Relocalization, Peak Oil and Climate Change Planning for the Ocean State

Dr. Frank Popper on American growth

July 21st, 2010 Posted in growth, Economy, adaptation | No Comments »

Sea Shepherd at Deepwater Ground Zero

July 7th, 2010 Posted in Disaster relief, Species loss, Environmental cleanup, Human Impact, False Solutions, water | No Comments »

Important footage showing the scope of this disaster. What an unbelievable nightmare. This will affect all of us for decades. Thanks to Steve Roest and Sea Shepherd.

Time for a new American Revolution

July 4th, 2010 Posted in Transition Towns, Organizing, Preparedness, Politics, adaptation, peak oil | No Comments »

Charles Frink from New London, CT, with a great essay highlighting the Transition movement. Thanks, Alycia, for passing this along.

Faultlines: In Deep Water

June 21st, 2010 Posted in Social Justice, Human Impact, Environmental cleanup, False Solutions, Politics, water, Energy, Economy, peak oil | 1 Comment »

Heinberg on Obama’s address

June 17th, 2010 Posted in Politics, Energy, Education | No Comments »

Richard Heinberg offers this recent essay on how the President is missing important opportunities to educate the American people about our energy predicament.

Oil plumes, Gulf’s unseen disaster

June 8th, 2010 Posted in Disaster relief, Species loss, non-human rights, Environmental cleanup, Human Impact, water | 1 Comment »

From Rachel Maddow:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Questions about the Deepwater Horizon disaster?

June 7th, 2010 Posted in Environmental cleanup, Energy, peak oil | 1 Comment »

We’re all wondering what is going on with this horrific situation. Become as informed and as educated as possible. For the straight talk from geophysicists, engineers, and oil industry analysts (among others), read The Oil Drum.

Peak oil preparation in New York Times

June 7th, 2010 Posted in peak oil | No Comments »

John Leland’s article on the front page of Sunday’s New York Times is not bad. The article could have avoided referring to Daniel Yergin, who, despite his stature as one of the world’s foremost energy analysts, has downplayed concerns about oil depletion for decades now, choosing to serve as a cheerleader for Big Energy. The article discusses Andre Angelantoni’s Post Peak Living, along with Transition Towns and U.S. Reps. Roscoe Bartlett and Tom Udall’s Peak Oil Caucus. Worth reading.

The Call of Life

June 4th, 2010 Posted in Species loss, non-human rights, Human Impact, deep ecology | No Comments »

Deepwater Horizon and the addiction to growth

June 4th, 2010 Posted in Environmental cleanup, Politics, adaptation, water, peak oil | No Comments »

Health and energy analyst Dan Bednarz, in this article, looks at the implicit messages of the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe. I pray that I’m wrong, but I think Bednarz may be overly optimistic on whether this is the event that turns us onto the path to genuine sustainability. Is our culture as a whole ready to recognize its complicity in these events? I think not. We adapted to polluted air, mountaintop removal mining, and two disastrous wars (to name a few examples) with no culture-wide epiphanies. Why should the destruction of the ocean environments, the coastlines, fisheries and wetlands of the Gulf of Mexico be any different? I know, because it’s the most horrific environmental disaster of our history. Maybe I unfairly anticipate the average American’s capacity for turning away from what he/she finds uncomfortable. Hell, I think all of us want to turn away from this ongoing nightmare. Again, I pray that I’m wrong. If every single person in this country reacted to this horror with revulsion and action, then maybe lasting permanent changes couldbe implemented. So let the national sustainability movement begin. No, I mean really begin. If we don’t express our outrage at this, we likely never will.

The Gulf of Mexico oil blowout carries the emotional wallop and learning potential of a near-death experience. First, it certifies that the age of cheap and plentiful oil is over. Second, it reveals that our collective faith in technology to overcome any challenge posed by nature is a dangerous delusion. Third, it may be the event that sets our nation on the path to genuine economic and ecological sustainability. Read the rest of this entry »