kingdom in early April with a full slate of appearances, including presentations to the Dublin City Council, the Belfast City Council, Cultivate Centre's annual Convergence gathering, and the annual Transition Network gathering. See Daniel's full tour schedule here.

And remember, read the Post Carbon Cities blog or newsletter for more news and analysis from our local government support program.

2. Relocalization Network

The Diablo Post Carbon Study Group will be tabling this Saturday, March 15th at "A Surge for Peace" March and Rally in Walnut Creek, CA. To learn more about the group, visit their website and join their mailing list.

On Sunday the 13th of April, SustainaBundy will host their first ever Permablitz as members and supporters work together to help transform a Bundaberg back yard into an oasis of sustainability with a food forest, chickens and a worm farm! The permablitz concept originated with permaculture designer Dan Palmer in Melbourne - it's the permaculture version of a Backyard Blitz. Read more about permablitzes here

North Country Peak Oil Action/Study Group in Canton, New York will be exhibiting at the 2008 North Country Sustainable Energy Fair on April 26-27, 2008, New York's longest running and largest community energy event. Senior Post Carbon Fellow Richard Heinberg will be the keynote speaker, kicking off two days of 50 workshops alongside local exhibitors and vendors. The event will cover over everything from solar, wind, green building and biofuels to peak oil, climate change, off-grid living and hands-on skills.

If you or your group is interested in joining the Relocalization Network and building a strong and collaborative network of community groups, contact us.

Subscribe to the monthly Relocalize Newsletter and visit www.relocalize.net to stay current with all the Relocalization Network activities!

Tomorrow Matters — Monterey, CA

This month we caught up with Deborah and Spencer Lindsay, in Monterey, California. Together they produce and host Tomorrow Matters, a talk radio program that puts the spotlight on environmental solutions to the global ecological crises — for a better world tomorrow. Topics on the show include climate change, peak oil, permaculture, green business, alternative transportation, renewable energy and more. Listen to this daily program to "learn how the Central Coast is lowering their collective footprint and how you can make a difference in your life, one step at a time, because for all of us, tomorrow really matters." Visit the website, www.deborahlindsay.com for show details. Stay tuned for the April Relocalize Newsletter for a full interview recap with Deborah Lindsay on the inside scoop about running a daily talk radio show!

2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide Release

A 100-page guide printed locally in Bundaberg, Australia, on recycled paper with vegetable based inks on a waterless press, The 2008 SustainaBundy Directory and Guide is an annual publication that local residents can keep at the ready!

The publication includes a directory of local businesses to help residents be more environmentally responsible at home and in the office, how-to articles on reducing consumption and waste, harvesting, storing and conserving water, natural resource management, eating fresh, local food and much more. It also includes calendars for keeping tabs on regional, national and worldwide environmental events, a local produce availability guide provided by the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, and a guide to the various markets in the region.

For more information about the guide or other Sustainabundy projects, visit sustainabundy.org.

3. Global Public Media

There was a special treat on Global Public Media this month, a reading by Post Carbon Fellow James Howard Kunstler from his new novel, World Made by Hand. After his great successes at visualizing the impact of Peak Oil on our future in non-fiction books like The Long Emergency, Kunstler has turned to fiction to give us a fully-worked out story of people in upstate New York struggling to survive in a post-peak oil world.

For more on Kunstler's views on where we're headed, you can also listen to The KunstlerCast, a weekly audio show where Kunstler and host/producer Duncan Crary explore the tragic comedy of suburban sprawl, with oil depletion as its backdrop. In this episode, James Howard Kunstler describes the impending end of cheap oil, which he calls "The Long Emergency." Suburbia is a living arrangement with no future, and big cities may not do well either. But small cities that exist at a scale that can be rebuilt are the places of the future.

Kunstler and other Peak Oil analysts agree that the U.S. will need millions of new farmers, because our current oil-based system of agriculture cannot survive in a peak-oil world. (See Post Carbon Fellow Richard Heinberg's "50 Million Farmers.") If you want to get a head-start on becoming an organic farmer, listen to "Starting Your Organic Farm," a workshop from the 2008 annual conference of the Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia.

You can also check out the second part of "The Case for a Sustainability Emergency," the second of two interviews with Philip Sutton, coauthor with David Spratt of a recent report titled Climate Code Red: The Case for a Sustainability Emergency. On this section, Sutton discusses how, with a shared sense of purpose and heroic leadership, humans have the technical and social capacity to go into "emergency" mode and design an economic and environmental turn-around in 10-20 years. The first part of this interview is here.

4. Energy Farms

As crude oil reaches record highs of $110 a barrel, the connection between the cost of food and the rise in energy prices is becoming painfully obvious. In a recent statement, Josette Sheeran, executive director of the UN's World Food Program, said the global economy had created:

"a perfect storm for the world's hungry, caused by high oil and food prices and low food stocks... Higher food prices will increase social unrest in a number! of countries which are sensitive to inflationary pressures and are import-dependent. We will see a repeat of the riots we have already reported on the streets such as we have seen in Burkina Faso, Mexico, Cameroon and Senegal."

In other news, while farmers appear to enjoy record commodity prices, the recent spikes in the cost of fertilizer and fuel are eroding gains:

• the price of nitrogen fertilizer risen 113% since 2000
• potash has risen from $225 a ton to nearly $500 a ton
• increasingly scarce phosphate has gone from $312 to between $800 and $900 a ton this year

Also, this month, the world's largest poultry processor closed a U.S. processing plant while cutting 1,100 jobs. The company blames record feed prices for the current industry-wide crisis. Even if you are a vegetarian, this news is still hard to hear. We can see plainly that agribusiness is designed to grow profit, not healthy food. Once their profit margins are at risk, the corporate producers may simply quit the job of growing food.

Brookside Farm

While both the news and data are unsettling, we are all the more confident in the course that our Energy Farm demonstration project is progressing in Willits, California. Our oil-free toolset is proving its value again as we ready spring beds for new transplants and seeding of cool season annuals.

The longer daylight hours are having an effect on cover crops that are adding nitrogen-rich biomass. These crops are crucial for the farm because they provide the nitrogen and micro-nutrients that allow us to secure fertility without off-farm inputs.

To get a sneak peek at our crop plans and calculations, checkout our online spreadsheet. After downloading the spreadsheet you can alter it to match the crops and climate that best suit your locale!

Sebastopol Energy Garden

With spring fast approaching, we've been working on increasing our sheltered growing space as well as our soil building capacities. Currently, we have a worm bin and three bins for compost. We built the new system in the middle of the garden and it will serve as the fourth stage of composting. From this bin, we will sift the compost and create our soil mixes. Because of its placement, it is ideal for distributing the soil and seedlings throughout the garden.

We used twenty-one straw bales for the walls, and onsite scrap lumber for the frame of the cover. The cover is plastic, and we plan on upgrading it with windows from the local recycle center. The growing space is separated from the compost bin by a wall of straw bales.

To integrate the two spaces we cut sections of rain gutter, which was onsite from our water catchment project, and put them through the straw bale wall. This allows the solar gain from the cold frame to heat up the compost pile during the day, and it encourages the compost pile to release some of its heat into the cold frame during the night.

We have extended our growing season, soil building capacity, and when the system starts to decompose the straw will make an excellent top dressing throughout the garden. The cold frame and compost bin are also well insulated by the straw bales.

5. Forthcoming Events

March 26-30, 2008
The Future of Our Shared Environment - Today
The Aspen Institute, Aspen, CO

Participants will begin Day One: Scenes from a Changing Planet by examining the latest research and theories about the environment, move into a discussion of the issues and opportunities in the field on Day Two: Questions, Limits and Challenges, and culminate on Day Three: Environmentally Sustainable Solutions.

March 27-28, 2008
Biodiversity & Ecosystem Finance: Mainstreaming Biodiversity and Ecosystem Finance
New York City, NY

Supported by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity and endorsed by UNEP FI, this two day conference will explore all the issues relating to the developing area of Biodiversity & Ecosystem Finance. Speakers will be a balance of industry experts, financial institutions, and early adopter best practice case studies.

March 27-28, 2008
Bioenergy North America 2008
Chicago, Illinois

This major conference on biofuels and biomass will provide an overview of the biofuels marketplace, including the "food v fuel" debate, carbon markets, lessons learned from Brazil, and next generation biofuels.

March 31 - April 2, 2008
Exeter Skills for Sustainability: Putting the Pieces Together
University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

As the key annual sustainability event for UK Further and Higher Education, this important conference will encourage and inspire to identify essential skills and knowledge and go on to equip them to embed skills for sustainability in their own staff and students.

April 7-8, 2008
Energy Information Administration 2008 Energy Conference: 30 Years of Energy Information and Analysis
Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC

The EIA's annual conference features speakers on peak oil, nuclear, coal, LNG, and energy modeling.

April 8-9 2008
Sustainable Manufacturing Summit
Cutting emissions from design, operations, suppliers and consumption
Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL, USA

How can manufacturers grow their business while reducing their total carbon emissions? How can you get smaller suppliers involved in your sustainability initiatives? How can you label the carbon intensity of individual products, and will your customers demand this? The Sustainable Manufacturing Summit takes a detailed view of the relationship between climate response and the manufacturing process. The program covers carbon reduction at every stage of the manufacturing process from design through to consumption.

WEB CAST:

April 10, 2008 - 11am to 4pm EDT
Converging Environmental Crises
Teach-in on Energy, Climate Change, Water, Agriculture and Population (PDF 432k)

Web-based conference on current environment and health concerns with top researchers and practicioners. See the complete speaker list here. (PDF 432k)

April 11-12, 2008
2008 MIT Energy Conference: Solutions that Scale to Meet the Energy Challenge
Marriott Hotel in Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA, USA

The goal of the MIT Energy Conference is to bring together leaders in the fields of technology, policy, industry, and finance to develop solutions for the tremendous challenges present in today's energy markets. The MIT Energy Conference will showcase promising technology and policy approaches that have the potential to achieve critical scale and make a significant impact on the global energy landscape.

April 14-15, 2008
Low Carbon Fuels 2008
Sacramento Convention Center, Sacramento, CA, USA

During this two-day summit, Low Carbon Fuels 2008 will showcase the fuels and technologies, policies and actions, and other ongoing efforts that will allow California to meet its policy goals, reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions, diversify its transportation fuel supplies, and establish a sustainable market for cleaner-burning fuels.

April 15-18, 2008
The American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) 31st Annual Conference
Houston Americas Hotel, Houston, TX, USA

AABE is a national association of energy professionals founded and dedicated to ensure the input of African Americans and other minorities into the discussions and developments of energy policies regulations, R&D technologies, and environmental issues. The agenda for this conference will focus on energy technology, strategy, and policy.

April 20-27, 2008
Appropriate Technology for the Developing World
Chiapas, Mexico

This workshop provides an overview of technologies which promote small scale renewable energy and resource management systems in the developing world. With an emphasis on the unique challenges presented by international project work, the workshop is ideal for people wanting to get involved in sustainable development work, organizations working in rural areas, and those who wish to reduce their own ecological impact. This course will be taught in both English and Spanish. Este curso sera dictado en ingles y espanol.

April 21-22, 2008
Canada's Ocean Energy Future: New Partnerships and Wider Opportunities
Palace Royal Hotel, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

How much renewable energy can Canada gain from the ocean? The Ocean Renewable Energy Group is a non-profit trade association, formed in 2004, which is holding this conference to explore Canada's ocean energy resources and technologies.

April 21-22, 2009
Renewable Energy PowerGen 2008
Radisson SAS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

This conference is focused on how EU power producers are going to meet the European Commission calling for 20% of energy produced by 2020 to come from renewable resources.

April 26-27, 2008
2008 North Country Sustainable Energy Fair
SUNY Canton Campus Center, Canton, NY, USA

Keynote Speaker: Post Carbon Institute Senior Fellow Richard Heinberg. New York's longest running and largest community energy event will feature two days of 50 workshops and 60 exhibitors and vendors. The event will cover over everything from solar, wind, green building and biofuels to peak oil, climate change, off-grid living and hands-on skills.

6. April 2008 Preview

Bill McKibben is now an advisor to Post Carbon Institute and the Relocalization Network.

Carta de Noticias del Post Carbon # 36 Febrero 2008

1. Richard Heinberg Connotado Antiguo Miembro del Post Carbon
2. Ciudades del Post Carbon
3. Medio de Comunicación Pública Global
4. Relocalization Network
5. El Network de las Granjas de Energía
6. Eventos por venir
7. Adelantos para el mes de Marzo

1. Richard Heinberg, Connotado Antiguo Miembro del Post Carbon

El Instituto Post Carbon se complace en anunciar que Richard Heinberg es ahora un funcionario connotado de tiempo completo. Richard ha estado colaborando con el Post Carbon desde su comienzo en el año 2003. Richard ha escrito con el Post Carbon cuatro libros básicos sobre el Petróleo Cumbre y temas relacionados: La Partida está Terminada, Poder en Descenso, El Protocolo sobre el Agotamiento del Petróleo, y la Cumbre de Todo. En el Instituto Post Carbon estará dedicando su tiempo a escribir, a investigar, a hablar en público y a ayudar a desarrollar directivas estratégicas de la organización. Espere el artículo por venir en el HopeDance (Espero bailar) y su columna mensual en el Ecologista.

2. Las Ciudades del Post Carbon

Muchas ciudades de los Estados Unidos tienen planes locales para la disminución global de la producción de petróleo. Pero la ciudad de Spokane (199,400 habitantes) en el este de Washington, ha sido la primera en atacar ambos, el cambio climático y el agotamiento global del petróleo marcando un nuevo hito en las respuestas del Gobierno local a los retos urgentes en aumento.

Daniel Lerch, de las Ciudades del Post Carbon, habló en el Sexto almuerzo de Spokane en Febrero sobre el esfuerzo de planificación de nuevas estrategias de sostenibilidad del cambio climático y la seguridad de la energía. La ciudad formará las fuerzas de trabajo de ciudadanos, en el próximo mes.

Y acerca de otras noticias, las Ciudades del Post Carbon tienen el honor de estar entre las diez primeras de las mejores Websites del 2008, nominadas por los lectores de la Planetizen.com. La Planetizen es uno de nuestros favoritos sites, también es ampliamente considerada como la portada web para los planificadores y los urbanistas de todas las bandas. Gracias a Usted, Planetizen y a cualquiera que haya votado por nosotros!

Foto crédito: Spokane por pgauthier 2005

3. Medio de Comunicación Pública Global

Noticias de este mes en el Medio Público Global:

4. Relocalization Network

Gracias a todas aquellas personas que respondieron a la oferta de paquetes complementarios de recursos para la educación y la acción, anunciada en la última Carta de Noticias, por cortesía de los Libros del Post Carbon. Hemos enviado más de cincuenta paquetes a grupos en el mundo entero, desde Norte América a Irlanda, de la India a Australia y Nueva Zelandia. Visite el Website para saber la forma de cómo los grupos están planeando para ponerlos en uso!

El Poder en declive del Gran Sur celebrará su próxima reunión/ feria de la comunidad con presentación de cine este jueves 21 de Febrero en la casa de la Granja. Ellos han formado una asociación con la Feria Granja local que es una muy buena forma de acercamiento, en caso de que hubiere una Granja Activa, en su comunidad.

La Granja mercado fue, frecuentemente, un centro de la comunidad agrícola durante la última parte del siglo 19 y hacia principios del siglo 20. Aunque, ese movimiento se ha disminuido considerablemente en el año 2005, la Granja tenía una membrecía de 300.000 organizaciones, en 3.600 comunidades, en 37 estados. Para más información sobre la Asociación con el Gran Sur con las Ferias locales, lea este artículo.

Si Usted es un jardinero, usted debe saber que nunca es muy tarde para empezar a alistarse para la próxima estación de siembra.. La organización de Caminos para un Futuro sostenible en Milwaukee, WI, está muy ocupada con su programa Intercambios de Plantas y Semillas en el año 2008 para este mayo venidero. El intercambio de semillas es una buena forma para que la gente comparta la variedad de su heredad que se dieron bien en sus jardines el año anterior y de mantener en aumento el número de jardineros y de agricultores que usan estas preciosas semillas.

La Acción Local por un Mañana Sostenible (LAST) en Sequim, WA, se está preparando para su próximo Hacer que dure este evento de sostenibilidad (Making it last), que está programado para el 21 y 22 de Marzo. El principal conferencista del viernes 21 de Marzo, es Eric Corey Freed, el arquitecto ganador del premio quien hablará sobre “ El Inevitable Futuro de nuestras Construcciones: la Emergencia del Campo de la Construcción Verde” y durante el Sábado, habrá talleres, exhibiciones, reciclaje de computadores y la presentación de un carro con energía solar.

Si usted o su grupo estuviere interesado en unirse a la Relocalization Network y a la construcción de una fuerte y colaboradora Network de grupos de la comunidad, contáctenos.

Suscríbase a la Carta de Noticias Mensual de Relocalización y visite la www.relocalize.net para estar al corriente de todas las actividades de la Relocalization Network!

Semblanza de un Grupo del Post Carbon: Methow Valley (Twisp), Washington

Asociada a Washington para un Methow sostenible (PSM), ahora cumpliendo sus 10 años, se han esforzado en tejer juntos los cabos de una cultura sostenible, in