Group forum RSS feed

Focuses of our group

Molly Brown — Thu, 04 May 2006 17:30:06 -0700

I would like to hear from people about how you see the purposes of our group APPLE-Shasta. Some folks want to focus on helping each other "homestead"--cut our energy use and increase our food production at home. Other folks want to work as a community--educating others and seeking ways we can increase our self-reliance as a community. Obviously, I think we can do both. Some folks may feel called to work with the City Council and Country Supervisors. Others may want to hold public educational events. Still others may want to focus on the community g

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Peak oil preview: North Korea & Cuba

star man — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 12:45:56 -0700

Peak oil preview: North Korea & Cuba
by Dale Jiajun Wen
A tale of two countries: How North Korea and Cuba reacted differently to a suddenly diminished oil supply

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?ID=1462

That peak oil is coming is no longer a question. It’s only a matter of when. The global food system we are familiar with depends crucially on cheap energy and long-distance transportation—food consumed in the United States travels an average of 1,400 miles. Does peak oil mean inevitable starvation? Two countries provide a preview. Their divergent stories, one of famine, one of sufficiency, stand as a warning and a model. North Korea and Cuba experienced the peak-oilscenario prematurely and abruptly due to the collapse of the former Soviet bloc and the intensified trade embargo against Cuba. The quite different outcomes are partly due to luck: the Cuban climate allows people to survive on food rations that would be fatal in North Korea’s harsh winters. But the more fundamental reason is policy. North Korea tried to carry on business as usual as long as possible, while Cuba implemented a proactive policy to move toward sustainable agriculture and self-sufficiency.
The 1990s famine in North Korea is one of the least-understood disasters in recent years. It is generally attributed to the failure of Kim Il Jung’s regime. The argument is simple: if the government controls everything, it must be responsible for crop failure. But this ideological blame game hides a more fundamental problem: the failure of industrial chemical farming. With the coming of peak oil, many other countries may experience similar disasters.

See Also: It Takes Energy to Make Energy
North Korea developed its agriculture on the Green Revolution model, with its dependence on technology,imported machines, petroleum, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. There were signs of soil compaction and degradation, but the industrial farming model provided enough food for the population. Then came the sudden collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989. Supplies of oil, farming equipment, fertilizers, and pesticides dropped significantly, and this greatly contributed to the famine that followed. As a November 1998 report from the joint UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program observed:
The highly mechanized DPR [North] Korean agriculture faces a serious constraint as about four-fifths of motorized farm machinery and equipment is out of use due to obsolescence and lack of spare parts and fuel. … In fact, because of non-availability of trucks, harvested paddy has been seen left on the fields in piles for long periods.
North Korea failed to change in response to the crisis. Devotion to the status quo precipitated the foodshortages that continue to this day. Cuba faced similar problems. In some respects, the challenge was even bigger in Cuba. Before 1989, North Korea was self-sufficient in grain production, while Cuba imported an estimated 57 percent of its food1, because its agriculture, especially the state farm sector, was geared towards production of sugar for export.
After the Soviet collapse and the tightening of the U.S.embargo, Cuba lost 85 percent of its trade, and its fossil fuel-based agricultural inputs were reduced by more than 50 percent. At the height of the resulting food crisis, the daily ration was one banana and two slices of bread per person in some places. Cuba responded with a national effort to restructure agriculture.
Cuban agriculture now consists of a diverse combination of organic farming, permaculture, urban gardens, animal power, and biological fertilizing and pest control. On a national level, Cuba now has probably the most ecological and socially sensitive agriculture in the world. In 1999, the Swedish Parliament awardedthe Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Life After the Oil Crash

SunnyD — Mon, 24 Jul 2006 10:17:42 -0700

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

A website that does a good job discussing the issue of Peak Oil and what it means to our way of life in the U.S.

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Simple Steps to Save Energy and Money

star man — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:25:28 -0700

Simple Steps to Save Energy and Money

Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy--APPLE -Shasta

Siskiyou County, California

Closing your curtains at night helps hold in the heat. Close doors to unused rooms in your house. Condition the space (heat I cool) only when occupied.

Set your thermostat down to 45-50 at night in the winter and only 65 when you are using the spaces. This can be done manually or through the use of automatic set back thermostats. During each 24-hour period, you will save about 3% on your heating bill for every 10 that you lower the thermostat setting. This means a nightly setback from 65 to 45 degrees will save you 30%

Seal recessed can lights, electrical plugs and light switches against air infiltration.

Dress warmly. Wear a long sleeved insulated shirt and even consider a hat indoors to stay warm with cooler heating temps in the winter.

Buy a water heater blanket... or two of them, putting one on top of the other to reduce the tank's standby loss. Replacing the water heater's sacrificial anode will make the tank last indefinitely.

Insulate your exposed hot water pipes.

Invest in down comforters for beds in cold climates.

Use "Mountain A/C", opening your windows at night to cool off your house and close it up during the day to keep the heat out.

Keep your refrigerators warm, outside condenser coils clean with regular vacuuming. This improves the efficiency of the unit.

Replace air filters on forced air heating I cooling equipment as needed.

Consider eating lower on the food chain by incorporating more vegetarian food. It is healthier, contains fewer toxins (especially if organic) and is more efficient.

Add a storm door to reduce heat loss through your entryways. Check I repair door and window weather stripping to reduce air infiltration.

Use cloth shopping bags rather than throwaway paper or plastic ones.

Walk, ride a bike or carpool to work.

Adding cellulose insulation to the attic is easy and pretty inexpensive to do. Most lumberyards will loan you the blowing machine for free when you buy the cellulose from them. Install at least R-60. Wall insulation can also be done, but it is expensive when retrofitting. Floor insulation is pretty easy if you have a crawl space and don't mind confined, creepy places, otherwise hire it to be done for you.

Compost your vegetable scraps.

When you drive, change your habits to accelerate slowly, anticipate stops and reduce your freeway speed.

Keep your engine tuned up and tires properly inflated.

Consolidate trips to reduce unnecessary mileage.

Do you really need 4WD?

Cook meals with a store bought or home made solar oven.

Reduce consumption, reuse what you can and recycle. (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle)

Plant fruit I nut trees and grow a garden. Ever calorie of food you eat contains 20 to 200 calories of fossil fuel energy. The more food you produce at home the more you reduce the embedded energy in your diet.

When you buy food, support sustainable agriculture by purchasing only organically grown items.

Monitor your electric usage daily. Chart it, if it helps. Keep a daily eye on it; like one would you were living off-grid. This will keep your focus on conservation. Set a goal for daily kWh usage, achieve it, and then try to go lower. An average American home uses 40 kWh per day. Efficient homes use as little as 14 kWh a day, which includes winter heating (electric heat pump). Some off grid homes as little as 1 kWh a day!

Plant deciduous shade trees to reduce direct solar gain in the summer when you do not want it. Also wind breaks help reduce heat loss in the winter.

Advanced (contractor I substantial economic investment)

Change your computer monitor to a liquid crystal display (LCD). A standard monitor would use around 150 watts, a LCD about 60. LCD TV's save similar amounts of power. Laptops use much less power than desktop models.

Buy a front-loading washing machine. You will be amazed at how fast they spin and how dry the clothes are when they come out. This reduces line-drying time. These washing machines use about 1/3 of the water & soap of a traditional top loader.

If your refrigerator is over 5 years old replace it with the smallest one your can get by with. Use the government's energy star web page to select the most efficient model. Manual defrost ones use much less power, reduce freezer bum and here on the dry west coast, this means once a year defrosting.

Replace single pane windows with dual or triple pane glass with the lowest "U" value you can afford to get. Consider "low E" glass for North facing windows.

Install pleated R-4 cellular window blinds. They work great, but are expensive. Another option is to make coverings out of recycled bubble wrap. 3M makes a one time use window shrink wrap that can be put on frames for removable, seasonal use.

If you are doing new construction, be sure to use a passive solar design, and frame to reduce heat loss through the framing members (i.e. 2 X 8 studs set on 2 foot centers rather than 2 X 6 studs on 16" centers).

Buy the smallest, most efficient vehicle you can afford. If that is a hybrid, consider the Toyota technology over the Honda. The Toyota uses a parallel system rather than the Honda's series. This means the Toyota can run on gas OR electric rather than gas AND electric. Soon, an aftermarket modification will allow you to plug in the Prius and use it as a pure EV for short (20 to 40 mile) trips using NO gasoline at all.

Only after you have made your home /life as efficient as possible, is it time to consider active renewables like solar thermal (hot water) and solar electric (photo voltaic ). Throwing energy and money into gigantic and expensive renewable energy systems to offset inefficiency and waste, embodies more of the same unconsciousness that got us into the mess we are in now.

http://www.relocalize.net/groups/appleshasta

http://www.mountshastaecology.org

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Gas Guzzling Food: "The SUV in the Pantry", by Thomas Starrs

SunnyD — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 17:44:01 -0700

I spend a fair amount of time thinking about how to reduce my family's dependence on energy, particularly energy derived from fossil fuels. I commute to work by bicycle or bus, install compact fluorescents when light bulbs burn out, replace major appliances with the most efficient ones I can afford, and cast jealous glances at my friends who drive hybrids or alternative-fueled vehicles. But until recently, I didn't think of myself as an energy glutton because of the food I eat.

Then I read an astonishing statistic: It takes about 10 fossil fuel calories to produce each food calorie in the average American diet. So if your daily food intake is 2,000 calories, then it took 20,000 calories to grow that food and get it to you. In more familiar units, this means that growing, processing and delivering the food consumed by a family of four each year requires the equivalent of almost 34,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy, or more than 930 gallons of gasoline (for comparison, the average U.S. household annually consumes about 10,800 kWh of electricity, or about 1,070 gallons of gasoline).

In other words, we use about as much energy to grow our food as to power our homes or fuel our cars.

Overall, about 15% OF U.S. energy goes to supplying Americans with food, split roughly equally between the production of crops and livestock, and food processing and packaging. David Pimentel, a professor of ecology and agricultural science at Cornell University, has estimated that if all humanity ate the way Americans eat, we would exhaust all known fossil fuel reserves in just seven years.

The implications of agricultural energy use for the environment are disturbing. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, agriculture contributes over 20% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, including more than 20% CO2, 55% of methane and 65% of nitrous oxide. In addition, our energy-intensive agriculture industry contributes substantially to soil erosion, loss of wildlife habitat, degradation of water quality from chemical runoff and causes other adverse environmental impacts.

Much of the energy embedded in our food comes from growing grains that require further processing to be eaten. Producing a 2-pound box of breakfast cereal, for example, requires the equivalent of burning half a gallon of gasoline.

Eating high on the food chain is even worse. Eating a carrot or an apple gives the diner all the caloric energy in those foods, but feeding these foods to a pig reduces the energy available by a factor of 10. That's because the pig uses most of the energy just staying alive, and stores only a fraction of the energy in the parts we eat. All told, it takes 68 calories of fossil fuel to produce one calorie of pork, and 35 calories of fuel to make one calorie of beef.

Interestingly, the path to reducing the energy intensity of the food system dovetails nicely with the path to a healthy and nutritious diet. It can be summarized in three simple suggestions.

First, eat lower on the food chain. That means more fruits and vegetables, and fewer meats and fish. Meats, poultry and fish contain necessary proteins, but most American diets contain too much protein - about twice the recommended amount. Since 80% of the grains go to feeding livestock, the amount of energy used indirectly to support our diet of double bacon cheeseburgers is staggering. And, if you do eat meat, then try to avoid animals grown in feedlots or factory pens. They take far more energy calories to raise than free-range, grassfed critters, which have only about a third of the embedded energy.

Second, eat more fresh foods and fewer processed foods. Fruits and vegetables again, but also whole grains, legumes and other less-processed foods, have much less embedded energy. In general, the more packaging, the more processing - and the more energy associated with its production.

Third, buy local. Incredibly, the food items on U.S. grocery store shelves have traveled an average of 1,500 miles. And some foods are much worse. Table grapes grown in Chile, transported by ship to California and shipped by truck to Iowa have traveled over 4,200 miles. In response, some agricultural scientists have proposed ecolabeling programs based on CO2 rankings or broader lifecycle assessments.

These analyses provide better information than just miles traveled. For instance, because they travel by air rather than by ship, Hawaiian pineapples are among the most carbon intensive of foods, contributing about 40 pounds of CO2 per pound of pineapple. That is about 10 times the next highest figure among the foods studied.

In my hometown of Portland, Oregon, individuals and businesses alike are starting to recognize and respond to the public's concerns about fossil food. Grocery stores featuring locally grown and organic products are common. Farm stands, farmer's markets and community-supported agriculture operations are thriving. Here, even fast food restaurants are using local and organic ingredients.

For instance, Burgerville is a local chain that buys exclusively Oregon Country Beef, the branded product of 40 family ranches in the region that produce an all-natural product made without hormones, genetically modified grain or any animal byproducts. Burgerville promotes the fact that customers can trace the source of their food from ranch to table - and play a role in sustaining the local agricultural economy. Another local company, Hot Lips Pizza, worked with a group of Northwest farmers to create a Food Alliance-certified local market for organic wheat and flour, providing customers with pizza that is sustainably grown. It also is really, really tasty.

After all, you are what you eat.

++++

Thomas Starrs is Chair of the American Solar Energy Society. Contact him: chair@ases.org

FROM Solar Today, a SustainableBusiness.com Content Partner.

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Time To Listen

star man — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 10:51:47 -0700

Time To Listen

Time flies through the window
And skies turn to grey
Things we take for granted
May soon all go away
All the things that we love
People, places, things
May only be a memory
In the large scheme of things
In the history of this planet
Will we really just be a speck
Don't really want to find out
Since I know it's going to be a wreck
All I know what to do
Is simply just try and prepare
Though at times it's difficult
Because people are so unaware
When those I love won't listen
It just simply breaks my heart
They are the ones I thought would listen
Instead it could break us apart
All I want is for them to think
Life won't always be peaches and cream
Just because it's not on the news and hidden from you
Don't forget things aren't always what they seem
For those of you who understand
Don't you just want them to survive
To try and think outside the box
So we can all just stay alive
Most won't take me seriously
Most will blow it off or laugh
But those of you who understand
We have all seen the graphs
We are talking in our lifetime
Not the ones ahead
The time to do something is now
That's why this word I spread
Just think for second
Not in 10 years but half
Before the shit hits the fan
Are you still going to laugh
Because I'll be the one
Working hard, prepared to survive
And you'll be the one who's shocked
Wondering how you're going to stay alive
I don't mean to be this blunt
But how else do I get it through
When no one wants to listen
I just don't know what else to do
Because I have done the research
And I do know the facts are long
But I really hate it when those who haven't
Try to tell me that I'm wrong
If global warming and peak oil never happen
Still rather be prepared then not
So go ahead and think I'm crazy
But I won't be the one forgot

Evelyn Michele Cosmides --

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

FW: Diet and hydrocarbon energy use

star man — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 08:58:39 -0700

Here is a Swedish study on energy embedded in different foods. Majority of it would be more or less applicable here. It concludes that you can reduce the amount of fossil fuel energy you eat by a factor of 3, by eating foods that are produced and processed more efficiently. Local production is one factor, but transportation costs are not the most significant thing. Importing food from Central Europe, which is about like bringing food here from Fresno, adds about 10% to energy use. But ship transport increases energy use by about 150%, and air transport by about 2,000%. About one third of the fossil fuel energy we eat is in drinks and sweets.
I need to try to convert this to calories to make it really meaningful.

Steve Funk

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Here is the actual study - Re: Diet and hydrocarbon energy use

star man — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 10:34:15 -0700

Previous post did not include the actual Study which can be accessed in the pdf file found in the link below. star*man

http://us.f604.mail.yahoo.com/ym/ShowLetter?box=Inbox&MsgId=4438_9855304...

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

How to Manage A Global Energy Crisis: The Oil Depletion Protocol

star man — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 08:21:54 -0700

How to Manage A Global Energy Crisis: The Oil Depletion Protocol October 12, 2006 http://www.satyacenter.com/oil-depletion-protocol by Richard Heinberg Pages: 1: Planning for the Post-Carbon World 2: Adopting the Protocol Planning for the Post-Carbon World "The overwhelming thing we need is a national plan to deal with oil depletion." -- Christine Milne, member of the Australian Senate The Oil Depletion Protocol is a historically significant agreement that promises to set a global precedent for dealing with resource scarcity through cooperation and voluntary moderation rather than competition and conflict. It is inherently simple, calling for a gradual reduction in petroleum consumption according to a transparent formula. And it can be implemented at any level -- internationally, as well as by individual countries, municipalities, businesses, and individuals. The need for such a protocol is becoming increasingly plain. Petroleum is a non-renewable, polluting, and depleting resource on which the world has become dangerously dependent. This in itself should be cause for nations to find ways to reduce their consumption and thus their dependency. However, there is also the problem of uncertain future supply. Long before the last drop of petroleum has been recovered from any given reservoir the possible rate of extraction tends to peak and then fall off for purely physical, geological reasons. Today, most oil-producing countries have already reached and passed their national production peaks and are in steady decline. There is universal agreement that the world as a whole will reach its peak rate of production at some point in the next few decades -- but there is controversy as to when, exactly, the peak will come. While some analysts forecast the maximum flow rate as occurring later than 2030, others say it will be achieved within the next four or five years. Once the peak has passed, global rates of oil extraction will gradually wane, even if demand for oil continues to grow. Unless societies prepare for the event by substantially reducing demand ahead of the event, this will be an oil crisis like no previous one, because it will continue inexorably for decades until rates of extraction have become trivially small. The problem will arise not at the point when oil actually runs out (that moment, everyone agrees, is in the distant future), but at the point when the rate of delivery can no longer match the expectations of consumers. The technical literature on the subject of Peak Oil is robust; for more information please see the "Get Informed" section at http://www.oildepletionprotocol.org, Chart based on data from Exxon-Mobil There is growing evidence that the rate of world oil production has already entered a plateau, indicating the approaching peak. Yet even if the forecasts that place the peak two decades ahead are correct, there is still cause for immediate concern, as analysis undertaken on behalf of the US Department of Energy indicates that twenty years at a "crash program" scale of effort will be needed prior to the peak to prepare societies adequately. This is because most of the mitigation strategies that are possible (developing supplies of alternative fuels or changing transport infrastructure to use fuel more efficiently) will require enormous amounts of investment and many years of hard effort. The world is currently unprepared for a sustained decline in oil availability. Indeed, in nearly every recent year the world has increased its demand for oil by over a million barrels per day. An extended and gradually worsening supply shortfall would lead to economic turmoil. Transportation of people, food, and other goods would be impacted, as would agriculture and the chemicals and plastics industries. Because each of these economic sectors is basic to modern societies, all industries and all segments of the population would feel the effects. High transportation costs would fuel inflation and reduce demand for products while undermining tourism, the automobile industry, and the airline industry. High fuel costs would bankrupt millions of farmers worldwide, leading to an agricultural crisis, while high food transport costs would also conspire to drive up food prices for consumers. While high oil prices would be challenge enough, volatile prices would make matters much worse. Huge levels of investment in new transportation and energy-efficient manufacturing infrastructure will be required over the next few decades, but unpredictable swings in the price of petroleum would discourage both government and the private sector from taking the necessary investment risks. At the same time, oil supply problems are likely to lead to political instability and international conflict. Oil has been a primary strategic resource for decades -- the object of wars, coups, and intrigues. As petroleum becomes more scarce and expensive, competition for supplies will grow and economic turmoil could create conditions for armed struggles, perhaps on a massive scale. Civil or international conflict could in turn exacerbate shortages and undermine investment in new energy sources and technologies and the accompanying processes of transition and adaptation. On top of all this there is the fact that burning oil or releasing it into the environment in the form of petrochemicals produces a range of pollutants. Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides from oil combustion contribute to lung cancer, asthma, and cardiovascular problems. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain, damaging the plant life that would otherwise help to clean pollutants from the air. Pesticides, plastics, and chemical components of plastics also make their way into many parts of the natural and built landscapes, causing damage as they go. Some of best-known pollutants, DDT and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are endocrine-disrupting petrochemicals that affect reproduction and development. Other petrochemicals in common use today also display endocrine disruption effects; for example, bisphenol A (BPA), used to make polycarbonate plastics, is an estrogen imitator and can disrupt the balance of sex hormones in living things that come in contact with it, including humans. Some scientists have linked amphibian population crashes to the presence of BPA. Chart courtesy of NASA and James Hansen However, of all chemical pollutants issuing from the use of oil and other fossil fuels, perhaps none has more worrisome potential consequences than the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2). Burning fossil fuels releases CO2, which traps heat from the Sun, gradually warming the oceans, the atmosphere, and the Earth's surface. The consequences of this warming effect are likely to be a less stable climate, worse storms, the disruption of agriculture, rising sea levels, and pressure on species to adapt to changing habitats. Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere in such small quantities (0.036%) that the massive amounts released through the burning of fossil fuels have already measurably altered the Earth's climate. Recent studies have shown that global climate impacts are appearing more quickly and severely than was predicted only a few years ago. A five-year European study of Antarctic ice cores found that current CO2 levels are 30 percent higher than at any time in the past 650,000 years. Moreover, the rates of increase are also extremely high -- 200 times faster than anything seen in the ancient past. The study, released in November 2005, also found a "very tight" correlation between CO2 levels and global temperatures. Meanwhile Greenland's glaciers, once stable, are now retreating rapidly. Ohio State University's Byrd Polar Research Center has found that the Jakobshavn glacier, one of the major drainage outlets of Greenland's interior ice sheet, is thinning over four times faster than was the case during most of the 20th Century; at the same time, the rate at which the ice moves is accelerating. When the Greenland ice sheet melts entirely, as it is projected to do perhaps before the end of the century, the world's oceans will rise by 20 feet, drowning coastal cities such as London and New York. In short, our current reliance on oil is unhealthy and unsustainable. It is imperative, for a variety of compelling reasons, that societies find ways to wean themselves from petroleum dependency as quickly as possible. The Protocol "The proposal to cut oil imports to match depletion rate seems to be simple common sense." -- The Right Honourable Michael Meacher, Member of Parliament, UK The Oil Depletion Protocol is perhaps the simplest and most straightforward agreement imaginable to help nations, and the world as whole, reduce oil dependency. It calls for a reduction in both extraction and imports of oil, with the rate of reduction tied to the rate of depletion. The world depletion rate for conventional oil is currently approximately 2.6 percent per year (this is simply the amount being extracted yearly divided into the amount left to extract). The Protocol essentially calls upon signatory nations to reduce their petroleum consumption by that amount annually. This would provide a target, a gauge of progress, and a cooperative framework for a task that will require many years of sustained effort. The Protocol itself need not specify how nations would make the transition away from oil. Presumably they would rely on some combination of two strategies -- developing supplies of alternative fuels, and conservation in their use of petroleum and its products. But because each nation has a unique pattern of consumption and a unique alternative-energy resource base, it would not be helpful to mandate a single set of practices or priorities to be implemented universally. The terms of a draft Oil Depletion Protocol were initially suggested by petroleum geologist Dr. Colin Campbell, founder of the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO), in 1996. They include, principally: * Reduction in extraction by each producing country according to its depletion rate; * Reduction in imports by each importing country according to the world depletion rate; * The creation of a Secretariat to monitor reserves, production, and imports, and to calculate depletion rates. Under the terms of this draft Protocol, production and import restrictions would apply only to regular conventional oil, a category that excludes deepwater oil (defined as greater than 500 meters depth); heavy oil (with a cutoff of 17.5 API); natural gas liquids; synthetic oils from tar sands, oil shale, coal, and natural gas; and biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Oil-producing nations would agree, upon adoption of the Protocol, to submit to an independent audit of their reserves and an ongoing monitoring of production. Importing nations would submit to an ongoing monitoring of imports. Some of the terms of this draft agreement are debatable (it may be preferable, for example, to include deepwater oil in the definition of "conventional" oil, rather than excluding it). And further terms may be necessary, for instance, to specify economic penalties for cheating on production or imports. However, the essence of the draft agreement is clear, simple, and non-arbitrary, and is thus likely to be preserved in any accord actually implemented. Why Is It In Any Nation's Interest to Adopt the Protocol? "Peace and prosperity for your children and grandchildren may be ensured or squandered depending upon whether world leaders commit to work together to overcome the challenges of global peak oil. The Oil Depletion Protocol provides leaders and citizens a model for discussion and implementation of cooperative steps to reverse the unsustainable trend of increased depletion of the world is rapidly shrinking oil reserves." -- Roscoe G. Bartlett, Member of US Congress At first thought, it may seem that the adoption of the Oil Depletion Protocol would run strongly counter to most nation's economic interests. It is true that a voluntary reduction in oil extraction and imports will impose challenges to nations that choose to abide by these terms. However, it must be emphasized that a reduction in the global availability of oil is inevitable in any case, and that if nations simply wait for the peak in production to occur before engaging in mitigation efforts, the negative social, economic, and political consequences are likely to be "unprecedented" in scope (this according to the US government-sponsored Hirsch Report). Three nations have already embarked on a transition away from oil even before being presented with the opportunity to adopt the Oil Depletion Protocol. Sweden: In December 2005, Swedish Prime Minister Gran Persson acknowledged that the global oil peak is a problem that needs to be addressed now, and announced the appointment of a National Commission on Oil Independence with the objective of making Sweden oil-independent by 2020. Iceland: With its enormous geothermal energy resources, Iceland in 2001 officially adopted the goal of making the country oil-free by 2050. This small nation of about 270,000 people has a high per-capita rate of greenhouse gas emissions -- despite the fact that about 70 percent of its energy needs, from home heating to electricity for aluminum smelters, are met by abundant geothermal or hydroelectric power. Only Iceland's transport sector is still reliant primarily on oil and gas. The nation's leaders plan to run its cars, buses, trucks, and ships on hydrogen produced from electrolysis of water. Cuba: The Cuban parliament has passed a measure declaring 2006 to be the year of the Energy Revolution. President Fidel Castro, in a speech delivered November 17, 2005, discussed the goal of reducing all energy use in the country by two-thirds. That nation has already dealt successfully with a dramatic forced reduction in oil consumption, consequent upon the collapse of the USSR in the late 1980s. Kuwait, a major exporting nation, is contemplating a voluntary reduction in extraction rates. Questions have arisen regarding the size of the country's actual oil reserves, and the opposition party in the Kuwaiti parliament has called for production to be cut to a percentage of actual reserves so as to preserve some of the resource and its economic benefits for future generations. This is essentially what is proposed for signatory producing nations under the terms of the Protocol. Some other countries are already in compliance with the Oil Depletion Protocol, or nearly so, and could therefore adopt and implement the agreement with little effort. For example, nations already experiencing steeply declining production are, in that respect, in compliance with the terms of the Protocol, whether they wish it or not. Much the same could be said for poor importing nations that cannot afford to purchase oil at current high market prices. By adopting the Protocol, these nations could make a virtue out of necessity and pave the way toward the global adoption of a policy that would work to the advantage of all nations by stabilizing prices and reducing competition. Other countries, while not on track to implement the terms of the Protocol, are at least beginning to contemplate ways to reduce oil dependency. In the United States, for example, there is widespread and growing concern over increasing dependence on oil imports. The US House of Representatives has asked its Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality to investigate a motion proposed by Representative Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland: that the United States, in collaboration with other international allies, should establish an energy project with the magnitude, creativity, and sense of urgency that was incorporated in the "Man on the Moon" project to address the inevitable challenges of Peak Oil. In Ireland, the national board responsible for providing policy advice to the government on enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation, has released a report titled "A Baseline Assessment of Ireland's Oil Dependence: Key Policy Considerations. This report examines the extent to which the Irish economy is vulnerable to oil production peaking, as well as the policies required for preparing for the event. Other countries such as Germany, Japan, Spain, and the Netherlands have made important strides in implementing renewable energy technologies (primarily solar and wind). China and India are also investing heavily in renewables, though their consumption of fossil fuels is also growing. Depletion-based and Emissions-based Agreements The very idea of accepting oil depletion protocols and treaties to guard against irresponsible levels of emissions may not be popular or easily endorsable. Yet, in the annals of history it is clear that epochal crises must be faced. The question is whether they are met with intelligence, resolve, and sacrifice or whether decision makers procrastinate to everyone's eventual peril and suffering. The Rt. Hon. Edward Schreyer, former Premier of Manitoba,Governor General of Canada, and High Commissioner to Australia and the South Western Pacific As noted above, scarcity is not the only reason for voluntarily reducing oil consumption; the environmental impacts of emissions from petroleum use are arguably far more important motivators. An emissions-based treaty (Kyoto) already exists. How is the Oil Depletion Protocol different, and why is it needed in addition to the Kyoto accord? The Oil Depletion Protocol differs from emissions-based protocols (e.g., Kyoto) in emphasis and method. Emissions protocols focus on end-of-pipe outcomes from fossil fuel usage, while depletion protocols focus on the supply of those fuels. For both, the goal is a transition away from the use of fossil fuels. Emissions-based protocols require us to change our consumption of energy resources in order to avert environmental harms, which will in turn impact human society. Depletion-based agreements require us to change our consumption of energy resources in order to adjust to the geological reality of declining extraction rates. Emissions-based protocols begin by creating emissions rights and then ration those rights. The Oil Depletion Protocol more simply rations supplies, starting at the wellhead. Throughout much of the world the general public finds it difficult to understand the science of global warming; therefore, even though there is a general, vague understanding that dangerous climate change is somehow related to human activity, there may be insufficient motivation among the general populace in many countries to endure sacrifice, change habits, or support bold energy policies. Oil depletion is inherently easy to understand. Oil is not a renewable resource; only so much exists, and we began depleting the supply when the first barrel was extracted from the ground. We are at the point now, globally, where the cheap, "easy" oil is gone, and what is left will be more expensive to produce and probably cannot continue to be produced at rates that would match demand under -- business-as-usual -- growth scenarios. With emissions-based agreements there is little advantage to any given individual nation in adoption if other nations that are major emitters do not likewise sign on: the climate for the one nation adopting the agreement won't be improved much, because climate change is a global phenomenon. The real advantage only comes if all nations that are major emitters join the accord. This is not as much the case with the Oil Depletion Protocol. While this plan will yield its greatest benefits (in terms of stabilizing oil prices and reducing competition for supplies) if all nations sign on, any single nation will be much better off adapting proactively to the new regime of scarce oil and higher prices than it would be if it simply continued attempting to use petroleum at existing or increasing rates. And the Oil Depletion Protocol will help significantly with that proactive process of adaptation. However, depletion-based transition plans do not do away with the requirement for emissions-based agreements: the latter will be needed to ensure that nations do not substitute low-grade hydrocarbon resources for oil as they reduce their reliance on the latter, thus worsening the global climate crisis. Depletion-based agreements will help create an economic environment in which emissions-based accords can function. If the world approaches and passes the point of peak oil production without having a proactive depletion-based transition plan in place, the resulting economic and political turmoil will reduce societies' ability to respond to environmental problems resulting from global warming. To summarize: Both emissions-based and depletion-based agreements are necessary, and they will work well together. The next few years may offer humankind its last, best opportunity to avert resource wars, terrorism, and economic collapse as it enters the second half of the Age of Oil. If we grasp that opportunity and succeed, we could set a precedent for cooperative, peaceful approaches to all of the resource problems we are likely to encounter during the coming century. The choice we face is between competition and conflict on one hand, and voluntary moderation and mutual assistance on the other. The first steps toward the latter can be readily taken by endorsing and adopting this simple agreement. Next: Adopting the Protocol >>

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Bicycle Transportation Plan

Angelina — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 14:24:46 -0700

Greetings!

It was wonderful to see so much support at the Community Bicycle meeting last week at the Stage Door. Thank you so much for showing up.

In a couple of weeks, a smaller "steering committee" will gather in order to discuss the specifics for how and when we will re-introduce Tom Hesseldenz's plan to City Council, so we will not have a formal letter/solicitation for you to sign or submit until further notice.

If you are super motivated to act now, we certainly encourage you to show up for the Planning Commission meeting tonight at 7 pm at the Community Center on Alma St. to voice your support for making the Bicycle/Pedestrian Trails portion of the Circulation Element a high priority on the General Plan Update.

This link may be of interest in forming some talking points at the city and county level:
http://www.bicyclefriendlycommunity.org/howto.htm

Please respond to me personally if you are interested in participating in the Bicycle Transportation Plan Steering Committee, and I will make sure you receive proper notice.

Think positive about Mount Shasta as a thriving, harmonious, sustainable community!

Sincerely,
Angelina Cook

926-2266
reynasolarqueen@yahoo.com

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Processing Acorns for Food

Molly Brown — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 14:00:54 -0800

On Saturday, Nov. 4, 28 people enjoyed Mary Carpelin's workshop on traditional Native American ways to prepare acorns for food. Here are notes about what she taught us:

Processing Acorns for Food

Collect

Collect acorns off the ground. Lay the shells out to dry, one layer thick. Do not dry in the sun.

Shell

Remove the meat from the shells. The outer skin is removed with the shell if the acorns are dry enough. The shells can be cracked with pliers, a rock on a hard surface, pounded with a hammer or any method you find easy. The meat comes out of the cracked shell with a pointed knife.

Grind

Grind the meats to the coarseness of cornmeal. This can be done with a food processor, blender, or pistol and mortar. Be careful not to over grind and turn the meats into a butter.

Leach

Place ground meats inside four layers of cheese cloth. Tie to make a ball. Run or drip water through the ball until the tannin is gone so that the acorns no longer taste bitter. The ball can also be soaked in water and the water changed several times until the bitterness is gone.

Cook

The leached meats can be cooked like oatmeal or baked, taking the place of flour.

Storing

Native Americans stored acorns before processing. They used cedar to keep insects away. An easy way to store acorns would be to put them in a net bag with bay leaves, cedar leaves, or rosemary keep out insects. Hang the bag in a cool, dry place.

The processed flour can be stored if it is thoroughly dried.

________________________________________________________________________

Some of us who have tried leaching acorns since have found running water over the mashed acorns took a lot of time and a great amount of water. I asked Jeff and Cindy Weiss of Bluestone Arc near Montegue how they leach their acorns. Here is their reply:

The trick to quick leaching with minimal amount of water is:

1. After shelling the acorns, use a food chopper to break up the acorns to small pieces, the size of a green pea or so.

2.Dry this for a few days in a dry location.

3.Take the dried nuts, let's say a qt to a half a gallon and put it into a 5 gallon bucket of water, using only about 2 gallons of water to cover the broken acorn pieces. Mix up with a large spoon or your hands and go away. Come back and repeat maybe 5-6 times in a day.

4. By the last rinse taste the bits to see if they are really that bitter.

5. If done, spread out on a stoneware or stainless steel cookie sheet and air dry. If you have a wood stove, set the cookie sheets on metal/stone hot pads. When dry, use a grain/nut mill to grind into acorn meal. If you do not have a grain/nut mill use any blender.

We had a very good crop of white oak acorns this year. We still have several pounds still in the shells. Sampling some of them has revealed no rotting or worm damage. We will process more meal as we need. So far we have put up over 5 lbs of acorn meal. It is great. We use it in pancakes, cereal, breads, and as a thickener for many different sauces.

Good luck to all,

jeff/cindy from the Bluestone Ark

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta

Living Sustainably and Happily

Molly Brown — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 10:39:19 -0800

FOOD FOR OPTIMISTS

This article appeared in the Ode issue 6

For more and more people the unending stream of media reports on failures, frauds, violence, setbacks and frustration has become a source of growing discomfort. But optimism can still triumph over cynicism. A practical guide for those who want to stay optimistic and healthy.

Choose your information sources carefully

Television news is more entertainment than news. Many local newspapers are advertising vehicles and, therefore, are seldom controversial. Beware of psychic pollution. Learn how to put news in its proper perspective. Many of us suffer from information overload and can become addicted to dramatic news with its life-or-death pitch. This is a manufactured reality, like a drug or alcohol high. Limit your digestion of sensational news. Don't allow your thoughts to become dominated by the lives of strangers and events you cannot control. Be ruthless about what you allow into your mind. Make an agreement with yourself about how much time you will worry about a given subject each day. Stick to it. You will notice a difference in how you feel.

Make your world smaller

The domination of media and advertising can overshadow our personal lives with a bigger, more fearful world. We have to choose which world holds our allegiance. If we really look around our own lives, in our own towns and our neighbourhoods, we see that things are not as fearful or violent as they are often portrayed in the media. We have to trust the reality of our own lives. Get close to your world. Go out walking in the woods near your house or in your neighbourhood. Get to know your immediate environment by getting to know your neighbours and spending more time at home. You will find that a comforting reality exists all around you.

Grow a progressive community

When we feel oppressed by circumstances or by society, it is often because we feel alone. It's important in tough times to find a community of like-minded people. In the early years as parents, questions about our children bring us together, and these early communities can sustain us through our whole parenting lives. We can also develop communities of people who share the same political, social, environmental, or spiritual beliefs.

Infuse everyday events with magic and ritual

Make meals a time of community and connection with loved ones. Eat at home more. Ask friends over for dinner. Turn washing, drying, and ironing clothes into acts that add order and rhythm to life. Rediscover the smell of line-dried clothes. Make your home a place of solace and refuge. Create an inspiring and regenerative personal environment. You will feel a difference.

Sing and dance

In the most difficult of times people sing and dance. Get some new music to listen to in the car or at home. Better yet, get together with friends to listen to and play live music. Teach yourself songs in the shower and the car. Dance anywhere. Dance in the living room, in the car, while you're gardening or working outside. Immerse yourself in music, and it will make you feel better.

Choose your companions carefully

In times of oppression and difficulties, it is especially important to keep good companions. Our companions strongly influence not only our opinion of ourselves, but also our state of mind. The dramatic emotions of others can lead us to develop a more negative and hopeless view of the world. On the other hand, companions who have a new sense of things or who talk of life in positive and hopeful terms can help us to feel strong enough to tackle life's challenges. These friends give us courage.

Lead an examined life

Tough times require honesty and self-reflection. It is easy to take things personally when the chips are down. Increased self-awareness allows us to take responsibility appropriately and to let go of what we can't control. It is important to cultivate the habit of self-reflection.

Focus on others

Sometimes when we are absorbed by a problem in our family or in society at large, we lose perspective. We exaggerate our own importance. Our problems become the worst in the history of the world. Helping others, especially children, can put things in perspective.

Become an activist

Find a cause that you believe in and support it at whatever level you can. Give money or time. Become a member. Educate and organise others. Vote. Register others to vote. And remember that activism is not about instant success, but about long-term social change. Talk to your kids about peace. While others may wonder how to talk to children about war, talk to your children about peace. Protect them from overexposure to war talk and war images. It's important to answer their questions openly and honestly, but follow their lead. Include them in conversations about peace and justice. Talk openly with them and others about your beliefs.

Don't be a victim

Often, when times are hard, we bemoan our bad luck. Why me? Why now? When you can refrain from taking life personally, however, you can act more effectively. Tough times will generate courage in proportion to the difficulty of the situation. It is tempting to criticise things as they are without having any idea of how to improve them. Part of the seduction of modern times is the false belief that this is as good as it gets, that things couldn't possibly be any better. The wisdom of living your own reality despite tough times is that your everyday reality ever improves itself; it always gives birth to a more positive future. Spend time imagining solutions to the problems you face in your life or to the problems of society. Talk to your friends about positive solutions. Take action to add at least one positive solution to your life.

Keep your sense of humour

At the heart of an optimistic spirit lies a hearty sense of humour. When you can laugh at yourself and the world, you can keep perspective. When you can't, you know that you need some help. Reach out to others when you've lost your sense of humour. Watch a funny movie or do The Twist. We must create our own personal realities to raise our children with hope and optimism. We must become increasingly active in re-creating democracy in our lives and in our society. Our personal lives parallel the collective. Speak with your own voice and it will uplift others. Work on your own life and it will inspire others. Come together with one another and you will touch others. Keep hope alive for the future, for the children. Children are the evidence that love, not fear, is the answer.

http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=3744

Adapted with permission from Mothering (May/June 2003). For subscription information: Mothering Magazine Inc., P.O. Box 1690, Santa Fe, NM 87504-1690, United States, info@mothering.com, www.mothering.com.

Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy - APPLE Shasta