We are a group of rural Michiganians who are working together to envision and transition into low tech, low energy communities. The common thread that binds us together is our concern that oil production has peaked globally and is having severe repercussions for global food, political, economic, monetary and transportation systems.

We are currently forming as an Outpost of the Post Carbon Institute (www.postcarbon.org), a non-profit educational institution and think tank. Our Outpost is working with the Post Carbon Institute on several transitional projects to explore in practice what the rural Michiganian way of life, governance, and economy might look like without the use of non-renewable hydrocarbons as energy and chemical feedstocks.

In addition to helping prepare for hydrocarbon scarcity, all of our projects are designed to improve the quality of life in the community and strengthen the local economy. Our initial projects are:

• Post Carbon Consulting for individuals and organizations


• Initiating "parallel public infrastructures"


• Getting into the classrooms


• Peak Oil/Post Carbon curriculum for public schools and homeschoolers


• Crude Awakening screenings and discussions region wide


• Restructuring and refocusing local economy


• Local food production for the Chain O Lakes region


• Post carbon living skills workshops