Re: Meeting in Denver, CO for transition of our civilization to the post Peak Oil era

       Speaker Michael Brownlee, Boulder County Transition Team 11/25/08

        www.transitioncolorado.ning.com  ; www.transitiontowns.org

        Program: “Transition: from oil dependency to local resilience”

A “Perfect Storm” gathers on the horizon as Peak Oil, Economic Instability, Climate Change and Hyper-Population Growth collide within the United States.  While Americans watch multiple breakdowns throughout their economic and environmental systems, a gathering citizen armada prepares for an uncertain future—that most assuredly looms on the U.S. horizon.

Last night, Dana Miller, director of the “Denver Transition Movement” in Denver, Colorado, sponsored Michael Brownlee, a man sporting swept-back silver hair and wearing John Denver glasses, to speak about how average Americans can mobilize to deal with the coming loss of cheap oil energy, called “Post Peak Oil.”  With his compelling power point program, Brownlee addressed a packed house on what all Americans face in the coming decades.

“We face a Perfect Storm with the triangulation of Peak Oil, Climate Change and Economic Instability,” Brownlee said. “These converging factors create a dynamic that we are unprepared for.  James Howard Kunstler addresses them in his book, “The Long Emergency.”” 

Brownlee demonstrated how humans on a global scale wreak havoc on the natural world by producing, “…bigger, faster and more as they eat up the land, fowl the biosphere, lose connection with the earth, sky and water--and each other.  We have lost our sacred connection to all life and with spirit.”

Economic engines wreak mayhem on the natural world. However, that ravenous global economy we created runs straight toward a wall or over a cliff—take your pick as we run out of oil.  Brownlee provided the audience with sobering graphs showing how world oil production hit its peak or is about to hit its peak by 2010.  From that point onward, everything must contract because nothing can provide the energy that oil provided to keep hyper-population growth accelerating.

Brownlee said, “We must learn how to prepare for the future that’s about to change dramatically.  We are in for some uncomfortable surprises.  Economic growth will reverse course.”

He provided a website for those who remain skeptical: www.thelastoilshock.com ; Steve Andrews at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlOzfS_FV4c

While we run face first into this growing “Hobson’s Choice”, Washington DC ‘risk mitigation’ experts demand a 20 year plan for coping with a world without cheap oil energy.   As anyone with a nose on his or her face can discern, President Bush twiddled his thumbs and stuck fingers in both his ears for the past eight years—as to energy conservation or planning. He treaded water while our civilization stood nostril-deep on its tippy-toes gasping for solutions.

Brownlee told a rapt audience, “It will hit us soon and hard.  We don’t have time or capital to avoid economic consequences.”

He mentioned the Hirsh Report of 2005 that somehow suffered ignominious burying at the hands of the media.  Richard Heinberg, author of “Peak Everything:  Century of Declines”, said, “The world has never faced a problem like this.  The problem will be massive and pervasive.”

After “Peak Oil” hits in places like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and other countries exporting oil in 2008, they will export only 10 percent in the coming years.  That will leave America, currently importing 60 percent of the 20 million barrels of oil it burns daily, out of luck.  For more information:  www.oildrum.com

Brownlee said, “In our plausible future, we can expect $200 a barrel by 2010 and on toward $300 a barrel.  Any alternatives cannot come on line fast enough or equal the power of oil.”

To show how much energy oil provides the U.S. annually, Brownlee provided a graph of one cubic mile of oil.  That’s how much the USA burns annually.  That equals the same amount of energy provided  by 52 nuclear power plants generating energy being built every year for 50 years or 104 operating coal-fired electrical plants built every year for 50 years or 32,000 wind turbines built every year for 50 years and in continuous operation or 91,250,000 solar panels built every year for 50 years.

In other words, oil produces dramatically incredible amounts of energy that we cannot and will not be able to duplicate in the coming years. Thus, when the oil runs out, our civilization, as they say, faces Hobson’s Choice: if we turn left, we walk over a cliff; if we turn right, we walk into quicksand.

Why hasn’t the media reported what we face? Brownlee said, “The media hasn’t caught up to science.”

Brownlee mentioned James Hanson of the Goddard Space Institute who said, “We have 10 years to change the trajectory of green house gases, yet we have done nothing.”

Brownlee addressed the third crisis, “We face an economic collapse with the U.S. dollar based on fossil fuel.  Those bailouts show us on the brink of unraveling. Colin Campbell said, “The second half of the age of oil will be marked by the decline of oil and all that depend on it—world depression. It will challenge the continuation of civilized life.””

While Brownlee’s soft-spoken approach landed like a brick on a Monet painting, he talked about humanity passing through its irresponsible teens and now faces adulthood.  We must be realistic as he pointed out over 900 transition communities worldwide taking action toward sustainable futures.  Anyone can purchase “The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience” by Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition Movement.

Brownlee proposed a 12 point program for local action. You may find it at the web sites provided.  Brownlee quoted Gary Snyder, “All things are possible when enough human beings realize everything is at stake.”

“This is the fastest growing most significant movement in the 21st century,” Brownlee said.  “We must be creative, engaged and work at the local level. We may become more socially connected, produce of goods and food closer to home, and enjoy newly reconnected local networks.”

At the end of his presentation, Brownlee talked about reconnecting with our planet home.  He spoke of changing from our individual obesity, inequality of incomes and status, high speed rat race, and fouling our planet—toward a simpler and more balanced humanity on Earth.

Brownlee said in closing, “We don’t know if it will work.  If we wait for the government, it will be too late; we cannot wait for someone else to do the work for us.  There will be plenty to do!  We will need 50 million farmers to grow our food!”

“The uncertainty of our times is no reason to be certain about hopelessness.”  Vandana Shiva

For information on meetings:   www.transitioncolorado.ning.com ; www.transitiontowns.org

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To take action: www.numbersusa.com ; www.thesocialcontract.com  ; www.fairus.org ; www.vdare.com ;www.patriotunion.org ; www.alipac.us ; www.firecoalition.com ; www.cairco.org ; www.limitstogrowth.com ;

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA:  D.C.:  (202)224-2854
                                                    CHICAGO, IL: (312)886-3506
                                                    SPRINGFIELD, IL: (217)492-5089
                                                    MARION, IL.:   (618)997-2402
                                                    MOLINE, IL.:    (309)736-1217

PLEASE FORWARD THIS EMAIL

President-Elect Obama created a new email form on his change.gov website.  He wants Americans to tell him their story.  Samples below.  
 
OBAMA  WANTS TO HEAR  THE PLIGHT OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.  Why not write President-Elect Obama and tell him how ilegal aliens have affected you in your community.

EMAIL FORM AN AMERICAN MOMENT - TO BARACK OBAMA
http://change.gov/page/s/yourstory
 
 
FROM OBAMA'S  CHANGE.COM WEBSITE
http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/an_american_moment/
An American Moment
 

Books to read:  “The Long Emergency” by James Howard Kunstler

                         “Peak Everything” by Richard Heinberg

                         “Too Many People” by Lindsey Grant

Become a member of “Frosty’s Press Agent Corps” whereby you volunteer a few hours to send out emails to top TV and radio hosts to offer top speakers on America’s overpopulation crisis driven by unending immigration.  Email frostyw@juno.com and receive two informational letters showing you exactly what to do.

Roy Beck's "IMMIGRATION BY THE NUMBERS" is the single best educational appreciation of America's future if we allow ourselves to add another 100 million people. Just click on this site for the most sobering experience of your children's future.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4094926727128068265&q=roy+beck&hl=en

Roy Beck gives a graphic presentation of our fate if we continue to allow legal and illegal immigration to swamp this country. If you have children, you will be particular unnerved at their fate. I know Roy Beck personally and his integrity and knowledge stand at the top. Pass this web site 14 minute video far and wide across America to educate everyone you know. We either stop this human tsunami or the future of this country will be much like Rome's. We must, as a nation and a civilization, move to secure our country from this massive, unrelenting population overload from a line that never ends. This will be the most compelling 14 minute video of your life.

Once you see it, go to my web site for action items www.frostywooldridge.com and join www.numbersusa.com to become a weekly faxer of pre written letters and join the phone calling teams.

 Bob Woodruff of ABC asked input from all citizens concerning the future of our planet.  Go to www.earth2100.tv for a sobering reality check as to what we face and to what I have been writing about for the past 20 years.  Our ‘window’ to change to a balanced population and non-polluting energy diminishes every day we listen to irresponsible media and thus ignore the blatant symptoms manifesting all over America and the planet.

From: Frosty Wooldridge 

This three minute interview with Adam Schrager on “Your Show” May 4, 2008, NBC Channel 9 News, addresses the ramifications of adding 120 million people to USA in 35 years and six million people to Colorado as to water shortages, air pollution, loss of farmland, energy costs and degradation of quality of life.  In the interview, Frosty Wooldridge explains the ramifications of adding 120 million people to the USA in 35 years. He advances new concepts such as a “Colorado Carrying Capacity Policy”; “Colorado Environmental Impact Policy”; “Colorado Water Usage Policy”; “Colorado Sustainable Population Policy”.  Nationally, the USA needs a "National Sustainable Population Policy" to determine the carrying capacity of this nation for the short and long term.  Wooldridge is available for interviews on radio and TV having interviewed on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and FOX.

 Click the link to view the 3 minute interview with NBC's Adam Schrager:

 Go to:  www.frostywooldridge.com  and click on “Audio/Video” tab

Frosty Wooldridge has bicycled across six continents – from the Arctic to the South Pole – as well as six times across the USA, coast to coast and border to border.  In 2005, he bicycled from the Arctic Circle, Norway to Athens, Greece.  He presents “The Coming Population Crisis in America: and what you can do about it” to civic clubs, church groups, high schools and colleges.  He works to bring about sensible world population balance at www.frostywooldridge.com