Sound Of Sirens » Peak Oil

The Message of 1962

soundofsirens — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:35:29 +0000

“Each Day Humble Supplies Enough Energy to Melt 7 Million Tons of Glacier!”

Energy has not always been conceived the same way, at least by oil companies like Humble, a forefather of Exxon.

The copy below says:

This giant glacier has remained unmelted for centuries. Yet the petroleum energy Humble supples—if converted into heat—could melt it at the rate of 80 tons each second! To meet the nation’s growing needs for energy, Humble has applied science to nature’s resources to become America’s Leading Energy Company. Working wonders with oil through research, Humble provides energy in many forms — to help heat our homes, power our transportation, and to furnish industry with a great variety of versatile chemicals. Stop at a Humble station for new Enco Extra gasoline, and see why the “Happy Motoring” Sign is the World’s First Choice!

via

Bringing People Back into the Economy

soundofsirens — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:04:42 +0000

With Soil Not Oil, Vandana Shiva connects the dots between industrial agriculture and climate change. Shiva shows that a world beyond dependence on fossil fuels and globalization is both possible and necessary.

read an excerpt!

Petrol Stations To Go Electric

soundofsirens — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:00:49 +0000

© Evening Standard

LONDON’S abandoned petrol stations are to be converted to charge electric cars, it was revealed today.

An American firm is planning to transform dozens of empty stations. They will have airport-style waiting lounges where drivers can buy food or coffee.

Evoasis is setting up the first electric-car garage in Grovesnor Road, Pimlico, where up to 12 bays with high-power outlets will be able to recharge a battery in about 20 minutes.

A further five stations will be established by the end of the year.

Full Article

Maybe it’s finally time for a driver’s licence. Good timing, Max! ;) When is Berlin coming?

A farm for the future

soundofsirens — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:26:22 +0000

I just found this very accessible and calm film made for the BBC. It provides a lot of information on our current food system and on possible alternative low energy farming. However, this different approach will require a change of habits we have (like plowing the fields and having our food being based on cereal crops, for example). – We are talking permaculture and forest gardens…

[googlevideo]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4152340418943461860[/googlevideo]

Future Scenarios by David Holmgren

soundofsirens — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 15:00:24 +0000

I didn’t feature this site, yet. So I will do it now, because I think it is well worth it. (I mentioned it here, already, though.)

David Holmgren, the co-originator of the permaculture concept, published a website in may last year, on which he maps out the cultural implications of peak-oil and climate change: www.futurescenarios.org

This exploration of energy descent scenarios has been an organic one which began with a didactic intention to highlight how large scale energetic and environmental factors shape history more than ideologies and the heroic actions of individuals. But my purpose was to empower those committed to ecological values and social justice to be effective in their quest to create the world we want, rather than just resist the world we don’t want. Finally it has become about telling a story that can help bring that world to life, an apparent contradiction to the premise I began with. Although the primary lesson about the large scale forces that control the course of history may be true for the long periods of stability, during periods of ecological and cultural chaos, small groups of people have been instrumental in those transitions.

Dito…

Das Schönauer Gefühl

soundofsirens — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:53:08 +0000

EWS – Elektrizitätswerke Schönau

Die mitreißende Geschichte der Stromrebellen
Der Förderverein für umweltfreundliche Stromverteilung und Energieerzeugung Schönau im Schwarzwald e.V. (FuSS e.V.) hat einen einstündigen Dokumentarfilm über die Schönauer Energie-Initiativen produziert. Der Film schildert die unglaubliche Geschichte der “Schönauer Stromrebellen” von der Reaktorkatastrophe in Tschernobyl im Jahre 1986 bis zum Jahrestag der zehnjährigen Stromnetzübernahme 2007. Er wurde produziert, um andere Menschen und Initiativen über die Schönauer Initiative zu informieren und zu bürgerschaftlichem Engagement zu motivieren.
Eine DVD des Films kann kostenlos über FuSS e.V. per Mailbestellung bezogen werden.

OK, die EWS waren mir bekannt. Auch dass die unter den Ökostromanbietern weit vorne liegen. Welche Geschichte und Bewegung allerdings dahintersteckt, war mir nicht ganz so bewusst – macht ja nichts, denn jetzt gibt es ja die Doku dazu auf DVD. Kurze Mail an info@fuss-schoenau.de genügt zur kostenlosen Bestellung. Ich bin gespannt.

Weiterhin habe ich auf der EWS-Seite diesen Link gefunden: Ökostrom-Anbietervergleich vom Bund der Energieverbraucher. Definitv auch mal einen Blick wert.

'State of Global Emergency' – There ain't no other name for it

soundofsirens — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 18:49:26 +0000

…in my humble opinion. At least when you see it from the point of view of human civilization.

…The macro-trends driving global threats and challenges have been apparent for decades and are now building toward a threshold of irreversibility. The scientific modeling of complex systems shows that when systems reach a state of critical instability, they either break down to their components or break through to a higher order of integral functioning. At these “points of no return” maintaining the status quo, or returning to a previous mode of organization and functioning, are not a feasible option. …

Excerpt of the State of Global Emergency Declaration (Draft)
Prepared by Ervin Laszlo and David Woolfson for the Club of Budapest

You might want to have a look at it…

Instead of your car…

soundofsirens — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:13:19 +0000

…take your dog!

Not stupid, ain’t it…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moaQv4mT0Ls[/youtube]

More about mini sulkis and dog carting here.

Mit Vattenfall ins Klimachaos

soundofsirens — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:03:43 +0000

Absolut unterstützenswerte Aktion von Greenpeace, der Greenwashing-Kampagne von Vattenfall entgegenzutreten! Die Seite ist sehr informativ im gewohnt humorvoll-populistischen Greenpeace Stil. Neben der eMail-Petition finden sich auch einige Hintergrundinformationen rund um Vattenfall, Konzerne im Allgemeinen, Events und der besonderen Rolle Vattenfalls in der Lausitz. Sehr zu empfehlen ist auch das Schwarzbuch Vattenfall, welches als kostenloser PDF-Download vorliegt.

Hier geht es lang!

Schön auch die Originalseite von Vattenfall im Vergleich! Haha – ich hoffe, die Abmahnanwälte treffen Greenpeace nicht all zu heftig! ;) Klick!

Transition Towns: On Transition Cities

soundofsirens — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:12:42 +0000

What is a Transition Town (or village / city / forest / island)?

It all starts off when a small collection of motivated individuals within a community come together with a shared concern: how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?

In november 2008 a Transition Cities Conference took place in Nottingham, UK. And since the Transition Towns Movement is a great and very competent movement, you can find loads of information and access to the outcomes here.

Check out other Sound Of Sirens Articles on Transition Towns.

Hier findet ihr deutsche Info zu dem Thema.