"The cleverer you are, the smaller the imprint you leave upon the Earth to show you passed by"
Saying
attributed to the Cree Indians of
North America: Never more true than
today!
Image by M. Ruzek, USRA
WILL BIOFUELS SAVE US FROM "PEAK OIL"?
PROBABLY NOT!
Here's an interesting paper
from the journal New Scientist on whether
biofuels can make a significant contribution to
reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Increasingly, doubts are being raised about biofuels as
a "techno-fix", reinforcing the unpleasant prospect
that humans have greatly exceeded the carrying capacity
of the Earth. It appears more likely that attempts at
finding a technical solution to climate change and
global warming are doomed to failure unless we address
this underlying issue - too many people
demanding too much from a finite Nature!
From the paper:
Can biofuels help save our planet from a climate
catastrophe? Farmers and fuel companies certainly seem
to think so, but fresh doubts have arisen about the
wisdom of jumping wholesale onto the biofuels
bandwagon. The misgivings come as delegates from around
the world gather in Bali, Indonesia, this week, to
begin work on a tougher climate agreement to succeed
the Kyoto protocol.
About 12 million hectares, or around 1 per cent of the
world's fields, are currently devoted to growing
biofuels. Sugar cane and maize, for example, are turned
into bioethanol, a substitute for gasoline, while
rapeseed and palm oil are made into biodiesel. That
figure will grow because oil is so costly, and because
biofuels supposedly emit fewer greenhouse gases than
fossil fuels.
But a slew of new studies question the logic behind
expanding biofuel production. For a start, there may
not be enough land to grow the crops on or water to
irrigate them, given other demands on global
agriculture. Worse, any cuts in carbon dioxide
emissions gained by burning less fossil fuels may be
wiped out by increased emissions of the greenhouse gas
nitrous oxide from fertilisers used on biofuel crops.
In parts of the world, shortage of water is already
putting a brake on agricultural productivity
....... [To read more, click here.]
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WE CAN be LEDAs!
Aldinga & Willunga Basin Climate Change & Peak
Oil Action
Some
thoughts and focus for change:
I’ve been reflecting since our last meeting on
how we’re to move forward and the next steps to
really put the Action into
where we’re heading. The impressive reports and
activities of the Transition Town’s movement in
the UK (http://transitionculture.org/) have
formed a great model for responding to the Climate
Change and Peak Oil threats. Their strategy of local
attention to energy descent planning and the actions
towards leading the transition; joyfully,
enthusiastically and with enabling passion.
There are others around the globe similarly focussing
on energy descent and local action such as the Post
Carbon Institute (http://www.postcarbon.org/) with its
offshoot Relocalisation Network (http://www.relocalize.net/) and their
recently published Post Carbon Cities Guidebook
(http://postcarboncities.net/guidebook).
For some inspiration closer to home, the Sunshine Coast
Energy Action Centre (http://www.seac.net.au/main/) where
Janet Milington and local permaculturists have
established a programme of local awareness and
action. This is a hugely inspiring series of
workshops and activities around positive responses
to Peak Oil and Climate Change (a must visit to the
website).
For Climate Change focus and action there are many
points of entry for action such as The Climate Action
Network (http://www.cana.net.au/) “The
Big Switch” and their practical list of
Climate Change Solutions, or ACF
(http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=6)
and their GreenHome initiative (http://www.acfonline.org.au/default.asp?section_id=86)
Swamped
with Information, Where and How to
Action?
Personally,
I’m aware of how easy it is to be overwhelmed by
information and the tendency to keep searching out more
‘facts and figures’. My own struggle as a
‘Climate Messenger’ is to keep abreast of
what’s new and also to continue to do the
awareness raising towards inspiring action and
solutions. All the while also actioning the energy
descent plan at home: reducing footprint, planting
gardens and trees and the retrofitting of home to catch
more water, use less electricity, recycling nutrients
and reducing waste.
The
first foundation principle to how we move forward is
the acceptance and belief in ‘energy
descent’ – the planned and prosperous
choices we can make to reduce energy consumption and
our commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to
avoid dangerous climate change. The next founding
principle is our belief in local community action,
networking and inspirational ‘holding
hands’ and supporting each other to learn,
understand and action our commitments to energy
descent.
One of the slides I’ve used in my climate project
presentations ‘An impossible dream?’
– That Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change =
informed public + political will + bipartisan support +
global collaboration + individual & community
commitment to change + Urgency!
This highlights for me the breadth of the necessary
changes that need to be in place to secure a world that
is habitable for our children and where ecosystems
remain intact.
We need action at all levels but our first steps are
most effective when we join with other individuals in
our community with desire and commitment for change.
Waiting for political will and policy leadership we can
show that the path is less scary and achievable by our
actions. I’m hoping that we can all share this
belief in energy descent action and community power for
change.
We need to feel confident in our knowledge to be able
to assess our personal and home carbon footprint and
vulnerability to energy price and availability
constraints and feel confident to share this with
friends, colleagues and within our communities. Action
means planning to do things differently and a strategy
and timetable to make these happen.
The
Ten First Steps that
Rob Hopkins and Transition Culture had developed were
presented as way of moving forward for developing local
energy descent action (LEDA).
#1.
Awareness Raising
#2.
Laying The Foundations
#3.
Organise a Great Unleashing
#4.
Form Groups
#5.
Use Open Space Technology
#6.
Develop Visible Practical Manifestations of the
Project
#7.
Facilitate the Great Reskilling
#8.
Build a Bridge to Local Government
#9.
Honour the Elders
#10.
Let It Go Where It Wants to Go
Action
and moving forward
The local group agreed to meet again on Friday
7th September continue to proceed down the path of
developing an ‘Energy Descent Action Plan’
and to engage and lead the local community towards
responding creatively to these threats of Climate
Change and Peak Oil. Agenda items including Awareness
Raising programme, communicating and sharing
information (email protocols and understandings),
upcoming events and more.
Further
Reading and Preparation for energy descent
Transition Culture, Rob Hopkins website - http://transitionculture.org/
Skilling
Up for Powerdown – course notes http://transitionculture.org/skilling-up-for-powerdown-course-notes/
UK
Guardian articles on Transition Towns Totnes -
http://environment.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329783692-121567,00.html
and Lampeter http://environment.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329771279-121567,00.html
Kinsale Energy Descent Action Plan - http://transitionculture.org/pdf-downloads/kinsale-energy-descent-action-plan-2005/#comment-50911
LEDA
Archive:
Summary of the Aldinga "Climate Change
& Peak Oil" public presentation held on Friday
11 May 2007 at St Ann's Church, Main South Road,
Aldinga
A Global Warming Mind Map - from “Learning
Fundamentals”
