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"To break the dependance on oil, stop contributing to global warming, and build
resilient cities that can thrive in the new urban age of energy and climate uncertainty, the bottom line for local
governments is this : Reduce consumption and produce locally."
~David Lerch
"I don't think the American public has gripped in its gut what could happen (as a consequence of
climate change). I'm hoping that the American people will wake up."
~U.S. Energy Secretary Stephen Chu
"In the same way that government, industry and investors, need to unleash innovation
in science and technology, we need to
build the capacity of local communities to exploit the many opportunities that
come with tackling climate change."
~Lord David Puttnam
"The World needs an enormous number of new Innovators, Change Agents, and Transformers, all dedicated to turning
Development in the direction of sustainability. People like you."
~Joanne Poyourow
"Consuming local, unpackaged, organically grown food reduces pollution and builds stronger communities.
Especially in the United States, where the prevalence of consumerism has pulled us out of our gardens and into
the mall, it is essential that we seek out and support producers and distributers of healthy , live food. This
way we nurture local food security and ourselves at once".
~H.C. Flores
Info about Palm Springs' two watersheds on EPA site :
Southern Mojave
Watershed --18100100
Salton Sea
Watershed -- 18100200
We over-consume resources in part because we use them inefficiently. Only 10 percent of the raw materials
that are extracted become part of the final products we use. The rest becomes waste. And, after just six months
of use, more than 90 percent of the products Americans purchase end up sitting idle in our homes or in landfills.
~Bob Doppelt
"Waste is too expensive; it’s cheaper to do the right things."
~Paul Hawken
"Waste needs to become the basis of the human economy as well as nature's economy."
~Dr. David Suzuki
"Astronauts have looked down on dumps that are visible from space and rival the Great Wall of China
in size. There's a 3.5 million ton heap of debris called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch that's twice the size
of Texas floating in the Pacific Ocean. Houston, we have a problem."
~Van Jones
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The "hot" issues of our changing times, the challenges and opportunities...
Energy & Peak Oil
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The Post-Carbon Institute
Conducts research, develops technical tools, educates the public, and organizes
leaders to help communities around the world understand and respond to the challenges of fossil fuel depletion
and climate change.
Post
Carbon Cities (article)
by Daniel Lerch, featured in the December 2008 issue of Planning magazine
Portland Peak Oil
is a grassroots group of concerned local citizens, from different backgrounds, with different interests,
who've separately become aware of the looming crisis caused by the peaking of world oil supplies.
The Energy Bulletin
BBC - Global Energy Guide
New
York Times
The Energy Challenge series, with multimedia features.
American Solar Energy Society
A major nonprofit dedicated to increasing the use of solar energy, energy efficiency, rebates,
and other sustainable technologies in the U.S. How to go solar. Find a local installer.
California Center for Sustainable Energy
Dedicated to Greening Your World through public programs and services including
free workshops, rebate programs, free shade trees, outreach events and public education.
Flex Your Power
California's statewide energy efficiency marketing and outreach campaign, rebates..
Sustainable Communities Network - Energy
Climate Crisis
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California Climate Change
Portal
California Global
Warming Site
Mayors
Climate Protection Center
600 U.S. Mayors have signed The U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Climate Protection
Agreement, an agreement where supporting mayors pledge to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
BBC - Climate Change Portal
News, opinion, and explanation of climate change, with in depth graphical and
animated guide.
Sustainable
Communities Network - Air & Climate
Sustainable Communities
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Business Alliance for
Local Living Economies - BALLE
"How can my business use less energy and produce less waste? How can
I help my customers understand that locally owned businesses are important to the strength of our community? What
new business opportunities exist for our region in the emerging green economy?"
Transition
United States
Transition Initiatives are communities working to look Peak Oil and Climate Change
squarely in the eye and address this BIG question: "for all those aspects of life that this community needs
in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly increase resilience (to mitigate the effects of
Peak Oil) and drastically reduce carbon emissions (to mitigate the effects of Climate Change)?"
some Transition initiatives :
Transition Boulder County (CO)
Transition
Santa Cruz (CA)
Sandpoint Transition Initiative (ID)
Towns
prepare for 'peak oil' point (article)
Intitute for Local Self-Reliance
Provides innovative strategies, working models and timely information to support
environmentally sound and equitable community development.
Permaculture
Principles
Design principles that allow us to creatively re-design our environment and
our behaviour in a world of less energy and resources. Great video resources on this site..
The Urban
Permaculture Guild
Educates and inspires communities and individuals to creatively transform
how they live and the urban places where they live.
Rails-to-trails
Conservancy
We are organizing communities around the 2010 Campaign for Active Transportation, which aims to double
the federal investment in trails, walking and biking.
and for the fun of it ....
Regal Mini Sulkies (dog powered transportation!)
Food
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American Community Gardening Association
Multiple studies in recent years have clearly demonstrated the benefits of
community gardens: they increase urban green space, provide fresh produce, give children a constructive activity,
enhance property values, build connections between diverse neighbors, and even reduce crime.
Community Garden Start-Up Guide
UCCE Common Ground Garden Program step-by-step detailed guide. Great resource for all urban dwellers who want to
get their neighborhoods involved in a community garden project !
Sustainable
Table
Promotes the positive shift toward local, small-scale
sustainable farming.
The Learning Garden (in LA)
A model example of how school gardens can transform the lives of students and teachers and the environment of their
community. Recommended : the virtual garden tour.
UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
Sustainable Community Food Systems
Native Seed S.E.A.R.C.H.
Southwestern endangered aridland resource clearing house.
Organic Consumers Association
Campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. We are the only organization
in the US focused exclusively on promoting the views and interests of the nation's estimated 50 million organic
and socially responsible consumers.
Slow
Food USA
A way of living and a way of eating, linking the pleasure of food with a commitment
to community and the environment.
Feeling the heat of food security (article)
Dr Peter Baker argues that reforming the economics of food production and supply
would be beneficial for a number of environmental and social problems.
Food and Water Watch
Promotes food safety, adresses issues relating to agricultural methods, factory farms, irradiation of food
& more.
Water
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h20 conserve
What is your water footprint - find out online.
Aquafornia
Aquafornia is dedicated to providing comprehensive news and information about
California water issues, as well as issues affecting the southwest. Aquafornia posts links from the news media,
press releases, trade magazines, and blogs.
Note : Brad Lancaster is the leader of water harvesting methods in the
US, dealing essentially with water cachement in drylands (he lives in Tuscon AZ). Here are a couple of sites featuring
his work, all packed with info, videos and resources :
Rainwater
Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond
Turn water scarcity into water abundance!
City of Tuscon Office of Conservation and Sustainable Development
Water Resources Community Model
American Rainwater Catchment
Systems Association
We encourage all rainwater harvesting enthusiasts to join our organization
Food
and Water Watch
Stop water privatization, promotes clean water, water conservation, California
issues, water facts & more.
Blue
Gold : World Water Wars
About the prize-winning film, and water resources.
Sustainable Communities Network - Water
Habitat
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The Home Energy Saver
The first web-based do-it-yourself home energy audit tool.
GreenHomeBuilding.com
Where you can find a wide range of information about sustainable architecture
and natural building. One of the most complete and exhaustive sources of information on these subjects !
D.O.E. Solar Decathlon
The Solar Decathlon joins 20 college and university teams in a competition to design, build, and
operate the most attractive and energy-efficient solar-powered house.
CAL-EARTH
: The California Institute of Earth Art and Architecture
Cal-Earth is at the cutting edge of Earth Art and Ceramic Architecture technologies
today. Founded and directed by the internationally renowned architect and author Nader Khalili, it's scope spans
technical innovations published by NASA for lunar base construction, to design and development of housing for the
world's homeless for the United Nations.
Gardening Insights
Tuscon company with many desert friendly creative landscaping ideas &
articles online. Also workshops and resources.
Urban Homesteading
This link takes you to a ring of sites, all packed with great info, created
by the now famous Dervaes family in Pasadena :
- Little Homested in the City
- Path to Freedom
- Freedom Gardens
- The Peddler's Wagon
Sustainable Communities
Network - Healthy Home & Property
Zero Waste
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Zero Waste California
Imagine a "zero waste California". See the resources on this site relating to composting and the three
"R"s :
Reduce (or refuse !)
Reuse
Recycle
OK, so ZERO WASTE has to do
with recycling ? I can do that !
Good, that's a great start, but the real impact you can make is to REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION
OF STUFF....
The Story of
Stuff
The Compost
Guide
Why make compost, and how to.
Nature Conservation
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Oceana - Protecting the World's Oceans
Sierra Club ... and check out the
Sierra Club Green Tips Library
Wisdom of the Elders
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Great Depression
Witnesses Remember (article)
By Rod Lamkey Jr. and David M. Dickson
The Washington Times
Monday, December 29, 2008
The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
The grandmothers are both women of prayer and women of action. Their traditional
ways link them with the forces of the earth. Their solidarity with one another creates a web to rebalance the injustices
wrought from an imbalanced world; a world disconnected from the fundamental laws of nature and the original teachings
based on a respect for all of life.
For the next
7 generations (documentary film in the
making- see trailer)
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Peak Oil Interview
With Richard Heinberg
Global Green USA - Solar Energy Film
(very informative)
Ever wonder what size a solar panel system you need or how much one costs?
Solar
Power Calculator
"Almost everything you do will seem insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."
~Gandhi
Transition Towns
With Rob Hopkins
Paul Scott founder of Plug in America talks about electric cars
Urban Food Growing in
Havana, Cuba
Rainwater harvesting basics
with Brad Lancaster
Solar Ovens
Nature-Powered Cooking
Cal-Earth Making a Dream
Two informative videos about waste management... please note that the principals
are generic but the specifics relate to the city of Vancouver :
The Zero Waste Challenge
The Blue Bin : What Happens to the Recyclable Materials?
About the Preservation of
Spirit and Nature
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