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Written by Suzanne Heibel   
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Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Peak Oil Communities

Beating the energy crisis is no easy feat, especially with an ailing economy tempting energy companies to continue employing cheap, dirty energy. Those in charge offer the public solutions that involve boosting technological advancements, rather than urging people to reduce their bad habits and consumption rates. For Peak Oil Communities (POCs), these “answers” do not suffice. POCs argue that easing our oil addiction involves working together at the community level to change each other and the world for the better. POCs are a stark reaction to the diffused populations of suburbia. They seek to centralize small communities where people work together and gain strength for sustainability as a town, not as individuals. Their central argument is that technology is not what is needed to eradicate global climate change, people are. These communities believe that surviving the “peak oil” crisis is a three legged stool of changing food, housing, and transportation. For some general background on the peak oil theory, check out http://www.peakoil.net/about-peak-oil.

Food Security

The agriculture industry is dependent on fossil fuels. This may not be a shocker but it is a bit foreboding when you consider the consequences on food when oil runs out. Mass farming requires gasoline-powered vehicles to harvest and process crops and then to transport products to the grocer. Just think about it, if the average piece of food travels 1,500 miles from the farm to your plate, massive amounts of petroleum are used to do so (see the Greeniacs Article http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Food_Miles for more details on food miles). If there is no gas, how will people eat? POCs have examined this scenario and come to the conclusion that the single way to ensure everyone eats is to have it growing in our very own backyards.1

POCs call their solution “agraria,” which is a close-knit, low-energy, and sustainable farming practice designed to exist adjacent to small communities. The idea is to provide an immediate food source in order to eliminate waste of resources and transportation, uplift the area's economy with more opportunities for employment, and ensure a constant food source. POCs believe that if every town had an agrarian, the world would have a better chance at surviving peak oil, or at least eradicate the necessity of oil.2

More on smaller scale community agricultural opportunities can be found in the Greeniacs Article: http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Community_Supported_Agriculture.

Housing

A fifth of the energy in the United States is consumed by homes. Peak oil communities believe that to transform our towns into eco-responsible ones that consume minimal energy, we don't need to demolish and rebuild, we can simply refurbish homes that already exist. Home improvements may not seem directly relevant to peak oil, but homes form the basics of a community homes and heavily consume dirty energy. To ensure the success of POCs, energy efficient homes need to be included in the community plan. POCs suggest simple and relatively inexpensive renovation techniques to existing homes. Some of the most simple remedies include plugging up leaks, having proper wall and roof insulation, covering windows with glazing, and replacing old appliances with energy efficient ones.3

In cities massively torn down by natural disasters, it makes sense to rebuild infrastructure from scratch, focusing on building homes that will require minimal energy use. For example, the United States government is working with Global Green USA to rebuild areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina in a sustainable manner. Global Green USA even has a program called “build it back green” that allows everyday people free advice on how to decrease their homes global footprint.4

Transportation

The final branch of a sustainable peak oil community is having a transportation system that does not depend on oil. After all, POCs rotate around the idea that only drops of oil remain left to be drilled, so they aim to live as much without petroleum as possible, while still living well. The quirky name for this is the “Smart Jitney”. Utilizing internet applications, POCs want to utilize forums consisting of lists of people and where they begin and end their commute. Assuming a small town is comprised of at least a few thousand people, the Smart Jitney approach would hope to fill a car's six seats to and from work, minimizing the number of cars on the road, petroleum used, while still providing the sense of human connection that often comes with using public transportation.5

Real Peak Oil Communities

Yellow Springs, Ohio: After a Community Solutions conference in 2006—the organization behind “agraira”—Yellow Springs made a decision that they would change their ways for the better. The town voted against construction of a new coal-powered plant in early 2008 and has also begun transforming its homes to utilize passive solar heating (for more information on passive solar heating please check out http://www.greeniacs.com/GreeniacsArticles/Passive_Solar_Design.) Yellow Springs also purchased a parcel of land that will be used for agriculture and for new energy efficient homes. Their end goal is to be completely self-sufficient.6

Cuba: When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, the Soviets had no choice but to cut off their petroleum, fertilizer, and food exports to Cuba, throwing the island nation into a mass economic depression and social state of imbroglio. Nonetheless, Cuba survived and many now believe that they are better off. The government acted quickly, rationing food based on calorie content, then encouraged food to be planted in any open lot available. Given that fertilizer was no longer available, Cuba adopted organic farming practices. Crucial sectors of city infrastructure, such as hospitals, were centralized to eradicate the need to travel far or by car or bus. Walking and biking became key modes of transportation. As a result of these major changes, Havana produces half of its own food and smaller cities produce up to 100%. Cuba now has cleaner air, healthier foods, healthier people, and a decrease in need for a diminishing resource.7

Portland, Oregon: Already known for being an environmentalist’s city, Portland is taking the reigns on peak oil with its own Peak Oil Task Force. Their goal: abate Portland's petroleum use by 50% in 25 years. They've formed a diverse committee and are allotted an annual budget of $1.4 million from the city.8 Unlike Cuba, Oregon has the opportunity to gradually atrophy energy use so its citizens can adjust at perhaps a more pleasant and less abrupt pace.

The three-pronged focus of food, shelter, and mobility makes sense. These three things are what all human beings thrive off of daily and that possess notoriety for heavy oil consumption. “Peak Oil Community” theory does not imply taking our civilization back to the days without electricity or rapid communication, but it does mean restoring a sense of community where people work as a whole while still attaining personal needs. Cuba was forced to acclimatize overnight and although they managed to come out alright, although some may not feel this way, it is time that countries with the infrastructure and knowledge to make the change do it now so their citizens do not suffer hardships they need not down the road.

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1http://www.energybulletin.net/node/18521.
2http://www.communitysolution.org/food.html.
3http://www.communitysolution.org/housing.html.
4http://www.globalgreen.org/neworleans/.
5http://www.communitysolution.org/transport.html.
6http://www.ysnews.com/stories/2008/03/032008_agraria.html.
7http://www.powerofcommunity.org/cm/index.php.
8http://postcarboncities.net/node/2256.




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