Sentient Times Dec/Jan 06

Deborah Mokma, Editor

It’s always a good idea to make lemonade when faced with an abundance of lemons. When considering a not-so-distant future of limited petroleum supplies and increasing climate disruptions due to the burning of fossil fuels, seeing the opportunity presented by this apparent crisis is also a good choice.

As John Ikerd, author of Sustainable Capitalism explains, the solution lies in moving “toward an economy based on sustainable energy.” When comparing the guiding principles of the industrial economic paradigm—to maximize productivity and growth—with that of sustainability, Ikerd says “The fundamental flaw of the industrial economy is that it uses energy but it does nothing to renew, restore, or regenerate energy … We will choose an economy of sustainable energy when we realize that our happiness depends on our relationships with people and with nature, as well as our individual, material well-being. We will choose a life of social responsibility when we realize that caring for others is not a sacrifice, but instead enhances our quality of life. One by one, we will create an economy of sustainable energy, as we realize that working and living sustainably is simply a better way to work and a better way to live.”

The article on the Brazilian city of Curitiba by Bill McKibbens on page 14 provides a picture of what is possible. As Curitiba’s Mayor Jaime Lerner explains, many cities have “a lot of people who are specialists in proving change is not possible. What I try to explain to them when I go visit is that it takes the same energy to say why something can’t be done as to figure out how to do it.”

Whether it’s creating an automobile free downtown, increasing public transportation, expanding green areas and community agriculture, creating affordable housing, or encouraging homeowners and businesses to install solar electrical systems, believing it is not only possible, but essential, is the first step. What follows will certainly require some creative thinking, and the relationships that blossom within this community effort will be an added bonus.

Many communities have already begun discussing how best to address the coming energy crisis. Two articles in this issue, “Powering Down America” on page 10 and “How Willits, California Plans to Beat The Coming Energy Crisis” on page 12, offer encouraging insight into how the cities of Denver, Sebastopol and Willits are seeking to embrace a sustainable, local approach to taking care of their residents and conducting business.

Essential to the changes being discussed is the concept of “relocalization,” which Jennifer Bresee and David Room describe as the “process of bringing production closer to consumption obviating the need to rely on long supply chains and distant markets so that communities can largely provision themselves … starting with local food, local energy, essential goods, and community currencies with the aim to integrate these efforts into a parallel public infrastructure that can serve as a safety net for when times get hard.”

Municipalities can provide financial support and incentives, and make purchasing of local goods a priority to assist relocalization efforts. Citizen input will also be essential to encourage local governments to embark upon these novel ideas. Realizing that we are all in this together encourages diverse organizations like the American Legion and back-to-the-landers in Willits to engage in a dialogue, and will certainly be mirrored in other communities once the questioning of the reality of peak oil becomes a discussion of what we can do to provide for ourselves in light of the coming energy crisis.

For resources and reports on the efforts of others to relocalize their communities and adapt to an energy constrained world visit the Post Carbon Institute’s website, www.postcarbon.org, where promotion of lowered consumption, greater local self-reliance, and more cooperative and inclusive communities is the focus. Associated with the Post Carbon institute is the Titanic Lifeboat Academy in Astoria, Oregon, a nonprofit sustainable living demonstration site providing education and awareness about peak oil, global climate change, and environmental degradation. TLA’s organizers, experienced in ecology, renewable energy and appropriate technology, will present a series of workshops beginning in January to help people devise workable plans to deal with the coming crises in energy supply. Contact them at (503) 325-6886, www.postcarbon.
org/lifeboat/index.html.

Our happiness truly does depend upon our relationships with people and with nature, caring for others is not a sacrifice, but really does enhances our quality of life. I encourage everyone to embrace the belief that together, we can.