Central Ohio Relocalization Effort (CORE), Columbus, Ohio

Central Ohio Relocalization Effort (CORE) representatives and other oil aware citizens prepared a Peak Oil Resolution for the city of Columbus. Six other non-profit organizations endorsed the resolution as of May 2, 2007.

CORE initially presented the Peak Oil Resolution to Columbus City Councilwoman Maryellen O'Shaughnessy on March 6, 2007 and our adviser Professor Korpela was present to answer questions. Per Ms O'Shaughnessy's recommendation, we met with Mayor Coleman's Environmental Steward, Susan Ashbrook on April 12, 2007 and gave her a copy of the resolution as well. Professor Korpela was again present to answer questions. At that meeting we presented both Ms Ashbrook and Ms O'Shaughnessy a copy of the Portland, Oregon report "Navigating the Transition of Peak Oil and Natural Gas" suggesting such a report be prepared by a task force in Columbus. The decision was made for us to present the information to Mayor Coleman's Green Team.

On May 29, 2007 Professor Korpela and I met with Chester Jourdan, the new director of MidOhio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC). We gave him a packet of information which included: the Peak Oil Resolution, the Portland Report, "Navigating the Transition of Peak Oil and Natural Gas", and two copies of presentations that had been done for other Regional Planning Commissions. We suggested MORPC helped educate it's membership about this critical issue.

On July 12, 2007 Professor Korpela and I did slide presentations for Mayor Coleman's Green Team. We explained the importance of the Portland Report, a Peak Oil Task Force and an educational forum for MORPC membership. Afterwards several members requested our slides and we made them available through Mayor Coleman's Environmental Steward. The relocalization slides are attached.

On September 5, 2007 Professor Korpela did a presentation for MidOhio Regional Planning Commission's Air Quality Committee on oil, coal, and natural supplies and depletion. The committee discussed their efforts allocating $$ from the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ) - a program of the Federal Highway Administration. Some of the monies they were allocating were proposed to go to Clean Fuels Ohio for outreach. Clean Fuels Ohio (the primary corn ethanol promoter in Ohio) is one of the coalitions that are part of the Energy Departments Clean Cities Program. Some of CMAQ's funds are allocated to Clean Cities efforts as the two programs support each other. However, both programs were launched in the early 90's by acts of Congress. Neither program was established to mitigate peak oil, natural gas depletion or global warming - there was very little (if any) awareness in Washington in the early 90's of these problems.

Sadly, there is still very little acknowledgment in Washington of peak oil or peak natural gas judging by the comments Rep Bartlett (co-founder of the Peak Oil Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives) made at a press conference in July 2007 when he spoke about his disappointment regarding the National Petroleum Council's (NPC) report that had just been released. Energy Secretary Bodman requested this report in late 2006 and asked the "industry" to answer questions regarding their own supplies. There have been many articles about the NPC report that are calling it intentionally ambiguous.

And on October 2, 2007 I did a slide presentation on Relocalization for the MORPC's Air Quality Committee. Professor Korpela and I briefly expressed our awareness that the Air Quality Committee works with CMAQ and Clean Fuels Ohio and our understanding that bureaucracies are slow to catch up with new information. Also, if Congress is not being told the truth about oil and gas supplies, they can hardly be expected to pass good legislation.

The Air Quality Committee was gracious to us both. We requested their support for the Peak Oil Resolution and a Peak Oil Task Force. We loaned them the Oil Age Poster. Attached is the slide presentation I prepared for this committee.

Professor Korpela and I were invited to attend the MORPC November 6, 2007 meeting of the Air Quality Committee and answer questions regarding the Peak Oil Resolution. At that meeting we heard comments that perhaps the Peak Oil Resolution was not an appropriate issue for the Air Quality Committee to address. Prior to addressing the MORPC Air Quality Committee, we had expressed concerns about the appropriateness of addressing them regarding the Peak Oil Resolution. However Erin Miller, MORPC staff, assured us that this committee was indeed the right forum for the Peak Oil Resolution as a starting off place within the MORPC organization, so we agreed to talk to them.

After answering questions at the Air Quality Committee's November meeting, committee chair Derrick Clay told us that the committee would discuss the matter further and let us know their decision.

On December 4th David Abel, MORPC Program Coordinator, called me an hour before the MORPC Air Quality Committee was scheduled to meet and notified me of the upcoming meeting. Because of the late notification, I was unable to attend. He also informed me of MORPC's decision NOT to endorse the Peak Oil Resolution. David then emailed me 1) a copy of the meeting's agenda and 2) a memo (see attachment: MORPC_resolutionmemo) from MORPC "staff" explaining the reasons for their decision. This memo was dated December 4th. It appears that the decision regarding the Peak Oil Resolution was made by MORP
C "staff" (no names were listed) - not the Air Quality Committee who had not yet met or voted on endorsing the resolution prior to the release of the memo.

The reason MORPC "staff" gave for their unwillingness to endorse the Peak Oil Resolution was the same reason given by Susan Ashbrook, Mayor Coleman's employee, at the Uptown Progressives meeting on November 15, 2007. Ms. Ashbrook told the attendees that the actions required for Peak Oil were essentially the same ones they are pursuing in response to global warming.

On December 10, 2007, I contacted MORPC Executive Director Chester Jourdan. (see attachment: email to MORPC_ExDir) and asked if the unidentified MORPC "staff" represented the official MORPC position. I received his response on January 23, 2008. (see attachment: Comm-MORPC_ExDir) Mr. Jourdan;s letter stated that MORPC "staff" discussed the resolution at the Air Quality Committee's December 4th meeting and collectively decided NOT to endorse the peak oil resolution. Attached to his letter was a different memo from the MORPC "staff". The text was the same, but it was on MORPC letterhead and dated November 28, 2007. (see attachment: Comm-MORPC_ExDir)

None of the actions that MORPC "staff" cited in their memo (or those sited in the Central Ohio Green Pact - attached) acknowledge the need for a sustainable regional food system. They also make no mention of the need to commence planning an energy-efficient public transportation system (rail) throughout all of Central Ohio. The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission is currently working on expanding the streetcar system in Dayton and is requesting CMAQ funds for this project: http://docs.mvrpc.org/dahc/Dayton_Streetcar_1.pdf

Here is a stark reality - 83% of Central Ohioans drive alone to work per MORPC's 2004 Fact Book.

There is a difference between the actions called for in the Mayor's Climate Change Agreement (that Mayor Coleman signed in 2007), the Central Ohio Green Pact, MORPC's Regional Connections and those called for regarding peak oil. While the suggested policy changes for peak oil are usually complimentary to those required to combat global warming, there are also important distinctions that may affect the conclusions drawn by local authorities. In October 2007 the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre (ODAC) in London released a report called "Preparing for Peak Oil". http://www.odac-info.org//welcome/documents/PFPO_Final.pdf
The actions ODAC and the Post Carbon Institute recommend are summarized in the ODAC_PreparingforPeakOil attachment.

Conclusion as of January 24, 2008
We have personally contacted the following entities regarding the Peak Oil Resolution and peak oil preparedness:

Maryellen O'Shaughnessy, Columbus City Council, Transportation
Susan Ashbrook, Mayor Coleman's Environmental Steward
Chester Jourdan, MORPC Executive Director
Erin Miller, MORPC staff
Chris Gawronski, MORPC staff
David Abel, MORPC staff
MORPC Air Quality Committee (including Nick Gill, MORPC Transportation Planner
Mayor Coleman's Green Team
Kimberly Gibson, Ohio Dept of Development, Special Assistant for Energy, Transportation & Regional Collaboration
Sam Spofforth, Chairman of the city of Columbus Green Transportation Team

There is no indication at this moment that any of those we have contacted are going to engage in peak oil preparedness seriously. We believe this lack of willingness to prepare for this unprecedented challenge to the welfare of the citizens of Central Ohio is a failure of leadership that is likely to have severe consequences, most likely within the next five years. The communities that are the MOST dependent on the automobile will have the MOST difficulties as gasoline prices increase and shortages set in.

CORE has pursued as many avenues as our resources permit and have no plans at the moment to take any further action regarding the Peak Oil Resolution or peak oil preparedness in Central Ohio.

Note: The internet version of the Central Ohio Green Pact (http://getgreencolumbus.com/PDFs/GreenPact.pdf) is 11X17 and is 1.33 MB in size. Therefore, I have uploaded a reformatted version that can be printed on legal paper.

Anita Laurin, Coordinator
Central Ohio Relocalization Effort