An Exergy Crisis by John Michael Greer, the Archdruid Report
In last week’s Archdruid Report post, I discussed the difference between energy and exergy, or in slightly less jargon-laden terms, between the quantity of energy and the concentration of energy. It’s hard to think of a more critical difference to keep in mind if you’re trying to make sense of the predicament of modern industrial civilization, but it’s even harder to think of a point more often missed in the rising spiral of debates about that predicament.

The basic principle is simple enough, and bears repeating here: the amount of work you get out of a given energy source depends, not on the quantity of energy in the source, but on the difference in energy concentration between the energy source and the environment. That’s basic thermodynamics, of the sort that every high school student used to learn in physics class back in those far-off days when American high school students took physics classes worth the name. Put that principle to work, though, and the results are often highly counterintuitive; this probably has more than a little to do with the way that even professional scientists miss them, and fumble predictions as a result.

Life After Growth by Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute

I could take no satisfaction from these confirmations of the Limits to Growth and Peak Oil scenarios; being able to say "I told you so" hardly made up for the shock of knowing that our last opportunities to change direction had been missed and that the train of industrial civilization was now not merely still chugging toward a broken bridge, but was actually starting to plummet into the gorge below. We had succeeded somewhat in helping increase public awareness of an issue: due to the efforts of thousands of scientists, writers, and activists, "peak oil" had become a recognizable term in public discourse. But we had failed to budge government policy in more than very minor ways (I had, for example, assisted the City Council-appointed Peak Oil Task Force of Oakland, California, which produced a sensible report on which, so far, little action has been taken).

The world has entered a new era. The project of awakening and warning policy makers and the general public was worthy of the investment of all the effort we could muster. In fact, it would have been negligent of the Limits to Growth authors, Colin Campbell, Jean Laherrère, and thousands of climate and environmental scientists and activists (myself included) not to give it our best shot. But it is now too late to avert a collapse of the existing system. The collapse has begun. It is time for a different strategy.... A new way of life will almost certainly emerge from the wreckage of the fossil-fueled growth era. It is up to those of us who have some understanding of what is happening, and why, to help design that new way of life so that it will be sustainable, equitable, and fulfilling for all concerned. We all need practical strategies and tools to weather the collapse and to build the foundation of whatever is to come after...This will be the focus of my work from now on—and it is likely to be the work of the next few generations as well. Call it Transition, call it cultural survival and renewal, call it what you will, it is the only game in town for the foreseeable future.

Why is this Apocalypse Different from All Other Apocalypses? by Sharon Astyk, Causabon's Book
A lot of what I write works from the assumption that we all agree that peak oil and climate change are happening and going to be life-changing events. And yet, some people who read this blog don't necessarily agree on this subject, or they don't see the effects has being as profound as I do, or perhaps the idea of peak oil or climate change is fairly new to them, and they don't know what to believe. So sometimes, we need to back up, and make the case for something that is always new to some people. The truth is that if my writing is to be anything other than preaching to the converted, we have to answer the skeptics.

That's why I was so delighted when I got an email from Frazzlehead who asked me why this particular energy crisis was different than the one of the 1970s. She observed that she'd been reading 1970s back to the land texts, and finding the exact same narrative in them - that we're running out of oil, that soon the economy will crash and we'll need to go back to farming. Why, she asked, is it right this time?

Food Security and Peak Oil: A Message to Local Citizens and Leadership by Jason Bradford, The Oil Drum

The following is the prepared text for a talk I gave in the city hall of Eugene Oregon the evening of Feb. 17, 2010. It was organized by two Lane County commissioners and the city mayor and is part of a series on Food Security. My role was to discuss food security in the context of peak oil. This speech is similar to one I gave last year that was also posted on The Oil Drum. At the end I recommended people look up The Post Carbon Institute and affiliates for good leads on what ideas and actions are happening in response to our predicament.

My presentation has 4 parts. First, I will connect what is going on in the economy right now with natural resources and the environment. Second, I will explain why oil is an especially important resource and what is meant by peak oil. Third, I will discuss the implications of economic decline and peak oil for the food system. And fourth, I will suggest what families and society can do given our predicament.

Whatcom County Redefines Prosperity (A Letter from the Future) by Jan Spencer and Samantha Chirillo, edited by Kate Clark for Whatcom County
Jan Spencer's Suburban Permaculture, One Back Yard at a Time, on Peak Moment TV (Video)
Jan Spencer's "Global Trends - Local Choices, DVD Trailer
Energy follows its bliss by John Michael Greer, The Archdruid Report
Efficiency and Resilience: After Jeavons Paradox, the Piggy Principle by Marco Bertoli, The Oil Drum
The Attack on Climate Change Science by Bill McKibbon, TomDispatch.com

Envisioning Sustainable Communities by Pamela Courtenay-Hall and Gary Clausheide, Energy Bulletin
A Movement or An Organization? by Joanne Poyourow, Transition United States
Are Cities Becoming as Obsolete as Farms? by Gene Logsdon, the Contrary Farmer
Jeremy Rifkin: The Third Industrial Revolution by Amanda Gefner, Culture Lab (New Scientist)

Pick Up Your Hat (Response to John Michael Greer) by Sharon Astyk, Casaubon's Book
The Next Crisis: Peak Oil, by Jeremy Leggett, Forbes
See also The Wall Street Journal: Prepare for Peak Oil.
Jeff Rubin at the Business of Climate Change Conference in 2009, Energy Bulletin/YouTube

Endgame by John Michael Greer, The Archruid Report
China or the U.S.: Which Will Be the Last Nation Standing? by Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute
To Curb Climate Change, We Need to Protect Water by Maude Barlow, Common Dreams 

Sustainable Whatcom, A Permaculture Approach to County and Regional Planning by Michael Pilarski, Cascadia Weekly, 1/20/10 (Large pdf, beginning page 8)
Real Communities are Self-Organizing by Dimitry Orlov, ClubOrlov
Secret Handshakes by John Michael Greer, the Archdruid Report
Gram and Me: Community in Time and Space by Sharon Astyk, Causabon's Book

The Costs of Community by John Michael Greer, The Archdruid Report
The Problem of Community by Sharon Astyk, Casaubon's Book
Why Community Might Not Need Organizing by Rob Hopkins, Transition Culture
I read with interest John Michael Greer’s recent post, The Costs of Community, and then Sharon Astyk’s response, On the Problem of Community and I wanted to add some thoughts to the flow...

It Takes a Community to Sustain A Small Farm by Steph Larsen, Grist
The Farming Continuum by Walter Haugen, Local Harvest
A Year of Voluntary Simplicity by Chris Wolf, Transition Whatcom
Harvesting Tranquility by Gene Logsdon
We Are All Connected - YouTube Video by Bellingham's John Boswell, Symphony of Science channel
Permaculture and Time with Geoff Lawton by Permascience channel on YouTube

From: Anna Martin [mailto: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ]
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 11:31 PM
To: anna martin

Subject: acme gravel pit: Letters needed by 1/12!

Hi everyone,

We are at a critical point in our fight and could really use your help!  I'm asking you to write a letter to the County Planning Department (yes, again!) by Tuesday January 12.

For those of you just joining, Concrete Nor'west is proposing a rezone on 280 acres in Acme.  Next, they plan to propose a mining project--in dangerously close proximity to two salmon bearing rivers, 8+ small family farms, and many residents.  Once the rezone goes through, there is not much standing in the way of the largest gravel pit Whatcom County has ever seen.

County Planning determined that the rezone was not significant and required no environmental studies.  We disagreed and, thanks to the overwhelming amount of concern letters received, County Planning changed their decision to a Mitigated Determination of Non Significance (MDNS).

So here we are now asking you, once again, to voice your concern over this decision.  The desired outcome is a DS or Determination of Significance.  A DS would require a full Environmental Impact Study and it may even halt the project all together.

Click Here to Read More

2010 Predictions: Practice Losing Farther, Losing Faster by Sharon Astyk, Causabon's Book
Forecast 2010: The Center Does Not Hold...But Neither Does the Floor by James Howard Kunstler, Kunstler.com
Predictions by Dimitry Orlov, ClubOrlov.com