The Peak Oil Study-Action Group is finally launched! It felt great to begin to act on an issue that concerns us so deeply. Fifteen people came to our first meeting on Sept. 28 at the Canton Library and the discussion as we broke down into three smaller groups was lively and passionate.
The ideas generated in answer to the three questions we considered were too numerous to for this general email, but here are some highlights.
As for how our lives would change if gas were $6 a gallon: drive less cycle/walk more or get rid of car and share rides, find job where I can walk to work; look at ways to be energy self-sufficient and replace propane - methane, solar, wind; expand garden, buy a woodlot, can more, find local food suppliers; relearn the basic skills of survival; seek community and build neighborhoods to support each other.
Some things we'd like to do as a larger group: find ways to help the North Country become more self-sufficient and relocalize; educate people to get involved and prepare now for the future; be careful not to preach or act like we have all the solutions (proper-ganda!); run classes -- a practical series on self-sufficiency skills; break down into smaller focus groups on topics of interest-agriculture, energy, transportation, etc.; continue creating an informational website; compilation of traditional knowledge -- could be oral history project with our older citizens about what used to work; each of us do an analysis of household energy use from a questionnaire, then help others do the same. Clearly this is a large issue and we need to buckle down and learn enough ourselves to speak intelligently about it before we can move others to action.
It was decided that besides our monthly meetings,we will have a public showing and discussion of the DVD The End of Suburbia in November. Perhaps we will plan a Sustainable Living series of hands-on classes for the spring (could be with Coop Extension or Continuing Ed) in say gardening, how much of your food can you really grow, canning and preserving, woodlot management, energy conservation, eating locally, etc. Brad Clements is continuing to work on the website and discussion group list.