resilience

This article appeared in the Dominion Post (Wellington) on Monday 21 July.

Over a barrel - a new vision needed

In November 2007, when the world oil price was nudging US $90 per barrel, I wrote an article entitled “The Future of Oil” for the Dominion Post. The article explained that oil prices were rising because world oil production had been virtually static since 2005, while demand had continued to rise.

I was very pleased to find out at Climate Change Festival in Wellington this weekend that there is an active Transition Towns movement in New Zealand. Transition Towns, http://www.transitiontowns.org.nz/, are towns where a group has taken on the responsibility to plan the transition to a lower-energy and lower-emissions future. It's a concept that's gained a lot of traction in the UK and Ireland, and now it's coming to a town or suburb near you.

Pathways to Resilient Communities

Engaging communities to plan for future shocks.
Te Papa, Telstra-Clear Suite, 7th and 8th March 2009

Our World... and Wellington are facing a broad range of serious and growing threats: increasing oil prices and peak oil, climate change and erratic weather patterns, rising food prices, energy shortages, transportation strikes and economic downfalls.