Blogs & Ecology

Image credit: The Economist

Peak Oil DVDs at Bargain Prices

Food security is a concept that works on micro and macro levels. But, it's something that individuals don't often think about until they are confronted with a situation where they don't have access to adequate food and become food insecure. The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture has produced a short animation that does a great job of explaining how individual actions can affect global food security. While the stats are specific to Japan, the concepts are universal.

Watch it, after the jump. ...

Jenn Pentland

Farmer Roy Lawrence and CSA members - Matt Lowe

Local eating advocates often cite reduced shipping emissions as a good reason to source food from as close to home as possible. The concept of reduced food miles equaling reduced carbon output quickly becomes clouded when economies of scale, production methods, and efficiency of shipping methods is taken into account. A group of farmers, activists and citizens in British Columbia have removed any hint of uncertainty by creating a local low carbon grain chain.

Keep reading to see how they did it. ...

Transition City LA Just One of Many
It looks like it may have been almost a whole month since I last wrote about Transition Towns – covering the arrival of the Transition movement in Japan, and the incredible growth of Transition Towns in New Zealand. I make no secret about it, I’m a huge fan of this community-lead response to peak oil and climate change.

Michael Pollan in his garden. The New York Times via The Sydney Morning Herald

Oil Banker Warns of Energy Crisis
James Howard Kunstler is not the only one who sees parallels between the current financial crisis and a coming energy crisis. Matt Simmons, head of the oil investment bank Simmons and Company, has long been a prophet of peak oil, silencing the Fast Money team with his dire warnings ...

Transition Towns Spread Throughout New Zealand
It seems like only yesterday that I wrote about Transition Towns reaching New Zealand. Well, a lot can happen in a short time – as the above video/slideshow shows, the people of New Zealand/Aoteoroa have been remarkably busy. Transition groups are appearing all over the country, and events and workshops...

Collective Responses to Peak Oil and Climate Change Gain Traction

Photo Credit: Green Gables – a Contemplative Companion to Fujino Township

Transition Town Fujino Launched