Peak Moment
Learning From the Collapse of Earlier Societies
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Peak Moment 112: According to Professor Guy Prouty, every civilization rises, evolves, and then collapses to a simpler structure — and this will include our own. Comparing America with the Western Roman Empire, Prouty notes the over-reach of our military, the unsustainability of capitalism, peak oil, and climate change. And, this time, we may see a global collapse. Transitioning to a simpler society will require us to change behavior and consciousness: decrease energy, get out of debt, decentralize, de-consume, grow our own food, build community, see ourselves as connected to the planet. Collapse is not the end, he says. It’s part of a natural cycle.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: collapse sustainability education civilization
Added: June 1, 2008
We Make the Road by Walking - White Oak Farm CSA
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008
Peak Moment 111: Amidst cob-wall plastering in the background, co-director Stacey Denton relates the story of the first years at White Oak Farm and Educational Center in Oregon: Acquiring the 62 acres of food and pasture and protecting it through conservation easements, and creating a non-profit organization. See food baskets for their CSA (community supported agriculture) program, visit their abundant permaculture-based farm; attend a workshop in natural building; and delight with kids in an educational program “down on the farm.” [www.whiteoakfarmcsa.org]
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: community supported agriculture natural building education farming
Added: May 27, 2008
Advice to Parents and Teens - Preparing for Peak Oil
Monday, May 26th, 2008
Peak Moment 110: As a mom of two teenagers, Deborah Lindsay is deeply concerned about their future. As a peak oil educator, she paints a vivid picture of a post-petroleum world, with an emphasis on preparedness. With teens she talks about career choices and practical life skills. With parents, she focuses on safety, economic and energy contraction, and steps to begin now. In 2006 she began the daily talk radio show “Tomorrow Matters - Giving a Voice to a Better Tomorrow” to amplify her message. [www.deborahlindsay.com]
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: education peak oil preparedness teens
Added: May 26, 2008
Advice to Parents and Teens - Preparing for Peak Oil
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
Peak Moment 110: As a mom of two teenagers, Deborah Lindsay is deeply concerned about their future. As a peak oil educator, she paints a vivid picture of a post-petroleum world, with an emphasis on preparedness. With teens she talks about career choices and practical life skills. With parents, she focuses on safety, economic and energy contraction, and steps to begin now. Recently she began the “Tomorrow Matters” talk radio show to amplify her message. [www.deborahlindsay.com]
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: education peak oil preparedness teens
Added: May 18, 2008
Powering the Rain Shadow
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
Peak Moment 109: Most of Washington State’s San Juan Islands don’t have grid electricity. Many people have relied on generators, but these days, an increasing number are turning to solar. Renewables installer Eric Youngren discusses how net metering works to pay individual energy producers for power they put back into the grid, and other incentives for small-scale renewable “power plants”. He tells us about “run of the river” hydro, powered by diversions rather than dams in creeks. A strong advocate for conservation and efficiency, Eric says we could be running everything in the home on a fraction of the energy we now use, just with rooftop solar.
Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “Conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “Journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: solar power off grid efficiency conservation hydro energy
Added: May 11, 2008
Stories for the Locker Room
Monday, May 5th, 2008
Peak Moment Conversations host Janaia Donaldson made this presentation about living sustainably and how that has affected who she is, at Gather the Women, Nevada County in March 2008. She weaves her story of a deep feeling for trees, the powerful influence of the film “Harold and Maude,” and the stunning information about imminent peak oil that led to creating Peak Moment.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: sustainability trees peak oil women climate change civilization
Added: May 5, 2008
Sustainable Bellingham - Grass Roots Organizing is Key
Sunday, May 4th, 2008
Peak Moment 108: Sustainable Bellingham has built a solid infrastructure to be as effective in their community as possible. Team members Sandy Hoelterhoff, Lynnette Allen and David Kowalsky discuss their decision-making tool QET (a Quick Effective Tool), as well as a natural-systems model to define roles for producing events. Called ACORN, it includes roles based on directions of the compass (e.g., physical logistics tasks are in the south, oversight in the north). With a mission of education and communication, they network people, projects and groups with similar interests. Among Sustainable Bellingham ’s activities are film showings and a Sustainable Transportation Fair. [www.sustainablebellingham.org]
Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: sustainability activism organizing
Added: May 3, 2008
Plug-in Hybrids Power the Grid
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
Peak Moment 107: Professor Andy Frank, Director of the UC Davis Hybrid Vehicle Research Center has a plan to power more than just our cars. In his vision, plug-in hybrid vehicles can be used as mobile batteries, contributing solar power to the grid, and helping to “load balance” the demand. Roofs built over our parking lots contain solar panels that charge the cars’ batteries in daytime. At home, the same batteries can help power a house, or feed energy back to the grid. The result: fewer power plants. [www.team-fate.net]
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: plug-in hybrids energy transportation solar power
Added: April 22, 2008
Community Gardens Grow Community
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
Peak Moment 106: Patrick Marcus and other motivated citizens sprouted a community garden on city land slated to be a park in Ashland, Oregon. When the garden was threatened by plans to develop the park, they got active. Their research and advocacy led to official policy supporting community gardens in city parks. As the volunteer garden manager, Patrick affirms gardening isn’t just for leisure — it helps build community. It creates bonds among people from diverse social spheres — through shared work, classes, potlucks and, most of all, shared passion. [www.communitygarden.org]
Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: community gardens activism gardening cities
Added: April 19, 2008
For the Love of Trees
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
Peak Moment 105: Though born and raised elsewhere, Jerry Becker is now a de facto indigenous member of Oregon’s Elk River watershed. The credo he lives by is Respect. He and his family have lived lightly “long before it was cool.” An ecoforester, Jerry manages the woods sensitively with an eye to its wholeness. For the past thirty years he has worked with Friends of Elk River to protect wilderness regions in the watershed. In the last decade he formed the Elk River Land Trust, working with private landowners to protect agricultural and forest lands from development. Ripples of his gentle respectfulness permeate an entire watershed. [www.foer.org, www.erlt.org]
Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: simple living trees ecoforestry land trust watershed sustainability conservation
Added: April 15, 2008
A Green Built, Solar Powered, Biofuels Station
Saturday, April 5th, 2008
Peak Moment 104: From an early start producing biodiesel from used cooking oil in his garage, Ian Hill, was instrumental in creating a market for biofuels in the state of Oregon. Now Managing Partner of SeQuential Biofuels in Eugene, he has gone on to build the first retail biofuels station in the state — and it’s not an ordinary fueling station: A solar panel canopy provides 50% of the needed electricity. The convenience store is a passive solar design to help with heating and cooling, and stocks as much locally produced food as possible. Its “living roof”, of mostly native plants, helps cool the building in summer, and slow and filter stormwater runoff. This optimistic enteprenuer says he has found greater happiness in learning to consuming less. [www.sqbiofuels.com]
Looking for a specific topic in our Peak Moment library? Visit www.peakmoment.tv. Go to “conversations” and click a tag, or do a search. Our home page lists “specials” (presentations and conferences) available on DVD. Subscribe to our email newsletter. Or go to “journal” to join the dialogue on Janaia’s Journal.
Author: peakmoment
Keywords: biofuels ethanol biodiesel green building solar
Added: April 5, 2008